scholarly journals Gender, social capital and adaptive capacity to climate variability

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Omolo ◽  
Paramu L. Mafongoya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Change Vulnerability ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Semi Arid

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between gender and social capital in adapting to climate variability in the arid and semi-arid regions in Turkana in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach This paper undertook literature review of secondary data sources, conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze data for the quantitative part of the paper. Findings Vulnerability is influenced by age, gender, education and disability. Elderly women are considered to be the most vulnerable to climate variability and change because they are the poorest in the community, followed by elderly men, the disabled, female-headed households, married women, men and, finally, the youth. Less than 30 per cent of women and men in both Katilu and Loima are able to read and write. The cross-tabulation results show that there is a statistical significant relationship between gender, age and education level and climate change vulnerability. This implies that gender, age and education level have a significant effect on climate change vulnerability. Research limitations/implications The research coverage was limited to only two regions in Turkana because of time and economic constraints. Practical implications The lack of attention to gender in the climate change literature has time and again resulted in an oversimplification of women’s and men's experience of climate risks. Improved development assistance, investments and enhanced targeting of the truly vulnerable within pastoral societies demand an acceptance of underdevelopment in arid and semi-arid regions in Kenya because of historical imbalances in investment; the recognition that vulnerability of pastoralists is neither uniform nor universal and the need to consider differences like age, gender and education. Policy-makers should understand that pastoralists in the past have used indigenous knowledge to cope with and adapt to climate change. The current-recurrent and intensity droughts require investment in modern technology, equipping pastoralists with relevant information and skills to make them resilient to climate change and implementing existing and relevant policies for northern Kenya. Social implications This paper draws from several other efforts to show the critical relationships between gender, social capital and climate change. They are tracking adaptation and measuring development framework; ending drought emergencies common programme framework; and feminist evaluation approach. Originality/value This paper is important in identifying the link between gender, social capital and adaptation to climate change.

scholarly journals Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change: insights from the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitya Rao ◽  
Elaine T. Lawson ◽  
Wapula N. Raditloaneng ◽  
Divya Solomon ◽  
Margaret N. Angula
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Semi Arid

Elderly smallholder farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation to climate variability and change in rural Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Divine Odame Appiah ◽  
Felix Asante ◽  
Lois Antwi-Boadi ◽  
Richard Serbeh
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pension Scheme ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability And Change ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to examine elderly smallholder farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation to climate variability and change in the Offinso Municipality, Ghana. Design/methodology/approach This paper used quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed with frequencies and chi-square tests, whereas qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings The results showed that elderly smallholder farmers’ knowledge of climate variability and climate change were based on their sex, level of formal education and experience in farming. Elderly smallholder farmers adopted both on-farm and off-farm strategies to cope with climate change and variability. The vulnerability of elderly smallholder farmers to climate change calls for social protection mechanisms such as a pension scheme that guarantees access to monthly cash transfers. Such a scheme will ease constraints to livelihood and ensure improved well-being. Originality/value Elderly smallholder farmers have remained invisible in discourses on perceptions and adaptation to climate change despite the surge in number of this category of farmers. This paper therefore represents an attempt to highlight the experiences of elderly smallholder farmers with climate variability and change.

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Inland Fisheries of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of Africa

2019 ◽  
pp. 196-216
Author(s):  
Imefon Udo Udo ◽  
Imekan Isaac Akpan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Local Institutions ◽  
Inland Fisheries ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Planned Adaptation ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Fish Yields ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Inland fisheries of arid and semi-arid regions of Africa are seriously threatened by negative impacts of climate change. Literature and several models show increase in temperature of 1.1oC in some areas. Sea level rise is projected to increase to 0.8 m by the year 2100. Fish yields have increased almost linearly by around half a million metric tons per decade over the past 60 years, while clear cyclical variations in the residuals of about 20 years' periodicity above and below the trend line have been observed. Although fisher folks, their communities, and local institutions are already constantly adapting to various forms of change, flimsiness in the wider governance and macro-economic environment has weakened the overall adaptive capacity of these regions and fishers are vulnerable to projected climate change. For significant benefits of inland fisheries to be accomplished, planned adaptation at scales from the local to the regional is very necessary.

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Inland Fisheries of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of Africa

2022 ◽  
pp. 1572-1591
Author(s):  
Imefon Udo Udo ◽  
Imekan Isaac Akpan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Local Institutions ◽  
Inland Fisheries ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Planned Adaptation ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Fish Yields ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Inland fisheries of arid and semi-arid regions of Africa are seriously threatened by negative impacts of climate change. Literature and several models show increase in temperature of 1.1oC in some areas. Sea level rise is projected to increase to 0.8 m by the year 2100. Fish yields have increased almost linearly by around half a million metric tons per decade over the past 60 years, while clear cyclical variations in the residuals of about 20 years' periodicity above and below the trend line have been observed. Although fisher folks, their communities, and local institutions are already constantly adapting to various forms of change, flimsiness in the wider governance and macro-economic environment has weakened the overall adaptive capacity of these regions and fishers are vulnerable to projected climate change. For significant benefits of inland fisheries to be accomplished, planned adaptation at scales from the local to the regional is very necessary.

scholarly journals Can climate change influence agricultural GTFP in arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-853
Author(s):  
Jian Feng ◽  
Lingdi Zhao ◽  
Yibo Zhang ◽  
Lingxiao Sun ◽  
Xiang Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals Vertical integration for climate change adaptation in the water sector: lessons from decentralisation in Africa and India

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 2729-2743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina Ziervogel ◽  
Poshendra Satyal ◽  
Ritwika Basu ◽  
Adelina Mensah ◽  
Chandni Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Vertical Integration ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Formal And Informal Institutions ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Modes Of Governance ◽  
Semi Arid

AbstractVertical integration, which creates strategic linkages between national and sub-national levels, is being promoted as important for climate change adaptation. Decentralisation, which transfers authority and responsibility to lower levels of organisation, serves a similar purpose and has been in place for a number of decades. Based on four case studies in semi-arid regions in Africa and India, this paper argues that vertical integration for climate change adaptation should reflect on lessons from decentralisation related to governing natural resources, particularly in the water sector. The paper focuses on participation and flexibility, two central components of climate change adaptation, and considers how decentralisation has enhanced or undermined these. The findings suggest that vertical integration for adaptation will be strengthened if a number of lessons are considered, namely (i) actively seek equitable representation from marginal and diverse local groups drawing on both formal and informal participation structures, (ii) assess and address capacity deficits that undermine flexibility and adaptive responses, especially within lower levels of government, and (iii) use hybrid modes of governance that include government, intermediaries and diverse local actors through both formal and informal institutions to improve bottom-up engagement.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of Maize Yield in Smallholder Systems to Climate Scenarios in Semi-Arid Regions of West Africa: Accounting for Variability in Farm Management Practices

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bright Freduah ◽  
Dilys MacCarthy ◽  
Myriam Adam ◽  
Mouhamed Ly ◽  
Alex Ruane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Maize Yield ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Smallholder Systems

Climate change is estimated to exacerbate existing challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Sub-Sahara Africa. However, limited studies quantify the extent of variation in climate change impact under these systems at the local scale. The Decision Support System for Agro-technological Transfer (DSSAT) was used to quantify variation in climate change impacts on maize yield under current agricultural practices in semi-arid regions of Senegal (Nioro du Rip) and Ghana (Navrongo and Tamale). Multi-benchmark climate models (Mid-Century, 2040–2069 for two Representative Concentration Pathways, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), and multiple soil and management information from agronomic surveys were used as input for DSSAT. The average impact of climate scenarios on grain yield among farms ranged between −9% and −39% across sites. Substantial variation in climate response exists across farms in the same farming zone with relative standard deviations from 8% to 117% at Nioro du Rip, 13% to 64% in Navrongo and 9% to 37% in Tamale across climate models. Variations in fertilizer application, planting dates and soil types explained the variation in the impact among farms. This study provides insight into the complexities of the impact of climate scenarios on maize yield and the need for better representation of heterogeneous farming systems for optimized outcomes in adaptation and resilience planning in smallholder systems.

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