Climate change and poverty in Africa: Mapping hotspots of vulnerability

Climate change and increasing climate variability threaten the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and some of the worst effects on human health and agriculture will be in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in vulnerable regions. The relationships between climate change and the vulne...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Thornton, Philip K., Jones, Peter G., Owiyo, T., Kruska, Russell L., Herrero, Mario, Orindi, V., Bhadwal, S., Kristjanson, Patricia M., Notenbaert, An Maria Omer, Bekele, N., Omolo, Abisalom
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 2008
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/663
Description
Summary:Climate change and increasing climate variability threaten the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and some of the worst effects on human health and agriculture will be in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in vulnerable regions. The relationships between climate change and the vulnerability of resource-poor croppers and livestock keepers and their resilience to current and future climate variability need to be better understood. This paper describes the generation of information that combines projected climate change in agricultural systems with vulnerability data. The results of the analysis, in terms of vulnerable people particularly at risk for deleterious effects of climate change, are being used for impact assessment, targeting and priority setting, to help identify locations for specific research and adaptation activities. Given the heterogeneity in households’ access to resources, poverty levels and ability to cope, vulnerability assessments need to be done at the sub-national level to help improve the adaptive capacity and coping strategies of highly vulnerable households. Keywords: Agricultural system; Vulnerability; Targeting; Impact assessment; Poverty