Post on 14-Dec-2015
Local adaptations to climate extremes in rural Africa: opportunities and barriers
Marisa Goulden, Lars Otto Næss, Katharine Vincent and Neil Adger
Living with climate change: are there limits to adaptation?London, February 2008
Overview
• Study areas
• Opportunities and barriers to adaptation
• Adaptation examples
• Access to adaptations
• Institutional and policy influence on adaptation
• Conclusions
Study areasUganda: Central Uganda, shallow lakes, wetlands and farmland
Tanzania: Dodoma Region, dryland landscape: savanna and hill top forests
South Africa: Limpopo Province, dryland landscape
Study areasUganda: Central Uganda, shallow lakes, wetlands and farmland
Flooding and drought, lake area and fish catch variability
Tanzania: Dodoma Region, dryland landscape: savanna and hill top forests
High rainfall variability, droughts, perception of decrease in rainfall
South Africa: Limpopo Province, dryland landscape
High rainfall variability, floods and droughts
Opportunities and barriers exist
• Experience of climate impacts demonstrates many opportunities for adaptations
• Barriers to adaptation exist where individuals lack access to assets
• Institutions and policies influence access to adaptations
AdaptationsLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
AdaptationsLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Concurrent diversityMultiple activities to
spread risk and increase income
Temporal diversity Swapping activities
over time
Spatial diversity Migration, relocation,
spatial spread
AdaptationsLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Knowledge of historical variability
Traditional skills
Traditional practices
AdaptationsLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Loans, exchange, informal credit,
remittances.
Labouring for other households
Collective action groups, government
assistance
AdaptationsLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Concurrent diversityMultiple activities to
spread risk and increase income
Knowledge of historical variability
Loans, exchange, informal credit,
remittances.
Temporal diversity Swapping activities
over timeTraditional skills
Labouring for other households
Spatial diversity Migration, relocation,
spatial spreadTraditional practices
Collective action groups, government
assistance
Access to adaptations
Livelihood diversification
Local Knowledge based
Social links based
Access to adaptations
Livelihood diversification
Local Knowledge based
Social links based
Depends on wealth, gender, age, health, labour, social links
Requires access to diverse capital assets
Poor resort to temporal diversification and use of natural resources.
Access to adaptations
Livelihood diversification
Local Knowledge based
Social links based
Depends on gender, age, skills, knowledge
and labour
Threats to traditional uses of resources.
Varying trust in traditional practices.
Access to adaptations
Livelihood diversification
Local Knowledge based
Social links based
Access provided by bridging and linking
social capital
Limits of bonding social capital adaptations
Depends on wealth, education, gender and
occupation
Access to adaptations
Livelihood diversification
Local Knowledge based
Social links based
Depends on wealth, gender, age, health, labour, social links
Depends on gender, age, skills, knowledge
and labour
Access provided by bridging and linking
social capital
Requires access to diverse capital assets
Threats to traditional uses of resources.
Limits of bonding social capital adaptations
Poor resort to temporal diversification and use of natural resources.
Varying trust in traditional practices.
Depends on wealth, education, gender and
occupation
Institutional and policy influence on adaptationLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Institutional and policy influence on adaptationLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Village-based institutions facilitate
access
Weak institutional capacity impedes
government assistance
Fisheries regulations enforcement hinders
fishing based livelihoods
Institutional and policy influence on adaptationLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Loss of local knowledge
Local wild food substitutes for
insufficient food aid
Conflict of government initiatives and
regulations with traditional practices.
Institutional and policy influence on adaptationLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Government assistance reduces traditional
reciprocity
Government assistance favours those with better social links
Social, political and environmental change
influence collective action opportunities.
Institutional and policy influence on adaptationLivelihood
diversificationLocal Knowledge
basedSocial links based
Village-based institutions facilitate
access
Loss of local knowledge
Government assistance reduces traditional
reciprocity
Weak institutional capacity impedes
government assistance
Local wild food substitutes for
insufficient food aid
Government assistance favours those with better social links
Fisheries regulations enforcement hinders
fishing based livelihoods
Conflict of government initiatives and
regulations with traditional practices.
Social, political and environmental change
influence collective action opportunities.
Conclusions• Rural households have experience of adaptations
that rely on livelihood diversification, local knowledge and social links
• Barriers to adaptation occur where people lack access to assets, e.g. labour, skills, social links.
• Institutions and government policy influence access to adaptations
• Opportunities for adaptation can be promoted but those households that lack access will be more vulnerable.