Vulnerability and Adaptability: Modelling the Adaptive Capacity of Rural Households to Environmental Changes
Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This dissertation presents the results of an investigation of rural households’ ability to adapt to changing environmental and climatic conditions. It presents soil degradation arising from worsening soil erosion, leaching, depletion of nutrients due to years of uninterrupted cultivation and low levels of use of fertilizers; uncontrolled deforestation leading to loss of biodiversity; and climate variability seen through longer dry seasons as well as delayed and falling levels of precipitation as key issues leading to the vulnerability of households in Kakemega District in Western Province of Kenya. An enquiry has been made into the adaptation strategies of the rural households and a composite household adaptive capacity index (HACI) developed which is then used in hypothesis testing. Despite a situation laden with serious soil degradation and fears that credit taken by rural households often end up in low-return necessity-based enterprises or in consumption expenditure, the dissertation shows that the use of credit positively contributes to the HACI as does regular and optimal use of farm inputs. Diversification into non-agricultural activities, on-farm planting of trees and migration with remittances were some of the adaptation strategies observed among households with relatively high adaptive capacity indices while a secondary school level of education alongside the possession of non-land and non-livestock assets were key factors clearly associated with high adaptive capacity indices. Regarding adaptation decision making, the household head was observed to be the single most important actor in a process which was often characterized by authoritarianism. The household head’s level of information or awareness of environmental changes and open options proved to be important for adaptation. It was revealed that membership to groups and networks as well as government and NGO-activities were the most important factors in informing the household heads. Given small land sizes and a high incidence of other negative shocks, household heads tended to adopt and implement only tried and tested adaptation actions. During the study behind this dissertation, pioneers in the implementation of new strategies were observed to be better informed household heads or beneficiaries of incentives from the promoters of such strategies. Newer efforts aimed at the promotion of adaptability would therefore gain wider acceptance and adoption if preceded by a pilot phase carefully designed to include committed opinion shapers who would provide a demonstration effect.:Acknowledgment......................................................................................i Dedication................................................................................................ii Summary.................................................................................................iii Zusammenfassung (summary in the German language).........................iv List of Tables....................................................................................................vii List of Figures.........................................................................................ix List of Abbreviations...............................................................................xi 1.0 Introduction: Structure and Objectives.............................................1 1.1 Background.................................................................................5 1.2 Problem Statement.....................................................................7 1.3 Theoretical and Methodological Contribution..............................8 1.4 Objectives...................................................................................9 1.5 Research Questions..................................................................10 1.6 Hypothesis................................................................................10 1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study...........................................11 1.8 Structure of the Dissertation.....................................................12 2.0 Environmental and Climate Change................................................13 2.1 Climate Change.........................................................................13 2.2 Environmental Changes............................................................15 2.3 Vulnerability..............................................................................22 2.4 Adaptation and Coping Strategies............................................32 2.5 Household Adaptability.............................................................40 3.0 Study Design and Setting................................................................57 3.1 Study Area................................................................................76 3.2 Sampling and Data Collection....................................................85 4.0 Rural Households and their Environment........................................87 4.1 General Descriptive Statistics....................................................87 4.2 Observed Vulnerability Causes and Coping Strategies.............92 4.3 Role of the Government............................................................98 5.0 Rural Household Adaptive Capacity...............................................101 5.1 HACI without External Sub-index................ ............................101 5.2 HACI including External Sub-index..........................................167 5.3 Hypothesis Testing..................................................................171 5.4 Towards Enhanced Adaptability: Factors and Strategies........180 6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations................................................185 7.0 Appendix.......................................................................................197
Author: Mwamba, Leonard Otieno
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2565811010