The prevalence of food insecurity is much higher in East Africa than in other parts of the world. Climate change and associated variability are important contributors to food insecurity in the region. Using primary data collected in 2018/19 from Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, this study examines the links between the prevalence of household food insecurity (the access to food dimension) and vulnerability to climate change in East Africa. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was constructed to measure the prevalence of household food insecurity, and an ordered probit econometrics model was used to investigate the factors affecting the prevalence rates. The aggregate results show that 52% of the total sampled households in the region were food-secure; 15% and 26% were mildly food-secure and moderately food-insecure, respectively; and the remaining 7% were severely food-insecure. The ordered probit results suggest that exposure to climate change extremes and crop losses caused by these extremes significantly contribute to the prevalence of food insecurity across countries in East Africa. The results also indicate that households’ adaptive capacity plays a significant role in reducing the prevalence of food insecurity. The demographic/human, social, financial, physical, and natural assets/capital of the household also play a significant role in reducing household-level food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
In low- and middle-income countries, food insecurity (FI) is a living reality for many households, particularly among the most vulnerable groups. The burden of household FI in Mozambique and how FI and coping strategies relate to perceived health are unknown. This study investigated the lived experiences and coping strategies of food-insecure households, along with their perceived health. Altogether, 16 in-depth interviews were performed, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative content analysis was carried out and five themes emerged: lived experiences of FI, coping strategies used in situations of FI, food choices, climate change and food security, and FI and perceived health. A wide range of lived experiences and coping strategies were reported, including cooking whatever is available, skipping meals, receiving money or food from friends and relatives, eating unsafe and low-quality foods, taking on additional work, cooking least-preferred foods, and having a monotonous and less-nutritious diet. Furthermore, the participants reported emotional distress, anxiety and depression, substance use, and other negative health outcomes. Some had diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes or HIV/AIDS. The findings suggest the need for employment creation and women’s empowerment, as well as the implementation of appropriate policies and programmes to alleviate household FI.
In 2015 and 2016, South Africa experienced a severe drought resulting in water restrictions and food price inflation. A year later, while the proportion of food secure households remained constant, the proportion of those experiencing severe food insecurity increased. This paper investigates the socio-economic determinants of increasing food insecurity during and after the drought. Two cross-sectional household surveys were carried out in the district of iLembe in November 2016 and 2017. Household food insecurity was measured using the Coping Strategies Index. The results indicated changes in socio-economic determinants of food insecurity over time, with the poorest households experiencing the worst levels of food insecurity. After the drought, having a child under-five years was positively associated with food insecurity, while being located in a rural area was negatively associated. Policies that limit household vulnerability to price inflation, and interventions that protect poorer households from the effects of drought should be considered.
This paper evaluates the short-term health effects of in utero drought shock using repeated cross-section household data on Malawi. The main finding reveals that the effects of in utero harvest variability caused by rainfall shocks on child growth indices are driven by the deleterious effects of negative rainfall deviations, namely droughts. Negative rainfall deviation during the agricultural season prior to the gestational period of a child leads to a 21.8 per cent average local level reduction in age-standardized height scores, with the counterpart positive rainfall deviation having no apparent effect. The paper also uses harvest and consumption patterns to establish an important link between early-life malnutrition and growth serving as a precursor for the fetal period programming hypothesis in the literature. The direct impact of embryonic period shocks on growth provides supportive evidence on potential interaction between nutritional and environmental pathways.
Protracted and prolonged droughts lead to famine and substantial decline in agricultural productivity that contribute to food insecurity and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa which needs to explore the risk coping strategies to better target risk mitigation. The main research question of this paper was to analyze ex-post coping strategies and their determinants in rural Ethiopia. We use a cross-section data collected in 2013 from vulnerable rural households in Rayitu district, Bale Zone of Oromia Regional State. Using population-proportionate to size (PPS) sampling technique, a total number of 1,402 households in the district participated in this study. The data were analyzed using a three-stage least squares (3SLS) method. Our analysis confirms that rural households in Rayitu district experience drought and are vulnerable to the consequences of shocks. As a response, rural households adopt interdependent risk coping strategies. This supports the notion of addressing the problem of risk through integrated rural development strategies (and policies) to help the poor to improve the vulnerability to shock and help to escape out of poverty. In addition, we found that the risk coping strategies that households adopt are influenced by the resource holdings and income levels of the rural households, their access to product and financial market, and their socio-demographic characteristics. Hence, we argue that strategies and interventions to improve the livelihood of the poor and to support the vulnerable ones should be targeted to fit to the needs and priorities of households.
Evidence on the potential for agricultural intensification to improve nutrition has grown considerably. While small-scale irrigation is a key factor driving agricultural intensification in sub-Saharan Africa, its impact on nutrition has not yet been thoroughly explored. In this study, we assess the impact of adoption of small-scale irrigation in Ethiopia and Tanzania on household and women’s dietary diversity, as well as children’s nutrition. We use two rounds of primary data collected from irrigators and nonirrigators in Ethiopia and Tanzania. We used a panel fixed effects econometric approach to control for observed household, women and children specific characteristics as well as observed and unobserved time-invariant confounding factors. The results show that among Ethiopian households who reported having faced drought, women in irrigating households have higher Women’s Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) compared to women in nonirrigating households. In Tanzania, women in irrigating households have higher WDDS compared to nonirrigators and the impact of irrigation on WDDS more than doubles among households facing drought. In addition, among Tanzanian households who reported having faced a drought shock, irrigating households have higher Household Dietary Diversity Score compared to nonirrigators. Children in irrigating households in Ethiopia have weight-for-height z-scores (WHZ) that are 0.87 SDs higher, on average, than WHZ of children in nonirrigating households. In Tanzania, irrigation leads to higher WHZ-scores in children under-five among households who reported having experienced a drought in the 5 years preceding the survey. The study shows small-scale irrigation has a strong effect on households’ economic access to food and on nutritional outcomes of women and children.
Cyclone Amphan battered the coastal communities in the southwestern part of Bangladesh in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. These coastal communities were experiencing such a situation for the first time and faced the dilemma of whether to stay at home and embrace the cyclone or be exposed to the COVID-19 virus in the cyclone shelters by evacuating. This article intends to explore individuals’ decisions regarding whether to evacuate in response to cyclone Amphan and in light of the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, this study investigated evacuation behaviors among the households and explored the impacts of COVID-19 during the evacuation procedures. We conducted household surveys to collect primary information and undertook 378 samples for interviews at a precision level of 0.05 in fourteen villages. Despite the utmost effort of the government, the results demonstrated that 96.6% of people in the coastal area received a cyclone evacuation order before the cyclone’s landfall, and only 42% of people followed the evacuation order. The majority of households chose to stay at home because of fear of COVID-19 exposure in the crowded shelters. Although half of the evacuees were housed in cyclone shelters, COVID-19 preventive measures were apparently not set in place. Thus, this study will assist in crafting future government policies to enhance disaster evacuation plans by providing insights from the pandemic that can inform disaster management plans in the Global South.
A large concern with estimates of climate and health co-benefits of “clean” cookstoves from controlled emissions testing is whether results represent what actually happens in real homes during normal use. A growing body of evidence indicates that in-field emissions during daily cooking activities differ substantially from values obtained in laboratories, with correspondingly different estimates of co-benefits. We report PM(2.5) emission factors from uncontrolled cooking (n = 7) and minimally controlled cooking tests (n = 51) using traditional chulha and angithi stoves in village kitchens in Haryana, India. Minimally controlled cooking tests (n = 13) in a village kitchen with mixed dung and brushwood fuels were representative of uncontrolled field tests for fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)), organic and elemental carbon (p > 0.5), but were substantially higher than previously published water boiling tests using dung or wood. When the fraction of nonrenewable biomass harvesting, elemental, and organic particulate emissions and modeled estimates of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are included in 100 year global warming commitments (GWC(100)), the chulha had a net cooling impact using mixed fuels typical of the region. Correlation between PM(2.5) emission factors and GWC (R(2) = 0.99) implies these stoves are climate neutral for primary PM(2.5) emissions of 8.8 ± 0.7 and 9.8 ± 0.9 g PM(2.5)/kg dry fuel for GWC(20) and GWC(100), respectively, which is close to the mean for biomass stoves in global emission inventories.
The objective of this study is to empirically and systematically assess the combination of inherent susceptibility factors, protective actions, and factors of hazard exposure that influence a house-hold’s level of hardship experienced due to disruptions in critical infrastructure services during disasters. Classification and regression tree (CART) decision tree models and survey data from three major hurricane events were used to: (1) identify the pathways leading to impact(s) due to service disruptions and explore the differences in pathways across vulnerable population groups; and (2) identify the points of intervention to mitigate well-being impacts in households due to disruptions in water, energy, food, and road transportation services. The results reveal how the associative pathways between these factors change between socioeconomic and demographic groups in the impacted community and for different infrastructure service system types. The findings suggest that not all vulnerable households experienced high hardship outcomes despite prolonged outages. Finally, the hardship pathways suggest recommendations for improving resilience in infrastructure systems in a more equitable manner. The findings can be used by emergency and infrastructure managers and operators to better prioritize resource allocation for hazard mitigation investments and restorations. Accordingly, this study contributes to the theory of human-centric infrastructure resilience.
Practitioners and researchers use vulnerability indices to understand the conditions that influence hazard risk. However, there has been little research on how well such indices depict household-scale vulnerability to specific hazards. We examined relationships between an all-hazard index and a hazard-specific index with householdlevel adaptive resources, adaptive behaviors, proximate sensitivities, and self-reported health outcomes related to extreme heat. Household measures were drawn from a stratified random sample survey conducted in Phoenix, Arizona, USA (n = 163). The results point to different experiences between households in more and less heat vulnerable areas. The largest differences between households stratified by the hazard-specific index (Heat Vulnerability Index) primarily involved adaptive resources and behaviors, whereas indicators of proximate sensitivity were more strongly differentiated by the all-hazard index (Social Vulnerability Index). Differences in health outcomes between more and less vulnerable neighborhoods were more evident using HVI than SoVI, although effect sizes using either index were small and confidence intervals were wide. The relationship between vulnerability indices and several survey measures varied across four study sites. The specific ways in which more and less vulnerable communities differ from one another varies based on the adaptation, sensitivity, or outcome measure of interest, location within the city, and choice of vulnerability index.
This article compares urban and rural household water insecurity experiences during the last major drought period (2011-17) in the semi-arid interior region of Ceara, Brazil. Using data from a household survey (N = 322), we determined that households in small urban areas are more and differently water insecure than rural counterparts. Factor analysis and an ordinal logistic regression pinpoint key dimensions, such as water distress, water-sharing and intermittency, contribute differently to water insecurity in rural and urban households. Policy recommendations are made.
Arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti (e.g., dengue, chikungunya, Zika) are of major public health concern on the arid coastal border of Ecuador and Peru. This high transit border is a critical disease surveillance site due to human movement-associated risk of transmission. Local level studies are thus integral to capturing the dynamics and distribution of vector populations and social-ecological drivers of risk, to inform targeted public health interventions. Our study examines factors associated with household-level Ae. aegypti presence in Huaquillas, Ecuador, while accounting for spatial and temporal effects. From January to May of 2017, adult mosquitoes were collected from a cohort of households (n = 63) in clusters (n = 10), across the city of Huaquillas, using aspirator backpacks. Household surveys describing housing conditions, demographics, economics, travel, disease prevention, and city services were conducted by local enumerators. This study was conducted during the normal arbovirus transmission season (January-May), but during an exceptionally dry year. Household level Ae. aegypti presence peaked in February, and counts were highest in weeks with high temperatures and a week after increased rainfall. Univariate analyses with proportional odds logistic regression were used to explore household social-ecological variables and female Ae. aegypti presence. We found that homes were more likely to have Ae. aegypti when households had interruptions in piped water service. Ae. aegypti presence was less likely in households with septic systems. Based on our findings, infrastructure access and seasonal climate are important considerations for vector control in this city, and even in dry years, the arid environment of Huaquillas supports Ae. aegypti breeding habitat.
Heat waves associated with global warming are a significant hazard to human health, and they particularly endanger low-income households. In this study, we systematically analyze how the different components of heat vulnerability are related to household income, and present empirical evidence on the determinants of heat adaptation, focusing on the role of income. We contribute the first empirical analysis of heat vulnerability using household-level data at the national level, based on a longitudinal survey, including data points for 10,226 households in Germany in the period 2012-2020. Our results indicate that low income households are significantly more heat sensitive and have lower adaptive capacity than high income households, measured inter alia by health status, household composition, and economic and psychological resources to implement adaptation measures. However, heat hazard and exposure levels are comparable between income groups, hence there is no sorting of richer households into less hazardous or exposed locations on a national scale. We also contribute robust empirical evidence on the factors influencing household decisions to implement technical adaptation measures (e.g. installation of air conditioning), ultimately showing that the adaptation behavior of the most vulnerable households (e.g. people with poor health conditions or the elderly) is not limited by financial constraints.
Extreme heatwaves will occur more frequently and with higher intensity in future. Their consequences for human health can be fatal if adaptation measures will not be taken. This study analyses factors related to heat adaptation measures in private households in Germany. During the summer months of 2019, indoor temperatures were measured in over 500 private households in the City of Augsburg, Germany, accompanied by a survey to find out about heat perception and adaptation measures. Hypotheses deducted from the Protective Action Decision Model were tested using one-way ANOVAs, regression analysis and in the end a multiple hierarchical regression model. The results of the hypotheses tested imply an influence of knowledge and heat risk perception of heat adaptation behaviour and an influence of age on heat risk perception. The results of the regression model show an influence of the efficacy-related attribute, of age, indoor temperature, subjective heat stress and health implications to heat adaptation behaviour. In the end, this study proposes adjustments to the PADM according to the results of the hierarchical regression analysis.
Adaptation to climate change is often understood as a top-down decision-making and policy-implementing process, as well as application of expert knowledge, to prevent or reduce its (locally specific) negative consequences. In high-income societies, adaptation at the household level then frequently refers to adopting technological fixes distributed through the market, sometimes at a considerable cost. Informed by a study in the context of Central Europe, this article aims to discuss different practices of households and individuals that do not require increased consumption of energy or materials, but still help adapting to climate change in some of its local expressions, such as heatwaves and drought. They were described by participants in focus groups in six cities in the Czech Republic. I argue that such ‘inconspicuous adaptations’ emerge without connection to the climate change debate, or without deeper knowledge about the issue. Yet, they should not be overlooked as unimportant and short-term ‘coping responses’ and underestimated in this debate. They are part and parcel of the ongoing process of societal adaptation to climate change.
Climate change is one of the most severe threats to human survival and a significant factor influencing financial stability. Different from previous studies, this paper investigates the economic impact of climate change at the micro level based on data from China Meteorological Administration database, and China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) 2017 released in 2019. The empirical findings indicate that climate change contributes to the financial vulnerability of farmers’ households, which is confirmed following robustness tests. The mechanism analysis reveals that climate change has effects on rural households’ financial vulnerability via farmers’ health, credit availability, and agricultural output. Furthermore, the effect of climate change on farmers’ household financial vulnerability (HFV) is more pronounced in farmers with lower education levels. The changes in temperature and precipitation show different intensity effects in different areas, but all of them provide reasonable heterogeneity mechanisms. This paper’s policy value is demonstrated by the fact that it uncovers the effects of climate change on farmers’ HFV, information that may be useful for addressing climate change and rural financial stability.
Households living in the close vicinity of shoreline are constantly threatened by various climate change impacts. Community awareness towards climate change is a subject of considerable study as adequate knowledge is a preliminary step for adaptation decision making. An important question is how coastal communities perceive climatic variation, sea level rise and coastal hazard impacts and the socio-economic factors that affect their level of awareness. Thus, this research measures the level of awareness and the factors influencing it based on a household survey (n = 1016) that was conducted 10 critically eroded coastal areas in Selangor. Descriptive statistical analysis reveals that more than half of the households have high level of awareness about climatic variation and sea level, however, there is moderate awareness about the coastal hazard impacts such as human causalities and disease transmission. Even though households are more aware of direct coastal hazard impact such as damages to properties and disruption of daily activities. An independent sample T test indicates that respondents who are male, at working age, educated, involve in natural resource dependent occupations, and had prior exposure to extreme coastal hazards have higher levels of awareness. Research indicated about 55% of all sampled households reflected awareness of climate change, 60% households were aware of sea level rise and 47% households were aware of coastal hazard impact. This study recommends that households in Selangor coast need capacity building and climate change awareness initiatives which would assist household to build adaptive capacity, increase resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
This study develops and assesses the application of a livelihood vulnerability index (LVI), LVI-IPCC and livelihood effect index for the natural and agricultural resources in Northwestern Pakistan. By using structured questionnaire, primary data were collected from the targeted households in the study region. Data on socio-demographics, water security, health, social networks and climate variability were collected from the targeted respondents in this study area, and combined into indices. The IPCC framework was utilized that characterizes vulnerability into exposure, sensitivity and its adaptive capacity. Findings of our study showed that tehsil Shabqadar was more vulnerable among three studied tehsils particularly in natural disasters, health, water and land holding status. Tehsil Tangi was the second high vulnerable tehsil followed by tehsil Charsadda relative to other LVI components with the exclusion of livelihood strategies and financial constraints. Findings of this study provide a better understanding of the social and behavioral trends as well as an integrated and holistic view of the agriculture, climate change and livelihoods process in assessing the vulnerability. The findings and this pragmatic approach will be helpful in intending specific strategies and policy effectiveness to lessen susceptibility of households to climatic variations.
Rising temperatures are causing distress across the world, and for those most vulnerable, it is a silent killer. Information about indoor air temperature in residential dwellings is of interest for a range of reasons, such as health, thermal comfort and coping practices. However, there have been only few studies that measure indoor heat exposure, and contrast these to outdoor temperatures in rural-urban areas, of which none are in South Asia. We aim to close this knowledge gap with our indoor and outdoor heat measurement dataset, covering five low-income sites in South Asia. Two sites are in rural areas (Maharashtra, India), while three sites focus on urban areas (Dhaka, Delhi and Faisalabad). Data are based on 206 indoor temperature data loggers and complemented by data from five outdoor automated weather stations. The data-set can be used to examine temperature and humidity variation in low-socioeconomic status households in rural and urban areas and to better understand factors aggravating heat stress. This is important to plan and implement actions for combating heat stress.
Household flooding has wide ranging social, economic and public health impacts particularly for people in resource poor communities. The determinants and public health outcomes of recurrent home flooding in urban contexts, however, are not well understood. A household survey was used to assess neighborhood and household level determinants of recurrent home flooding in Detroit, MI. Survey activities were conducted from 2012 to 2020. Researchers collected information on past flooding, housing conditions and public health outcomes. Using the locations of homes, a “hot spot” analysis of flooding was performed to find areas of high and low risk. Survey data were linked to environmental and neighborhood data and associations were tested using regression methods. 4803 households participated in the survey. Flooding information was available for 3842 homes. Among these, 2085 (54.26%) reported experiencing pluvial flooding. Rental occupied units were more likely to report flooding than owner occupied homes (Odd ratio (OR) 1.72 [95% Confidence interval (CI) 1.49, 1.98]). Housing conditions such as poor roof quality and cracks in basement walls influenced home flooding risk. Homes located in census tracts with increased percentages of owner occupied units (vs. rentals) had a lower odds of flooding (OR 0.92 [95% (CI) 0.86, 0.98]). Household factors were found the be more predictive of flooding than neighborhood factors in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Flooding and housing conditions associated with home flooding were associated with asthma cases. Recurrent home flooding is far more prevalent than previously thought. Programs that support recovery and which focus on home improvement to prevent flooding, particularly by landlords, might benefit the public health. These results draw awareness and urgency to problems of urban flooding and public health in other areas of the country confronting the compounding challenges of aging infrastructure, disinvestment and climate change.
Despite perceptions of high water availability, adequate access to sufficient water resources remains a major challenge in Alaska. This paper uses a participatory modeling approach to investigate household water vulnerability in remote Alaska and to examine factors that affect water availability and water access. Specifically, the work asks: how do water policy stakeholders conceptualize the key processes that affect household water vulnerability in the context of rural Alaska? Fourteen water policy stakeholders participated in the modeling process, which included defining the problem of household water vulnerability and constructing individual causal loop diagrams (CLDs) that represent their conceptualization of household water vulnerability. Individual CLDs were subsequently combined and five sub-models emerged: environmental, economic, infrastructure, social, and health. The environmental and economic sub-models of the CLD are explored in depth. In the environmental sub-model, climate change and environmental barriers due to geography influence household water vulnerability. In the economic sub-model, four processes and one feedback loop affect household water vulnerability, including operations and maintenance funding, the strength of the rural Alaskan economy, and the impact of regulations. To overcome household water vulnerability and make households more resilient, stakeholders highlighted policy solutions under five themes: economics, social, regulatory, technological, and environmental.
Households’ vulnerability assessment is considered an essential step towards reducing the harmful consequences of disaster risks. Adaptation helps in reducing their future vulnerability. The aims of this study are to (1) assess the different components of vulnerability, (2) compare the individual components and the composite vulnerability between the two regions and (3)assess the households’ adaptation to floods. Data were collected from 382 households and statistical tests were applied for comparison among these households living in two regions. A total of 32 and 17 indicators were used for vulnerability and adaptation assessment respectively. Results revealed that social, economic, physical and institutional components of vulnerability were found higher in Region 1 than Region 2. Except for social and attitudinal vulnerability, all the other vulnerability components had significant differences. Similarly, the overall composite vulnerability was higher in Region 1 than Region 2 and statistically significant. Moreover, in both regions, informal adaptation was mostly practiced compared to formal adaptation. Thus, it is recommended that the government and non-governmental stakeholders provide options and facilitation for formal adaptation at the community level.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme events. Adaptation strategies at societal and household level are crucial to reduce vulnerability. We assessed to what extent personal flood affectedness, in particular health impacts, influence adaptive behavior. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in northern Chile one year after a major flood event and assessed several dimensions of flood affectedness and adaptive behavior at the household level. After the event, a wide range of adaptation measures, including water storage and prepa-ration of emergency kits, had been implemented by 80% of the population.
Floods are the most common hazard in Bangladesh adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of riverine people. Flood-affected households adopt a variety of post-disaster mitigation measures, to the best of their ability, in recognition that similar events are likely to occur again in the future. However, little is known about what drives a household to adopt risk mitigation measures after experiencing a severe flood. The objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of households’ decisions on the implementation of flood risk mitigation measures, following the severe flood in 2017 in northern Bangladesh. The data used for this study were collected from the right bank of the Teesta River in Bangladesh through a survey of 377 households and six key informant interviews. Most of the households (83.3%) adopted at least one risk mitigation measure from either structural or nonstructural categories after the 2017 flood. Binary logistic regression models provide useful insights into the determinants of the implementation of mitigation measures and intention to implement mitigation measures in future. The results showed that the perceived probability of flood, perceived preparedness, flood experience, exposure to flood, membership, household head’s sex, income source, and landownership significantly influenced households to implement mitigation measures in the post-disaster period. Additionally, the intention to implement mitigation measures was influenced by the membership and education of households. This study contributes in terms of useful information about the determinants of post-disaster mitigation measures in riverine areas of Bangladesh. These findings can be used to target specific households to promote disaster risk reduction interventions.
Climate change is predicted to adversely affect agricultural yields, particularly in African countries such as Ethiopia, where crop production relies heavily on environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature. However, there have only been a limited number of studies on the effects of climate change dynamics on food security in Africa, particularly at the household level. We therefore analyzed local climatic changes, the status of household food security, climate-related causes of food insecurity, food security determinants, and the adaptation strategies of local farmers. Three decades meteorological data were analyzed. A total of 185 farmers were selected using simple random sampling and interviewed, together with focus groups. Data were analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics were used together with the logit regression model. Climate change over the last three decades was found to have a negative impact the food security status of households. Crop production was constrained by poor rainfall, severe erosion, and increases in temperature. The unpredictability of rainfall, pests, and diseases were also contributing factors. Using the calorie intake approach, 60.5% of sampled respondents were found to be food insecure. Analysis using the logistic regression model showed that age and family size, as well as the amount of cultivated land and rainfall, were the significant (p < .05) factors influencing household food security status. A large proportion (69.8%) of farmers were incorporating adapting strategies into farm management including improved use of crop varieties and livestock production, in addition to income diversification. Taken together, these findings show that improving climate change awareness, facilitating the participation of female-led households in income generation, and strengthening existing adaptation measures have positive impacts on food security.
Variable climate conditions, resulting in periods of water scarcity and longer dry spells, or intense rainfall events, have serious implications for water and sanitation services. Climate change threatens to exacerbate these hazards, increasing risks to household water security, and associated impacts on health, wellbeing and livelihoods. These risks are not evenly distributed across individuals and communities, and there is a particular need to understand women’s vulnerabilities and responses to these risks due to disproportionate impacts of poor water and sanitation conditions. This study used mixed-methods data collection to assess how vulnerabilities to climate-related risks to household water security are produced and vary among women in the Centre-East region, Burkina Faso, as well as capacities to respond. Gendered water-related roles and norms were found to drive vulnerabilities for women in the case study site particularly related to increasingly inadequate water availability during the dry season. Other social differences such as Mossi and Peul ethnicity which influence ways of using water, also contributed to women’s differential vulnerability and capacities to respond. These findings show there is a need to consider how the development of ‘climate resilient’ water and sanitation services take social drivers of vulnerability into account.
Based on spatial variation and time, climate change has various levels of impacts on different communities and sometime with the state of development as well. The rural mountainous households that depend on natural resources for subsistence livelihoods and agriculture are particularly vulnerable with changing climate. Livelihood vulnerability assessment at local level is imperative to formulate appropriate adaptation policy and programs to address their livelihood challenges. This paper explored two vulnerability assessment indices, livelihood vulnerability index and IPCC vulnerability index by surveying 150 households from three village development committees (VDCs) in Lamjung district, Nepal. Data related to climate variables, natural disasters, water and food security, health, socio-demographics, livelihood strategies, and social network were collected and combined into indices. Both indices differed based on well-being status, gender of the household head and location across the households of three VDCs. The analysis was based on indices constructed from selected indicators measuring exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Results indicated that very poor and poor households, and female-headed households were more vulnerable than medium, well-off and male-headed households. The availability of livelihood diversified strategies, education, establishment of early warning system to climate extreme will help to reduce vulnerability to climate change in the study areas. The findings help in designing priority areas of intervention for adaptation plan to reduce vulnerability and enhance the resilience of the mountainous households to climate change.
This study set out to empirically determine the current state of individual and household adaptation to climate change in the United Kingdom and how policy makers can improve on it. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed method). For the quantitative aspect of the study, a quota-sampling technique was employed in the selection of 650 respondents for the study using a well-structured questionnaire. The quota representation was based on age and gender. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logit regression. In addition, qualitative content/topic analysis of an in-depth interview of the respondents was employed in further analyzing why and how policy makers can improve climate change adaptation. Findings from the study indicate the dire need for continued government support in household and individual adaptation in Leeds, and this support should also be encouraged in other cities where government intervention is low. Interventions in the form of subsidies, direct regulations, and public awareness are needed. The implementation of these measures is expected to generate a wide range of additional benefits to most vulnerable groups who should be central to the rapidly expanding climate change research and policy agenda in the United Kingdom. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Evidence shows that periods of extremely cold winters have been perceived to have increased in frequency in the United Kingdom over the years. This points to the need to uncover what policy and behavioral adaptation measures required to improve individual and household adaptation measures to cold spells in the United Kingdom. We utilized both qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed method) to find out the drivers and hindrances to adaptation against cold spells, using Leeds as a case study. We found out that over 70% of the respondents adopted all of the short-term coping strategies, whereas 55% did not indicate any changes in their behavior in response to cold spells. Also, government support, the prospect of relocation (people’s intention of leaving their home), and the high technicalities in installing adaptation tools significantly affect individuals’ tendency to adopt long-term coping strategies.
Exposure to extreme climate events causes population displacement and adversely affects the health of mothers and children in multiple ways. This paper investigates the effects of displacement on whether a child is delivered at a health center, as opposed to at home, and on postnatal care service utilization in Bangladesh. Using cross-sectional survey data from 599 mothers who gave birth in the three years prior to the date of interview, including 278 from households which had previously been displaced and 231 from households which had not been displaced, we use multivariate logistic regression to identify the factors associated with maternal healthcare service utilization. The results show that displaced households’ mothers are only about a quarter as likely to deliver at a health center as mothers from non-displaced households. The use of health center-based delivery decreases as the numbers of past displacements increases. Higher number of previous children, lower use of antenatal care during pregnancy, lower household income, and lack of access to radio/television also significantly reduce a mother’s likelihood of delivery at a health center. Displaced mothers are also substantially less likely to use postnatal care services for their neonates, especially those supplied by trained providers. Use of health facilities for delivery, use of antenatal care services, and previous number of children are other important predictors of postnatal care service utilization for neonates. In light of these findings, relocation of local health facilities with basic and emergency care provisions to areas in which the displaced have resettled, reinforcement of Family Planning services, and extension of coverage of the Maternity Allowance benefits in the displacement-prone mainland riverine areas are recommended policy responses.
This study was conducted to evaluate seasonal patterns of household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and household characteristics on wasting and stunting among children in households followed for 1 year in the drought-prone areas of Sidama, Ethiopia. A cohort study design was employed. Data were collected on the pre-harvest season (March and June) and post-harvest season (September and December) of 2017. We studied 935 children aged 6 to 47 months. At four seasons over a year, we had 3,449 observations from 897 households and 82% (2,816) (95% CI: 80.3-82.9) were food in-secured households. Severe food insecurity was higher in the pre-harvest (March; food scarcity season) which was 69% as compared to 50% of September (P < .001). From 3,488 observations, 44% (1,533) (95% CI: 42.3-45.6) of children were stunted. Stunting showed seasonal variations with 38% (95% CI: 34.7-41.0) in March and 49% (95% CI: 45.8-52.5) in December. Six percent (95% CI: 5.0-6.6) of children were wasted, with higher prevalence in March (8%) as compared to 3% of September (P < .001). Moreover, household characteristics such as poverty level, education, occupation and the household food insecurity and dietary diversity were associated with subsequent wasting and stunting.
Limited evidence is available concerning the household-level costs of prevailing diseases and the potential cost of climate adaptation in Nepal. This study estimates these costs and assesses the relationships between prevalent diseases and climate adaptation at the household level using survey data from 420 households. An ingredients-based approach was used to estimate the cost of health and adaptation, and a Probit regression model was used to analyze the relationship between prevalent diseases and climate adaptation costs. Household direct curative costs are the highest among health cost components. Two-thirds of total health costs are direct costs for households. On average, 15.90% of household income is used for direct cost of health care. The climate hazard cost among afflicted households is estimated to be high. In addition, diseases like malaria, typhoid and jaundice, their costs, climate awareness program, droughts, family size and loss of per capita income are more likely to raise the cost of climate adaptation. The occurrence of gastritis, prevalence of diarrhea and cold waves are less likely to affect the cost. Policymakers should implement health financing schemes and adaptation strategies to prevent the loss of human health in western Nepal.
Overheating in residential building is a challenging problem that causes thermal discomfort, productivity reduction, and health problems. This paper aims to assess the climate change impact on thermal comfort in a Belgian reference case. The case study represents a nearly zero energy building that operates without active cooling during summer. The study quantifies the impact of climate change on overheating risks using three representative concentration pathway (RCP) trajectories for greenhouse gas concentration adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Building performance analysis is carried out using a multizone dynamic simulation program EnergyPlus. The results show that bioclimatic and thermal adaptation strategies, including adaptive thermal comfort models, cannot suppress the effect of global warming. By 2050, zero energy buildings will be vulnerable to overheating.
Floods are one of the greatest hazards in Bangladesh. It is assumed that people who reside in a riverine area have adapted to flood pulses. However, in most cases, household-level risk-reduction strategies are inadequate for ensuring a livelihood resilient to floods. This is because riverine people are exposed to recurrent floods, which increases their vulnerability to floods. In order to formulate effective risk-reduction policies and programs for riverine areas, it is crucial to measure flood risk at the local level. This study, therefore, aims to assess the flood risk of riverine households. A multi-dimensional integrated flood risk assessment framework was adopted to quantify household-level flood risk. Using a systematic random sampling technique, 377 respondents from the right bank of the Teesta River in Bangladesh were interviewed to characterize flood hazards, exposure to floods, and their vulnerability and capacity to absorb flood risk. The survey also includes key informant interviews. The collected data were aggregated using a composite index, while comparing the components of flood risk. Descriptive and analytical statistics were also computed. The results showed that flood risk was higher in downstream areas, followed by upstream areas and the midstream segments of the right bank of the Teesta River. The degree of flood risk in these three clusters was significantly different. A significant negative correlation was observed between vulnerability and capacity. No significant associations were found between the exposure and vulnerability components. The multivariate analysis suggested that households’ perceived preparedness was influenced by their ability to responds to floods. The empirical approach presented in this study could be used to assess flood risk in other regions, especially where data is scarce.
