Rural households’ livelihood vulnerability to climate variability and extremes: a livelihood zone-based approach in the Northeastern Highlands of Ethiopia

Background The adverse effects of climate variability and extremes exert increasing pressure on rural farm households whose livelihoods are dependent on nature. However, integrated and area-specific vulnerability assessments in Ethiopia in general and the study area, in particular, are scarce and insufficient for policy implications. Therefore, this study aims to quantify, map, classify, and prioritize the level of vulnerability in terms of the components of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in the Northeastern Highlands of Ethiopia. The study area is divided into six livelihood zones, namely, Abay-Beshilo Basin (ABB), South Wollo and Oromia eastern lowland sorghum and cattle (SWS), Chefa Valley (CHV), Meher-Belg, Belg, and Meher. A total of 361 sample households were selected using proportional probability sampling techniques. Survey questionnaire, key informant interview, and focus group discussions were used to collect the necessary data. Rainfall and temperature data were also used. Following the IPCC’s climate change vulnerability assessment approach, the climate vulnerability index (CVI) framework of Sullivan and Meigh’s model was used to assess the relative vulnerability of livelihoods of rural households. Twenty-four vulnerability indicators were identified for exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity components. In this regard, Iyengar and Sudarshan’s unequal weighting system was applied to assign a weight to indicators. Results The results revealed that Belg and Meher were found to be the highest exposure livelihood zones to vulnerability with an aggregated value of 0.71. Equally, SWS, ABB, Belg, and CHV livelihood zones showed moderate level of sensitivity to vulnerability with an aggregated value between 0.45 and 0.60. The study noted that livelihood zone of Belg (0.75) was found to be at high level of livelihood vulnerability. ABB (0.57) and CHV (0.45) were at a moderate level of livelihood vulnerability while Meher-Belg (0.22) was the least vulnerable livelihood zone due to a high level of adaptive capacity such as infrastructure, asset accumulation, and social networks. Conclusion It was identified that disparities of livelihood vulnerability levels of rural households were detected across the study livelihood zones due to differences in the interaction of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity components. The highest levels of exposure and sensitivity combined with low level of adaptive capacity have increased households’ livelihood vulnerability. More importantly, the biophysical and socioeconomic sensitivity to livelihood vulnerability were exacerbated by slope/topography, soil erodibility, and population pressure. Therefore, designing livelihood zone-based identifiable adaptation strategies are essential to reduce the exposure and sensitivity of crop-livestock mixed agricultural systems to climate calamity.

“Climate justice” and the Paris climate agreement in the light of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets

The aim of the paper is to identify common elements and differences in the policies of the countries towards the achievement of the Paris Agreement on Climate (PAC) targets. The introductory part of the paper highlights the complexity, characteristics and importance of climate change as a global problem, and suggests the methodological approach. The central part of the paper is devoted to addressing the theoretical and normative aspects of ?climate justice?. The issue of ?equitable? participation of countries in the fight against climate change (so-called climate justice) is discussed, and, above all, the participation of states in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The relationship of countries to climate change is considered by assessing their share of global GHG emissions and the climate vulnerability index, on the one hand, and the targets they have set for reducing GHG emissions under the PAC, on the other. Countries are grouped into five groups: countries surrounding the Republic of Serbia (RS), countries whose emission indicators are similar to those of the RS, countries with the largest GHG emissions, countries with the smallest GHG emissions, and countries most vulnerable to climate change. In conclusion, it can be said that a double discrepancy (the discrepancy between the global target and the national targets and within the national targets) exists. In addition, certain common elements in the national targets for reducing GHG emissions also exist. However, due to the lack of uniformity in the way the GHG emission reduction targets are indicated, drawing firm conclusions is not reliable. At the same time, this leaves some room for a more flexible relationship in defining the national goals of the RS, with reservations about the obligations associated with the EU membership candidacy.

Climate vulnerability index fluctuation: a case of Iran

Climatic fluctuations have severe effects on water and soil resources and economy as a whole. It is hence important to study the fluctuations of climatic parameters in different regions in order to recognize the source and type of parameter that have led to fluctuating climatic parameters. To achieve this goal, the current study attempts to address the following issues: what are the different sources of fluctuations in climate parameters? Do different regions have the same degree of vulnerability and what is the most fluctuating parameter in each region? To answer these questions, the study suggests climate vulnerability index fluctuation. Calculating the index requires data provided by weather stations, so 115 weather stations were divided into 12 climatic zones based on the availability of data. This index considered permanent and frequent temperature, precipitation, storm and aridity shocks. The results indicated that the maximum rank of index has occurred in hot semi-mountainous and very hot desert. Also, temperature fluctuation was the major factor in five regions, whereas wind fluctuation was the major factor in three regions. Generally, the northern and western parts of the country experienced minimum climatic changes. Moving towards southern regions of the country, more climatic changes were observed.