Climate change and drought effects on rural income distribution in the Mediterranean: a case study for Spain

Abstract

Abstract. This paper examines the effects of climate change and drought on agricultural incomes in Spanish rural areas. Present research has focused on the effects of these extreme climatological events through response functions, considering effects on crop productivity and average incomes. Among the impacts of droughts, we focused on potential effects on income distribution. The study of the effects on abnormally dry periods is therefore needed in order to perform an analysis of diverse social aspects in the long term. We estimate crop production functions for a range of Mediterranean crops in Spain and we use a measure of the decomposition of inequality to estimate the impact of climate change and drought on yield disparities. Certain adaptation measures may require a better understanding of risks by the public to achieve general acceptance. We provide empirical estimations for the marginal effects of the two impacts considered: farms' average income and income distribution. Our estimates consider crop production response to both biophysical and socioeconomic aspects to analyse long-term implications on competitiveness and disparities. As for the results, we find disparities in the adaptation priorities depending on the crop and the region analysed.

The effect of climate change adaptation strategy on farm households welfare in the Nile basin of Ethiopia

“…Moreover, Quiroga and Suárez (2016) reported that higher temperature and lower precipitation also negatively affect agricultural income distribution in Spain. Results of studies in Ethiopia are also similar (Deressa, 2007; Aragie, 2013; Gebreegziabher et al , 2011).…”

Cross-sectoral impacts of the 2018–2019 Central European drought and climate resilience in the German part of the Elbe River basin

“…Multisectoral drought impact assessments have shown the value of interlinking natural and socio-economic consequences. Examples include Eklund and Seaquist ( 2015 ) on the full impact cascade of drought in Iraqi Kurdistan, Quiroga and Suarez ( 2016 ) on income distribution shifts in Spain, Carse ( 2017 ) on supply issues at the Panama Canal during the 2015–2016 drought, Vicente-Serrano et al ( 2021 ) on vegetation and agriculture in a Spanish basin and the review of Wlostowski et al ( 2022 ) on nonagricultural socio-economic sectors in the Western US. For Europe, Ionita et al ( 2017 ) assessed the 2015 drought mainly affecting Eastern Central Europe and Southern Germany in detail using meteorological fields, while prominent multisectoral impacts have been addressed by Van Lanen et al ( 2016 ).…”

Effect of Three Irrigation Frequencies on Physiological-Biological Aspects of Young Olive Trees (Olea europaea L. cvs ‘Koroneiki’ and ‘Picholine’): Vegetative Growth, Leaf Turgor Pressure, and Fluorescence

“…The most vulnerable plants, under extreme drought conditions, are those slow to adapt -like perennial fruit trees [6]. One of the most important perennial crops at risk in the Mediterranean region is the olive tree [7] (Olea Europea L.), which is native to the Mediterranean basin that has considerable socio-economic importance. Olive is cultivated in rainfall conditions due to its minimal requirements in water [8].…”