Adaptation to climate change in Ethiopia and South Africa: options and constraints

Bryan, Elizabeth; Deressa, Temesgen; Gbetibouo, Glwadys Aymone; Ringler, Claudia

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2008.11.002

Cited by 941 publications

(709 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…adjusting planting dates, changing crop composition, and improving soil and water management) are similar to those adopted by farmers in others parts of the Andean highlands and the world (e.g. Young and Lipton 2006;Bryan et al 2009;Deressa et al 2011;Habiba et al 2012;Boillat and Berkes 2013;Mijatović et al 2013;Le Dang et al 2014). Farmers' perceptions of crop responses to stresses linked to climate change are likewise in alignment with other studies.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Meldrum

Mijatović²,

Rojas

et al. 2017

Environ Dev Sustain

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Crop diversity is central to traditional risk management practices on the Andean Altiplano and may find renewed importance in adapting to climate change. This study explored the role of crop diversity in farmers' adaptation actions in eight Aymara communities on the northern Bolivian Altiplano. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including multifactor analysis and a community resilience selfassessment, we investigated how farmers' use of diversity in adaptation is related to their perceptions of crop and variety tolerances and other environmental, social, and economic factors. Few crops and varieties were perceived as tolerant to increasingly intense and unpredictable drought, frost, hail, and pest and disease outbreaks. Some local crops and varieties were perceived as vulnerable to emerging conditions (e.g. oca, papalisa, isaño), whereas bitter potatoes and wild relatives of quinoa and cañahua were perceived as highly stress tolerant and provide food in harsh periods. A total 19% of households surveyed (N = 193) had introduced new crops or varieties-often disease resistant or early maturing-as an adaptive action. Introduction of commercial crops was a common adaptation action, reflecting farmers' response to warming temperatures and changing economic opportunities, but greater sensitivity of the introduced crops may cause maladaptation. Despite intensification of cropping systems, households continue to maintain a median four potato varieties with different tolerance traits, yet this risk management practice was not perceived as adaptation. Strengthening resilience will require a combination of actions, including maintaining and expanding crop portfolios and restoring soil and ecosystem health, using both traditional and innovative approaches.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Meldrum

Mijatović²,

Rojas

et al. 2017

Environ Dev Sustain

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“…Economic activities and savings strategies may prove necessary in order to overcome reduced levels of social capital (Bryan et al 2009). For example, Kahendero is both larger than Kigando, experiences high level of in-migration due to the attraction of market opportunities, and has seasonal population fluctuations due to the fishing activity.…”

Section: Resources Driversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying drivers of household coping strategies to multiple climatic hazards in Western Uganda: implications for adapting to future climate change

Berman

Quinn

Paavola

2014

Climate and Development

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This paper investigates what drives household coping strategies in rural Uganda under different climatic hazards. Rural households in sub-Saharan Africa draw on various coping strategies to reduce the impact of climatic hazards on their livelihoods. Research to date provides only limited understanding of how the coping strategy portfolio of changes depending on the climatic stress. Using empirical data from Uganda, this research contributes to this gap by 1) exploring how household coping strategy relates to household characteristics and livelihood activity;and 2) how these coping strategies vary depending on the hazard. Coping strategy is found to be hazard specific for households that lack market-orientated activities, whereas those with marketaccess rely on economic activities regardless of hazard. The implications that choice of coping strategy has on future adaptation are discussed. To maintain and improve the livelihoods and coping strategies of those most vulnerable to climatic variability and change, policies that advocate diversification away from a sole reliance on customary activities need to recognise the level and opportunity for market-based activities. These interventions must account for different sensitivities to different hazards as well as the homogeneity of the community in order to effectively support rural communities to cope with climate variability.

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“…While these factors have been implicitly recognised in adaptation studies over a long time, 'barriers' and 'limits' to adaptation have received specific focus in the academic literature in recent years (Antwi-Agyei et al 2015;Klein et al 2014). Some of the commonly reported barriers are bio-physical or natural (Sallu et al 2010), socio-cultural (Curry et al 2015;Jones and Boyd 2011), financial or economic (Bryan et al 2009;Deressa et al 2009), technological Editor:Marc J. Metzger.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

2017

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Social-ecological changes, brought about by the rapid growth of the aquaculture industry and the increased occurrence of climatic stressors, have significantly affected the livelihoods of coastal communities in Asian mega-deltas. This paper explores the livelihood adaptation responses of households of different wealth classes, the heterogeneous adaptation opportunities, barriers and limits (OBLs) faced by these households and the dynamic ways in which these factors interact to enhance or impede adaptive capacities. A mixed methods approach was used to collect empirical evidence from two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Findings reveal that households' adaptive capacities largely depend on their wealth status, which not only determine their availability of productive resources, but also empower them to navigate social-ecological change in desirable ways. Households operate within a shared response space, which is shaped by the broader socio-economic and political landscape, as well as their previous decisions that can lock them in to particular pathways. While an adaptive response may be effective for one social group, it may cause negative externalities that can undermine the adaptation options and outcomes of another group. Adaptation OBLs interact in complex ways; the extent to which these OBLs affect different households depend on the specific livelihood activities being considered and the differential values and interests they hold. To ensure more equitable and environmentally sustainable livelihoods in future, policies and programs should aim to expand households' adaptation space by accounting for the heterogeneous needs and complex interdependencies between response processes of different groups.

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Adaptation to climate change in Ethiopia and South Africa: options and constraints

Cited by 941 publications

References 31 publications

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Identifying drivers of household coping strategies to multiple climatic hazards in Western Uganda: implications for adapting to future climate change

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

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