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Assessing vulnerability of rural communities to climate change

Assessing vulnerability of rural communities to climate change PurposeThe paper aims to enhance the understanding of the impacts of climate change on rural communities in Africa, including people’s livelihoods, their adaptive capacity, coping practice and ability to engage in sustainable forest use and management of climate change adaptation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for a desktop review approach, using the forest-based rural communities of South Africa as a case study.FindingsThis review shows that climate variability and change are affecting rural people and their livelihoods negatively. Forest-based livelihoods are particularly vulnerable. Nevertheless, the people have developed coping mechanisms to cushion the effects of climate variability and change. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these strategies are greatly constrained by factors that are related mostly to their socioeconomic characteristics (for example, skill level, educational status and health) and the functionalities of infrastructures and services in their communities.Research limitations/implicationsGiven that the study focused on forest-based rural communities and livelihoods, the results may be limited in generalizability. This may have particular implications for other categories of rural communities and livelihoods in Africa and developing countries in other continents.Practical implicationsThe study showed that opportunities for planning and implementing effective climate change adaptation at rural community level in South Africa are reliant on effective strategies to overcome the constraints identified by the study. The authors thus recommend that climate change adaptation initiatives in rural communities of Africa should focus on improving people’s socioeconomic conditions and the overall sustainable development of the community.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to study how climate change affects rural forest-based communities and livelihoods. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management Emerald Publishing

Assessing vulnerability of rural communities to climate change

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
1756-8692
DOI
10.1108/IJCCSM-04-2016-0044
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

PurposeThe paper aims to enhance the understanding of the impacts of climate change on rural communities in Africa, including people’s livelihoods, their adaptive capacity, coping practice and ability to engage in sustainable forest use and management of climate change adaptation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for a desktop review approach, using the forest-based rural communities of South Africa as a case study.FindingsThis review shows that climate variability and change are affecting rural people and their livelihoods negatively. Forest-based livelihoods are particularly vulnerable. Nevertheless, the people have developed coping mechanisms to cushion the effects of climate variability and change. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these strategies are greatly constrained by factors that are related mostly to their socioeconomic characteristics (for example, skill level, educational status and health) and the functionalities of infrastructures and services in their communities.Research limitations/implicationsGiven that the study focused on forest-based rural communities and livelihoods, the results may be limited in generalizability. This may have particular implications for other categories of rural communities and livelihoods in Africa and developing countries in other continents.Practical implicationsThe study showed that opportunities for planning and implementing effective climate change adaptation at rural community level in South Africa are reliant on effective strategies to overcome the constraints identified by the study. The authors thus recommend that climate change adaptation initiatives in rural communities of Africa should focus on improving people’s socioeconomic conditions and the overall sustainable development of the community.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to study how climate change affects rural forest-based communities and livelihoods.

Journal

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management – Emerald Publishing

Published: May 15, 2017

References

  • Households’ coping strategies for climate variability related water shortages in Oke-Ogun region, Nigeria
  • Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity, climate change 2007, working group II: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability
  • Use of indigenous knowledge as a strategy for climate change adaptation among farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: implications for policy