scholarly journals Assessing Vulnerability to Climate Change in Smallholder Irrigation Schemes of Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10023
Author(s):  
Liboster Mwadzingeni ◽  
Raymond Mugandani ◽  
Paramu L. Mafongoya

Globally, climate change poses enormous threats to the livelihoods of rural communities in arid and semi-arid regions. Assessing the extent of vulnerability is critical to identify climate hot spots and develop appropriate adaptation policies and strategies. This paper uses the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and the Livelihood Vulnerability Index—Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (LVI-IPCC) to compare vulnerability to climate change in the Exchange, Insukamini, and Ruchanyu smallholder irrigation schemes (SISs) in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 317 randomly selected households. Results show higher exposure and sensitivity to climate change in the Insukamini irrigation scheme despite the higher adaptive capacity. Both LVI and LVI-IPCC show that households in Insukamini irrigation scheme are more vulnerable to climate change than in Exchange and Ruchanyu irrigation schemes, attributed to water insecurity, poor social networks, and natural disasters and climate variability. The study recommends that development and investment in Insukamini and Ruchanyu should prioritize improving social networks while Exchange should primarily focus on improving livelihood strategies. Using the LVI-IPCC framework is a key methodology for understanding the vulnerability of communities in SISs and identifying areas that need prime development and investment. These results have implications on implementing investments and livelihood policies in SISs of Zimbabwe.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-163
Author(s):  
Kapil Dhungana ◽  
Harish Bahadur Chand ◽  
Dinesh Bhandari ◽  
Abhishek Kumar ◽  
Sanjay Singh ◽  
...  

The current study uses the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change livelihood vulnerability index (IPCC-LVI) approaches to assess household’s livelihood vulnerability in the Dipang watershed located in the Central Himalayan region of Nepal. Primary data was collected through various participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools such as direct observation, key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and household surveys. Similarly, data on climatic variables were collected from the nearby meteorological station over 30 years (1987-2018). The mean annual average temperature increased by 0.036°C while the average rainfall decreased by 2.30 mm. Respondents perceived a similar trend of rising temperatures, decreasing rainfall intensity, dryness in the atmosphere, and dwindling water sources. The overall LVI score (0.416) indicated that the households are vulnerable to climate change. Food (0.642) and natural disasters and climate variability (0.566) were the most vulnerable among all contributing factors. Similarly, the overall LVI-IPCC score (0.104) indicated that the households were moderately vulnerable due to high exposure (0.566), sensitivity (0.448), and low adaptive capacity (0.334). The study findings suggest an urgent need to reduce high exposure to climate risks, improved livelihood strategies, and boost agricultural productivity and health in the watershed area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-131
Author(s):  
Kevin Lee Fath ◽  
Taniya Jayani Koswatta ◽  
Gary Wingenbach

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine agricultural livelihood vulnerability to climate change in Bluefields, Westmoreland, Jamaica based on the Livelihoods Vulnerability Index (LVI). Random sampling was used to select participants. Personal interviews were conducted with farmers using an instrument consisting of LVI components representing livelihood strategies, natural and physical assets, socio-demographic profile, social networks, water issues, food issues, natural disasters, and climate variability. LVI data were aggregated using an indexing approach to create scores for comparison across vulnerability components. The results showed farmers in Bluefields had the most amount of vulnerability in social networks and water issues. Low numbers of farmers owned their land, had contact with extension services, or used irrigation. Most farmers reported having problems with access to seeds and planting material, depended on their farms for food, and experienced frequent crop failure. Development organizations and local change agents should target the areas of greatest vulnerability illuminated by this study. Vulnerability and its contributing factors of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, should be reassessed with the LVI and other methods to monitor changes in Bluefields over time. Implications for extension educators to assist subsistence farmers in understanding better the effects of climate change are noted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-147
Author(s):  
Van Hong Thi Ha ◽  
Nguyen Bang Nong

Objective - Vietnam is one of the world's most severely affected countries by climate change. The consequences of climate change reduce the goal of poverty alleviation and sustainable development of the country. Quang Ninh is a coastal province with vigorous development in industry and tourism and is the leading province in Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in Vietnam in recent years. Methodology/Technique - However, for many years, Quang Ninh province has suffered many negative impacts of climate change. Based on empirical evidence, the article assesses the vulnerability in people's livelihoods under the impact of climate change in Quang Ninh province by using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) developed by Hahn, Riederer, and Foster. Findings - The paper also assesses livelihood vulnerability based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC.) The research results show that the components of responding well to climate change are not acceptable. Novelty - The study also shows that there should be different policies, strategies, and reduction components to improve the capacity to respond to climate change to ensure sustainable development goals. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Climate Change, Resources, Livelihood Vulnerability, Sustainable Development, Vietnam. JEL Classification: Q01; Q56


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun Il Choi

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports, climate variability and changes increase the possibility of extreme weather events causing climate-related hazards and the risk of natural disasters. A storm is one of the most common and serious natural hazards that pose significant human and economic damage costs worldwide. The Korean Peninsula is also at persistent risk of hydro-meteorological disasters induced by rainstorms and typhoons due to geomorphological features and climate change impacts. This study has, therefore, proposed the damage vulnerability index for a spatial assessment of the damage vulnerability to storms, based on the IPCC’s vulnerability assessment concept. The damage vulnerability index is aggregated from the potential indicator for the potential damage targets, estimated by the population and major facility densities, and the risk indicator for the expected damage risk, estimated by the risk analysis for integrating both frequency and severity of human and economic damage cost records. The damage vulnerability index can assess regions vulnerable to the disaster damage induced by rainstorms, typhoons, and both, respectively, over the 231 administrative districts in the Republic of Korea. It is expected that the proposed damage vulnerability index can provide realistic and practical information on sustainable damage mitigation plans for the nationwide administrative districts against storm-induced disasters.


Author(s):  
Mthuthukisi Ncube ◽  

The article examines the negative externalities of social capital in the sustainability of smallholder irrigation farming. Smallholder irrigation farming has become one of the main sources of rural livelihood in Zimbabwe given the deficiencies in rainfall triggered by climate change among other factors. The establishment of smallholder irrigation schemes, refurbishment of irrigation infrastructure, introduction of new technology and the subsidization of farm inputs are several initiatives taken by the government of Zimbabwe, Non-Governmental organisations and the private sector to improving agricultural productivity among smallholder irrigation schemes. Despite these efforts, smallholder irrigation farming has remained unsustainable. Resultantly, most rural communities in Zimbabwe continue to face hunger and poverty, two overarching sustainable development goals (SDGs 1 & 2) one and two. This study examined the negative externalities of social capital on efforts to improve productivity and sustainability of Rozva smallholder irrigation scheme. The article argues that linking social capital, which includes partnerships between Rozva irrigation farmers and donor agencies, has created dependency syndrome that is inimical to the sustainability of the irrigation scheme. The article concludes some social connections detrimental to the sustainability of the scheme tend to create divisions among farmers. The article argues there is need for awareness on negative externalities of social capital and reduce these effects on the sustainability of the smallholder irrigation to realise social capital benefits among irrigation farming communities in Zimbabwe.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Holly Mansfield

<p>Discourses of vulnerability abound in climate change literature; both particular types of places and particular groups of people are routinely considered especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Such discourses are employed by the international community in a technical manner—attempting to categorise current and expected degrees of impact on places and populations—and also to support the advocacy of urgent action to respond to climate change. This thesis examines the manner in which discourses of vulnerability are being invoked in discussions about the impacts of climate change and considers what impact this has on the people and places that are being described in this way. This research focuses specifically on Kiribati and I-Kiribati women and explores, in particular, how the debate about forced migration (as a possible outcome of climate change) has been shaped by vulnerability discourses. Both Kiribati, as a specific type of geographical entity, and women, as a category of people, have been described as having extreme vulnerability to climate change. It is not new for either Pacific Islands or women to be framed as “vulnerable”; however with the increased attention to climate change, vulnerability discourses are being used with such frequency that it is virtually impossible to find literature on the Pacific and women that does not reference their vulnerability. The use of such an emotive term raises questions. Who is naming and claiming vulnerability? What impact does such language have on those that are portrayed in this way? And, what are the long-term consequences of such terminology being used? Interesting questions are also raised regarding discursive similarities between presentations of vulnerable women and vulnerable islands. This thesis addresses these questions by analysing international literature on climate change and forced migration—especially that produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—between 1990 and 2007, and contrasting this with close analysis of public discourse from two vocal I-Kiribati advocates, Pelenise Alofa and Maria Tiimon, from 2009 to 2011. Conclusions are drawn from this analysis regarding the power relationships embedded in discourse, and the possible ramifications of language use for the construction of policy.</p>


Author(s):  
Thu Hong Anh Nguyen ◽  
Huyen Khon Nguyen ◽  
Le Quoc Vy ◽  
Tran Thi Hieu ◽  
Tran Trung Kien ◽  
...  

Aquaculture - belonging to the Fisheries group - is one of the high-value economic sectors, accounting for a large part in the structure of the agriculture, forestry and fishery industry in Vietnam. However, the sustainability of this industry is facing many challenges due to climate change process; An Giang is a province that has long had a strong position in aquaculture in Vietnam and is not out of that influence. Therefore, there is an urgent need to assess climate change vulnerability of aquaculture in An Giang based on the predicted changes in temperature and rainfall of the region according to the change scenarios. climate. Unlike previous studies conducted mainly on a national scale, this paper is mainly concerned with Pangasius (Pangasius is one of the aquatic species with high commercial value, with significant contribution). including livelihoods of people in An Giang province) - species raised in the main production areas of An Giang and assess their vulnerability for each area, using an index-based method and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Definition of Vulnerability to overcome constraints in developing specific adaptation strategies at regional scale. First, for each exposure, sensitivity and adaptability, specific and appropriate indicators are chosen. These indicators are then estimated and weighted to analyze vulnerability to climate change. The results show that the level of vulnerability due to climate change to the pangasius farming industry in An Giang province is at a moderate level, of which Chau Phu district is highly vulnerable because the district has the main livelihood of Pangasius farming.


2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 78-84
Author(s):  
Nguyen Phuong Tan Le ◽  
◽  
Nguyen Khoi Dao ◽  

Climate change has directly and indirectly affected the livelihood of households that rely on climate conditions for their livelihood in the coastal areas of Vietnam. This study applied the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) to assess the vulnerability of a household’s livelihood under the effect of climate change in one of the most highly vulnerable areas of Viet Nam - the Can Gio coastal district of Ho Chi Minh city. Based on a survey of 107 households within six communes and one town located in the Can Gio district, the LVI was calculated at both district and commune scales. The results reveal that the district of Can Gio is at a moderate vulnerability level (LVI=0.303), while the Ly Nhon commune (LVI=0.334) is the most vulnerable of the seven surveyed areas. Additionally, the aspects of livelihood strategies (0.516), socio-demographic profile (0.391), and food (0.385) are critical to the determination of the livelihood vulnerability of the seven surveyed communes.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Karmaoui

The Mediterranean basin (MB) connects the south with the north and the East (Europe, Africa & Asia).It is a highly heterogeneous region where natural and anthropogenic activities interact in complex ways with climate variability. Climate change (CC) impacts are already defined on the Mediterranean. That is why the time has come to formulate a long-term plan for adaptation to CC of the MB. In this chapter the author aims (i) the assessment of the environmental vulnerability under CC provided in the BM during the last 30 years, (ii) the determination of environmental vulnerability indicators that the author call Major Common Indicators (MCI), and (iii) identification of adaptation strategies based on these indicators. For this analysis the author used the results of the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI), developed by SOPAC. In this paper, the author extracted, compiled, compared and analyzed the data of the EVI of 8 selected Mediterranean countries; 4 countries in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt) and 4 Southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy and Greece).


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