Social vulnerability in three high-poverty climate change hot spots: What does the climate change literature tell us?

Abstract

This paper reviews the state of knowledge on social vulnerability to climate change in three hot spots (deltas, semi-arid regions and snowpack-or glacier-fed river basins) in Africa, Central Asia and South Asia, using elements of systematic review methods. Social vulnerability is defined as a dynamic state of societies comprising exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. We examine whether the hot spots have specific characteristics that tend to increase or decrease social vulnerability, consider suitable scales of analysis for understanding vulnerability, and explore the conceptions of vulnerability adopted in the climate change literature and the nature of the insights this generates. Finally, we identify knowledge gaps in this literature. All three hot spots are characterized by high levels of natural resource dependence, with increasing environmental degradation. They also exhibit unequal policies and patterns of development, which benefit certain segments of society while making others more vulnerable. Vulnerability is driven by multiple factors operating at different scales; however, characterization of cross-scalar interactions is poorly developed in the majority of studies reviewed. Most studies are either large scale, such as broad comparisons of vulnerability across countries, or local, documenting community-level processes. Detailed understanding of the interactions between climate change impacts on natural systems, and socio-economic trajectories, including adaptation, also emerges as a knowledge gap.

Review of key initiatives and approaches to adaptation planning at the national level in semi-arid areas

“…In this review, we observed that the institutional aspects of implementing adaptation are particularly stressed when focusing on poverty reduction and sectorial strategies, but are less prominent in strategies that directly focus on adaptation. This a critical distinction, as vulnerable people are significantly impacted by malfunctioning institutions and failing governance systems, such as in accessing communally pooled resources as mentioned by Tucker et al (2014). When focusing on vulnerable populations, the analyzed poverty-reduction strategies emphasize the institutional aspects of adaptations, such as the importance of improving governance systems over pastures, land and water because malfunctioning institutions disproportionally affect poor people, who derive most of their livelihood from land.…”

“…They include female-headed households, children, low-skilled labor and people affected by HIV/AIDS. The challenges of these groups are discussed in the context of climate change impacts (especially droughts), the loss of agricultural production, increasing food insecurity and the lack of resources to cope with these challenges (similarly to Tucker et al 2014). These documents present climate change in the context of poverty, and thus, adaptation measures also include improving safety nets, rural investments, infrastructure and skill training.…”

“…These documents present climate change in the context of poverty, and thus, adaptation measures also include improving safety nets, rural investments, infrastructure and skill training. However, along with the development strategies, they also emphasize the importance of using sustainable land and pasture management to ensure that poor people have access to these resources rather than further marginalized as described in Tucker et al (2014).…”

Strategic Planning For The Development Of Ukrainian Agriculture In The Face Of Climate Change

“…Adger 2006; Ford et al 2010;IPCC 2007;Leiserowitz 2006;Nelson and Vucetich 2009;Pielke 2007;Tucker et al 2015;Wilke and Morton 2015 etc. ), but among Ukrainian scientists this subject isn't studied widely enough.…”

Systematic review approaches for climate change adaptation research

“…This paper is part of a special edition commissioned by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to inform the development of their Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) program. The paper compliments six articles in the special edition that apply to varying degrees systematic approaches to reviewing current knowledge on adaptation to climate change in global vulnerability hotspots (Berrang-Ford et al this issue;Bizikova et al 2015;De Souza et al 2015;Ford et al 2014;Kilroy 2015;Lwasa 2014;Sud et al 2015;Tucker et al 2014).…”