Climate Risk Management Information, Sources and Responses in a Pastoral Region in East Africa
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Date
2015
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Climate Risk Management
Abstract
Pastoralists in East Africa face a range of stressors, climate variability and change being one of
them. Effective climate risk management involves managing the full range of variability and
balancing hazard management with efforts to capitalize on opportunity; climate risk
management information is central in this process. In this study, pastoralists’ perceptions of
climate change, climate risk management information types, sources and attendant responses in
a pastoral region in East Africa are examined. Through a multi-stage sampling process, a total
of 198 heads of households in three districts were selected and interviewed using a semistructured
questionnaire. In addition, 29 focus group discussions and 10 key informant
interviews were conducted to generate qualitative information to supplement survey data.
Descriptive and thematic analysis were utilised in summarizing the data. Ninety nine percent of
the pastoralists noted that the climate had changed evidenced by high but erratic rainfall,
occurrence of floods and variation in rainfall onset and cessation among other indicators. This
change in climate had led to emergence of ‘new’ livestock and crop diseases, crop failure and
low yields leading to frequent food shortages, water shortages, poor market access, and
variation in pasture availability among other effects. Climate risk management information was
received from multiple sources including; radio, diviners, community meetings, shrine elders,
humanitarian agencies, and Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF). Community meetings
were however perceived as most accessible, reliable and dependable sources of information.
Shifting livestock to dry season grazing and watering areas, selling firewood and charcoal,
seeking for military escorts to grazing areas, purchasing veterinary drugs, shifting livestock to
disease ‘free’ areas, and performing rituals (depending on the perceived risk) constituted a set of
responses undertaken in response to perceived climate risk. It is recommended that an integrated
early warning system that captures the perceptions and practices of the pastoralists is
implemented as this would increase the credibility of climate risk information disseminated.
Description
Keywords
Early warning, Process, Reactive adaptation, Karamoja
Citation
E. Anthony, Climate Risk Management Information, Sources and Responses in a Pastoral Region in East Africa, Climate Risk Management (2015), doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2015.12.001