Gender, Food Insecurity & Climate Change among Gender, Food Insecurity & Climate Change among Pastoral Communities: Mandera and Turkana Northern Pastoral Communities: Mandera and Turkana Northern

KenyaKenya

NANCY A. OMOLOUNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU NATAL – DURBAN , SOUTH AFRICA

Drought affected districts in Kenya: Districts in Brownare arid while Green are semi Arid

Livestock Production & the Kenyan Economy

• Livestock is their major source of livelihood and food security.

• Kenya’s livestock production accounts for 24% of total agricultural output.

• Over 70% of the country’s livestock and 75% of wildlife are in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

(Orindi et al., 2007:1).

Climate Change & Livestock Production

• It has been projected that climate change will alter the regional distribution of hungry people, with particularly large negative effects in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Smallholder and subsistence farmers, pastoralists and artisanal fisherfolk will suffer complex, localised impacts of climate change, due both to constrained adaptive capacity in many places and to the additional impacts of other climate related processes (IPCC, 2007).

Predicted Impact of Climate Change on Livestock Production

• According to Thornton et al (2002), of the planet’s 1.3 billion poor people, at least 90% of them are located in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, climate change will have major impacts on the more than 600 million people who depend on livestock for their livelihoods.

• These impacts will include changes in the productivity of rainfed crops and forage, reduced water availability and more widespread water shortages, and changing severity and distribution of important human, livestock and crop diseases.

Death of Animals Due to Drought in Mandera

Summarize future rainfall scenarios for Turkana and Mandera districts.

-10.0

10.0

30.0

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70.0

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110.0

1960

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Gender and Climate Change• Empirical research undertaken by Cutter (1995), Denton (2002) and Enarson (2002) has shown that entitlements to elements of adaptive capacity are socially differentiated along the lines of age, ethnicity, class, gender and religion.

• Dankelman (2002:24) argues that climate change it is often seen as a technical problem, requiring technical solutions. However there are many social and political aspects to this complex issue. Climate change is not gender neutral and in many cases, communities interact with their physical environment in a gender-differentiated way

Women Fetching Water in Turkana

Objective 2 - of the Project

Objective:Identify and evaluate gender dimensions of vulnerability to climate

change among the social groups in Turkana and Mandera communities.

Specific Objectives Identify women and men’s PERCEPTIONS on the impact and

intensity of climate variability and change (droughts and floods) Evaluate women’s and men’s VULNERABILITY to climate variability

and change Identify women & men’s COPING & ADAPTATION STRATEGIES to

climate variability and change Ascertain CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES women and men face

in adapting to climate variability and change

Project Sites & Sample SizeThis was determined by types of ecological livelihoods zones :

Agro-pastoralism and Primary pastoralism

PROJECT SITES SAMPLE SIZE

MANDERA

Rhamu 345

Khalalio 423

TURKANA

Namoruputh 104

Katilu 275

Kapua 273

TOTAL 1420

Methodology

TRIANGULATIONTRIANGULATION

QUATITATIVE DATAStructured questionnaires

Climate data (rainfall &temperature)

QUALITATIVE DATAFocus Group Discussions (FGDs)Key indepth interviews (KIIs)

SECONDARY DATA SOURCESGovernment of Kenya development reportsJournals, Published books, Research reports Peer reviewed journal, internet databases

Women Focus Group Discussion in Turkana

Men Focus Group in Turkana

Women FGD in Mandera

ANALYSIS

• Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)The data summarised in tables, charts and graphic presentations

• The Moser Framework Gender roles identification/ triple role; Gender needs assessment; Disaggregating control of resources and decision-making within the household;

• Livelihood Sensitivity MatrixLivelihood sensitivity exercise is a useful tool for helping identify vulnerable livelihoods and consequently targeting adaptations that aim to increase the resiliency ofparticular livelihood strategies to climate change.

• Climate modelling – climate change scenarios

Factors Contributing to Climate Related Vulnerability

MEN WOMEN

Direct risk from conflict over water and pasture; cattle rustling

Reproductive role (i.e. fetching firewood, water, taking care of the sick..)

Loss of social status through loss of animals

Minimal decision making power

Reduced decision-making power Cultural stereotypes

Low income (poor physical infrustructure and lack of market information)

Low earning power (selling animal products like milk poor physical infrustructure, lack of market information)

Illiteracy (difficulty in accessing technological innovations)

Illiteracy (difficulty in accessing technological innovations)

Difficulty in accessing markets (because of poor physical infrastructure)

Difficulty accessing markets (as compared to men because they little social network and also poor physical infrustructure)

Findings – Existing Diversified LivelihoodsSOURCES OF INCOME

Kapua Katilu Namoruputh

Women (%) Men (%) Women (%) Men (%) Women (%) Men (%)

Selling livestock /products

3.9 21.9 17.6 30.2 36.6 48.8

Farm produce/Farming

- - 37.0 42.5 1.1 12.2

Charcoal burning 37.6 41.1 8.1 1.9 - 2.4

Business 4.4 2.8 7.5 14.6

Weaving baskets 40.4 27.4 - - - -

Casual labourer - - 1.5 1.9

Remittance from family/relative

2.8 - 0.7 - 1.1 2.4

Sale Firewood 0.3 - 13.9 4.7 20.4 -

Local brewing - - 2.9 - 5.4 2.4

Findings: Coping Strategies in the Number of Meals a Day

Number of meals in a day

Mandera (%) Turkana (%)

One 21.1 78.5Two 51.8 16.1Three 26.3 0.3

Types of Food Eaten by Pastoralists in Northern Kenya

TRADITIONAL FOODS NEW FOODSAnimal products (i.e. meat, milk, ghee, blood)

Maize

Wild Fruits RiceMillet Beans

Pasta (especially in Mandera)

Conclusion & Recommendation• The types of food consumed by pastoralists have changed

over the years. Today most of the foods consumed are either bought or given to them as famine relief. This has made pastoralist s dependent. Hence there is need to strengthen the pastoral system through developing favourable policies.

• Pastoral livelihood is very vulnerable to climate variability and change because their existing coping strategies cannot deal with the current climatic risks. Women are more vulnerable than men because of the combination of reproductive and productive roles. However, women are vulnerable depending on: age, disability, literacy level and socio-economic status. Important to support organisations which promote gender equity and make available alternative energy and time saving stoves.

Conclusion & Recommendation

• There is evidence of diversification of livelihoods, however pastoralists involvement in so many activities is a symbol of stress in the pastoral system. However, it is important to document and support the existing coping strategies through financial support (i.e. micro-finance) and capacity building.

• There are similarities and variation in women and men coping strategies. Adaptations varies by geographical regions and culture. Therefore there is need in incorporating gender in adaptation strategies, while taking into consideration geographical and cultural differences.

AcknowledgmentsSUPPORTED BY:• Climate Change Adaptation in Africa CCAA Program funded

by IDRC & DFIDThe study was carried out by Kenya Vulnerability Research Team (KVRT) through Practical Action; Foodlink Resources, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA); University of Maseno and Kenyatta University.

• African Climate Change Fellowship Programme (ACCFP) Supported Global Change of System of Analysis Research and Training (START) and its partners Africa Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Institute of Research Assessment (IRA) funded by IDRC and DFID• University of Kwa Zulu Natal, South-Africa

THANK YOU; ASANTE SANATHANK YOU; ASANTE SANA