Climate variability and extreme climate events is one of the many challenges faced by fish farmers. The present study was carried out to assess and compare the socio-economic vulnerability and adaptations of fish farmers to climate variability and extreme climate events in arid and semi-arid lands of Central and Eastern parts of Kitui County, Kenya. Both study sites were purposively selected and the descriptive research design adopted. A total of 60 fish farming households were randomly selected to form the sample size for the study. The socio-economic vulnerability analysis of the fish farmers was based on an index constructed from carefully selected indicators for adaptive capacity. Principal Component Analysis was used to give weights to the indicators. The overall adaptive capacity index results revealed that possession of various assets varied between the two study sites, implying a spatial difference in socio-economic vulnerability between the two study sites. Regarding adaptation, results revealed that the level of adoption of various adaptation strategies to climate variability and extreme climate events also differed significantly between the two study sites and was subject to the adaptive capacity of the fish farmer. Therefore, this study recommends that the socio-economic vulnerability profile of the fish farmers inform any adaptation actions to be taken on fish farmers in arid and semi-arid lands
Climate variability and extreme climate events is one of the many challenges faced by fish farmers. The present study was carried out to assess and compare the socio-economic vulnerability and adaptations of fish farmers to climate variability and extreme climate events in arid and semi-arid lands of Central and Eastern parts of Kitui County, Kenya. Both study sites were purposively selected and the descriptive research design adopted. A total of 60 fish farming households were randomly selected to form the sample size for the study. The socio-economic vulnerability analysis of the fish farmers was based on an index constructed from carefully selected indicators for adaptive capacity. Principal Component Analysis was used to give weights to the indicators. The overall adaptive capacity index results revealed that possession of various assets varied between the two study sites, implying a spatial difference in socio-economic vulnerability between the two study sites. Regarding adaptation, results revealed that the level of adoption of various adaptation strategies to climate variability and extreme climate events also differed significantly between the two study sites and was subject to the adaptive capacity of the fish farmer. Therefore, this study recommends that the socio-economic vulnerability profile of the fish farmers inform any adaptation actions to be taken on fish farmers in arid and semi-arid lands.
The present study assessed the household-level biophysical vulnerability to climate variability and extreme events of fish farmers in Kitui East and Kitui Central Sub counties of Kitui County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey design and a total of 60 farmers constituted the sample. Carefully selected indicators for exposure and sensitivity were used to operationalize vulnerability. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to assign weights to the indicators. Biophysical vulnerability indices indicated that Kitui East fish farmers were more vulnerable (3.70) as compared to Kitui Central fish farmers (-0.80). In conclusion, the study revealed a high biophysical vulnerability of fish farmers to climate variability and extreme events in arid and semi-arid lands. Therefore, fish farmers’ access to off-farm income and their adaptive capacity should be a primary target as fish farming stakeholders lack control over environmental factors that increase the biophysical vulnerability of fish farmers.
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