Linking poverty, HIV/AIDS and climate change to human and ecosystem vulnerability in Southern Africa : consequences for livelihoods and sustainable ecosystem management
Date
2011
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
People in southern Africa are facing escalating levels of risk, uncertainty and consequently vulnerability as a result of
multiple interacting stressors, including HIV/AIDS, poverty, food insecurity, weak governance, climate change and land
degradation, to name but a few. Vulnerability or livelihood insecurity emerges when poor people as individuals or social units
have to face harmful threats or shocks with inadequate capacity to respond effectively. In such situations, people often have
no choice but to turn to their immediate environment for support. Evidence suggests that rising levels of human vulnerability
are driving increased dependency on biodiversity and ecosystem services, which in turn, and along with other threats, is
rendering ecosystems more vulnerable. This paper explores the dynamic and complex linkages and feedbacks between
human vulnerability and ecosystem vulnerability, drawing on data from the southern African region. Human vulnerability is
conceptualized as a threat to ecosystem health, as driven by the interplay between a number of current and emerging factors.
We focus on poverty, HIV/AIDS and more intense climate extremes as examples of stressors on livelihoods and direct and
indirect drivers of ecosystem change. We discuss how some of the responses to increased vulnerability may pose threats to
biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and sustainable development, whilst considering potential solutions that
rely on a thorough understanding of coupled social–ecological systems and the interplay between multiple stressors and
responses at different scales.
Description
item.page.type
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
item.page.format
Text
Keywords
VULNERABILITY, SOUTHERN AFRICA, LIVELIHOODS, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, HIV/AIDS, CLIMATE CHANGE, NUTRITION, HUMAN VULNERABILITY, COPING MECHANISMS, ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT, BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION
Citation
DOI
Collections
IDRC Research Results / Résultats de recherches du CRDI
2010-2019 / Années 2010-2019
Agricultural Transformation / Transformation agricole
Climate Change / Changement climatique
Multi-stakeholder Participation / Participation de multiples intervenants
Research and Intervention / Recherche et intervention
Load more 2010-2019 / Années 2010-2019
Agricultural Transformation / Transformation agricole
Climate Change / Changement climatique
Multi-stakeholder Participation / Participation de multiples intervenants
Research and Intervention / Recherche et intervention