Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in Laggard Transitional Economies: A Case from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This study analyzes farm households’ adaptation in a broad livelihood context, showing how both household internal dynamics and broader external factors, such as agro-ecological, climatic, and institutional economic and political frame conditions, influence both the perception of and adaptation to climate variations and change. Nearly a third of the households in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) are engaged in agriculture as one livelihood strategy to cope with the multiple shocks experienced over the past three decades, resulting in economic decline and loss of income opportunities. Based on a household survey, we analyzed the livelihoods of households in three agricultural regions in BH: how they are affected by climate change, their perceptions of climatic change, as well as various household adaptation strategies. The results were discussed in the context of the sustainable livelihoods approach. Our results indicate that rural households are relatively asset poor and highly dependent on agriculture, irrespective of geographical location or wealth. Their access to assets is further constrained by the ongoing changes in economic and political structures and processes. Negative effects of climate change were reported in terms of yield decline and reduced quality of products. On a positive note, the level of adoption of different agricultural practices and technologies indicates signs of an overall intensification strategy of agricultural production in BH, as well as adaptation to the perceived changes in climate and climate variability using the available asset base.

Modelling Determinants of Farmers’ Choice of Adaptation Strategies to Climate Variability and Extreme Events in Kitui County, Kenya

“…The mixed effect of land size on adoption of the different strategies could be because a large farm size allows farmers space to practice crop diversification and also discourage adoption of high cost strategies. The results of the study are in consonance with findings from Žurovec and Vedeld (2019). A positive and significant relationship between land size and farmers' adoption of a combination of several adaptation strategies such as agroforestry, perennial plantation, crop-livestock diversification and improved varieties was also reported by Fadina and Barjolle (2018).…”

“…Kenya is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate variability and extreme events in Africa due to its low adaptive capacity and dependence on climatesensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries as the key drivers of its economy (FAO, 2011;Herrero et al, 2010; International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology, 5 (6) Nov-Dec, 2020 | Available: https://ijeab.com/ ISSN: 2456-1878 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijeab. 56. 25 1597 Kurukulasuriya et al, 2006;Kabubo-Mariara and Karanja, 2007).…”

Puerto Rican Farmers' Obstacles Toward Recovery and Adaptation Strategies After Hurricane Maria: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Adaptive Capacity

“…These findings align with Caribbean research suggesting that farmers who have external support are likely to adopt practices that support the environment, while sustaining their production (Lowitt et al, 2015;Saint Ville et al, 2016;Paul et al, 2017). Research outside the Caribbean supports this as well (Bagagnan et al, 2019;Žurovec and Vedeld, 2019).…”

Gender-based differences in flood vulnerability among men and women in the char farming households of Bangladesh

“…An individual's access to resources has a significant influence on the potential losses and ability to cope with natural hazards. Therefore, a person with higher access to livelihood assets (Žurovec and Vedeld 2019) has a higher capacity to choose between livelihood practices and low vulnerability. To calculate the vulnerability index, the study followed the percentile ranks and percentile groups (Ntiles) to measure the three-level of vulnerabilities of each capital score's index and aggregated five capital scores index in analysis section.…”