Implications of climate variability and change for African lake ecosystems, fisheries productivity, and livelihoods
Loading...
Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Great Lakes Research
Abstract
Inland fisheries are important for nutrition, employment, and income, but climate variability and change are adding
to other stressors, such as overexploitation, pollution, habitat degradation, and invasive species, to threaten their
productivity as well as livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. Understanding the whole socio-ecological
system to enable communities to adapt and build resilience is therefore vital. Here, we present results froma review
of the responses of African lakes, fisheries productivity, and livelihoods to climate variability and change, and provide
suggestions on required policy interventions to promote adaptation and build resilience. Changes in climate
variables, especially temperature, wind speed, and rainfall have contributed to changes in lake water levels, loading,
and recycling of nutrients. In somelakes, such disruptions in physical and chemical conditions have triggered changes
in water quality, algae and invertebrate productivity, life history of fish, and contributed to shifts in fish community
composition, proliferation of invasive aquatic weeds, and changes in parasite–vector–host interactions. Fish
yield has either increased or decreased depending on climatic events,with the latter negatively affecting livelihoods,
and forcing affected communities to adapt. Because adaptation strategies are location specific, and influenced by
local conditions, many adaptation strategies have been unguided and have negatively affected fisheries. The responses
of fisheries to climate change vary among lakes of different morphometric characteristics. There is need
for consistent data to examine the direction and consequences of climate variability and change on fisheries and
livelihoods of specific aquatic systems, and promote location specific adaptation and mitigation measures.
Description
Keywords
Adaptation, Aquatic productivity, Climate change, Fisheries Livelihoods
Citation
Ogutu-Ohwayo, R., Natugonza, V., Musinguzi, L., Olokotum, M., & Naigaga, S. (2016). Implications of climate variability and change for African lake ecosystems, fisheries productivity, and livelihoods. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 42(3), 498-510.