1. Adapting to Climate Variability : Learning from Past Experience and the Role of Institutions
- Author
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Ruijs, Arjan, de Bel, Mark, Kononen, Minna, Linderhof, Vincent, and Polman, Nico
- Subjects
DIVERSIFIED INCOME ,MICRO-CREDIT ,LIVELIHOOD SECURITY ,RURAL DEVELOPMENT ,FOOD PRICE ,CASH EARNINGS ,CLIMATIC FACTORS ,EXCHANGE RATES ,VILLAGE LEVEL ,REMOTE VILLAGES ,CLIMATIC ZONES ,HANDICRAFTS ,CLIMATE REGIME ,EDUCATIONAL LEVELS ,RURAL HOUSEHOLDS ,RAINFALL ,HIGHER EDUCATION LEVELS ,COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS ,PASTORALIST REGION ,RURAL ECONOMY ,NATIONAL LEVEL ,POORER HOUSEHOLDS ,ARID AREAS ,LANDHOLDINGS ,CASH-CROP ,GOVERNMENT POLICY ,LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES ,FOOD PRICES ,NUTRITIONAL STATUS ,CLIMATE-RELATED HAZARD ,ABSOLUTE TERMS ,FARM ACTIVITIES ,FEMALE ,FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS ,TECHNICAL SUPPORT ,CASH INCOME ,SURFACE RUNOFF ,INCOME SHOCKS ,VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY ,RAINFALL REGIME ,OCCUPATION ,MICRO-FINANCE ,COTTON PRODUCTION ,GROUPS OF PEOPLE ,INTERVENTION ,RAINFALL LEVELS ,FARMERS ,INTERVENTIONS ,EARNINGS ,CREDIT INSTITUTIONS ,FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ,ANIMAL DISEASES ,EXTREME RAINFALL ,INFORMED CHOICES ,POOR HOUSEHOLD ,RAINFALL PATTERNS ,SMALL LANDHOLDINGS ,FINANCIAL CAPACITIES ,EXTREME TEMPERATURE ,FINANCIAL MEANS ,LAND HOLDINGS ,RAINFALL VARIABILITY ,MOUNTAIN AREAS ,RURAL AREAS ,MOUNTAINOUS AREAS ,HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL ,AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES ,VEGETABLES ,FINANCIAL COST ,HIGH TEMPERATURES ,INDEBTEDNESS ,INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT ,SAFETY NET ,SEMI-ARID REGIONS ,LEVELS OF VULNERABILITY ,MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION ,RAIN ,SOCIAL COHESION ,DESERT REGIONS ,HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION ,DEBT ,FACILITATION ,HOUSEHOLD VULNERABILITY ,REGIONAL LEVEL ,CLIMATIC EXTREMES ,COPING STRATEGY ,COMMUNITY LEVEL ,CROP PRODUCTION ,LIVESTOCK OWNERSHIP ,RURAL LIVELIHOODS ,VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS ,FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS ,VULNERABLE GROUPS ,EXTREME DROUGHT ,FAMILY MEMBERS ,CLIMATE CHANGE ,MICRO-FINANCE INSTITUTIONS ,DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE ,SEASON ,HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ,FARM IRRIGATION ,FOOD EXPENDITURES ,MICROCREDIT ,INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT ,TEMPERATE CLIMATE ,CREDIT CONSTRAINTS ,EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY ,CLIMATE VARIABILITY ,IRRIGATION ,CLIMATE EXTREMES ,TRANSPORTATION SERVICES ,VETERINARY SERVICES ,TEMPERATURE ,DROUGHT RISK ,REMITTANCES ,SCHOLARSHIP ,FARMER ,RURAL ENVIRONMENT ,VILLAGES ,VILLAGE ,SOURCE OF INCOME ,CLIMATE HAZARD ,SAFETY ,ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES ,AFFORDABLE CREDIT ,EXTENSION AGENCY ,SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ,HOUSEHOLDS ,REGIONAL AUTHORITIES ,DIVERSIFICATION ,PEOPLES ,STORAGE FACILITIES ,CROP SELECTION ,INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ,SOIL EROSION ,CLIMATE RESILIENCE ,BANKS ,ASSET OWNERSHIP ,CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ,TEMPERATURE CHANGES ,HOUSEHOLD INCOME ,SMALLHOLDER ,AGRO-ECOLOGICAL REGIONS ,EXPENDITURES ,METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION ,INTERNATIONAL BANK ,HOUSEHOLD SIZE ,CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ,RAINY SEASON ,MICROFINANCE ,VILLAGE COMMUNITIES ,ECOLOGICAL ZONES ,INCOME ON FOOD ,ECONOMICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ,COOPERATIVES ,FARMING SYSTEMS ,HOUSEHOLD LEVEL ,CREDIT MARKETS ,EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE HAZARDS ,SEED SELECTION ,PUBLIC GOODS ,CLIMATE ADAPTATION ,FINANCIAL SUPPORT ,CLIMATE ,POOR FARMERS ,SAVINGS ,SOCIAL STRUCTURES ,CROP YIELDS ,PUBLIC INVESTMENT ,LOWER RAINFALL ,ARID CLIMATE ,URBAN AREAS ,FORMAL BANKING ,GENDER ,SOCIAL NETWORKS ,LACK OF INFORMATION ,RURAL POPULATIONS - Abstract
Adaptation to human-induced climate change is currently receiving a lot of attention in international development circles. But throughout human existence, natural resource-dependent people have exploited and coped with the effects of climate variability on the ecosystems from which they derive a living. Learning from this experience can help inform the design of appropriate policies for responding to human-induced climate change. This paper presents the results of a World Bank study which sought to better understand the role of local institutions in supporting adaptation to climate variability and change in Ethiopia, Mali and Yemen. The study raised three questions. First, what strategies have been adopted by rural households in the past to adapt to climate variability? Second, to what extent do institutions of various sorts assist households in adopting adaptation strategies? And third, what are the factors that prevent households from adopting appropriate adaptation strategies? For the purposes of this paper, institutions are defined as structured, formal or informal organizations. The study followed a three-step approach. First, drawing on original data from field surveys, focus group discussions and institutional stakeholder interviews, household vulnerability to climate variability was characterized in terms of its three constituent elements: exposure to climate-related shocks and stresses, and sensitivity and adaptive capacity in the face of such stressors. Sensitivity refers to the degree to which people are affected by climate variability and change. High levels of exposure and sensitivity and low levels of adaptive capacity generally result in high levels of vulnerability. But a high level of exposure need not necessarily result in a high level of vulnerability if the household's adaptive capacity is also high.
- Published
- 2011