Delali BK Dovie

1
Delali BK Dovie
Local vulnerability of the human-biodiversity
interface to drought in S. Africa
Global Environmental Change and Food Systems
(GECAFS) First meeting of Vulnerability of Food
Systems to GEC Research Network 17-18 May 2006,
Oxford UK
2
Background
3
Challenges of communal area landscapes?

• Major sources of safety nets (e.g. natural
  resources)

• Sources of livelihood incomes (cash non-cash)

• Livelihood insecurity (i.e. optimizing benefits)

• Changing culture of resource use

• Changing institutional social structures

• Increased traditional farming (crops livestock)

• Direct extraction of plants

• Poor social infrastructure high unemployment

4
Goals

• Examine livelihood options, and in relation to
  changes in the human-environment system
• Define typologies of households responding to the
  effects and impacts of drought
• Establish variables defining the vulnerability of
  households to drought

5
Stressful events
6
Typologies of stresses

1. Chronic (e.g., Joblessness, illness, death and
   resettlement)
2. Acute (e.g., rain floods)
   
3. Recurring (drought and livestock losses)
   
4. Intermittent (e.g., veld / forest fires, marital
   problems)

7
Linking stresses and livelihoods
8
Drought-experiencing households and single
livelihood option
9
Link between no. of livelihoods exposure to
drought
10
Effects / impacts of drought responses
HH response / affected groups
DROUGHT
Impacts gtgt outcomes Hunger Food insecurity Loss
of livelihood Malnutrition / disease Poverty
Effects
Response group II
Biophysical environment
Impacts
Response group III
Exposure gtgt effects Farms Grazing areas Woodland
resources Water bodies Biodiversity
Effects gtgtOutcomes Outcome Pasture loss Livestock
loss Crop loss / poor harvest Dried water bodies
Response group I
Vulnerability identity
11
Drought effects impacts, response adaptation
in Thorndale
Effects Household response Impacts Impacts Household response to impacts Household response to impacts
Effects Household response Households Biophysical Short-term Adaptation
Loss of grazing areas 1. livestock off-take by selling and slaughtering 2. grass from other villages 3. buying fodder 1. loss of income 2. poverty 3. school drop-out 1. land degradation 2. erosion 3. dead trees 1. selling wood and poles 2. cooperatives 3. relocation of livestock 1. expansion of livelihood portfolios 2. community gardening and cropping
Livestock loss 1. relocation of livestock 2. dependence on pension 3. selling wood 4. sold small animals 5. support from neighbours 6. used stored maize 7. trade in used clothes 1. school drop-out 2. loss of business capital 3. poverty 4. food insecurity 5. high illiteracy rate 6. family migration 7. resource use conflicts 1. plant regeneration 2. pollution by carcasses 1. sold cattle to buy food 2. wood barter for cattle feed 3. relocation to other villages 4. destocking livestock 5. cattle fed on anything green 1. manageable livestock 2. diversifying livelihood options 3. livestock restocking 4. increased bank savings
Food shortages/ poor harvest 1. family lived on pension 2. borrowing money 3. sold wild fruits/carvings 4. food parcels 5. social networking 6. stored maize 7. worked for food/sold some cattle 8. relocating to other villages 1. malnutrition 2. disrupted household responsibilities 3. big family to support ____ ____ 1. maize storage facility 2. expansion of fields for cropping 3. diversifying livelihood options
Water shortage 1. water from far villages 2. digging springs in dried streams and around dams no water for household use plants and animals died ____ ____
12
Households responses to drought

• Dryland farming

• Stockpiling / sales of woodland resources

• Home / backyard gardens

• Keeping of small-bodied livestock

• Cattle relocation

• Family emigration relocation

• Cultivation of wild fruits herbs

13
The drought biodiversity linkage
14
Functions of HH vulnerability to drought
(i) The production system (ii) The consumption
(dependence) system (iii) Resource
accessibility and distribution (iv)
Options (v) Resilience
abundance (quantity), supply, diversity
socio-economic financial value,
availability, extent of use, knowledge skill
demand, wealth status, marketing,
transport, technical services
production, consumption, accessibility,
opportunity
options, response adaptation
VULNERABILITY RESILIENCE, SAFETY NET,
IDENTITY
15
Thank U