Building adaptive capacity to cope with increasing vulnerability due to climatic change in Africa : a new approach

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dc.contributor.authorTwomlowa, Steve
dc.contributor.authorMugabeb, Francis T.
dc.contributor.authorMwalec, Moses
dc.contributor.authorDelve, Robert
dc.contributor.authorNanja, Durton
dc.contributor.authorCarberry, Peter
dc.contributor.authorHowden, Mark
dc.date.accessioned2010-06-30T14:06:06Z
dc.date.available2010-06-30T14:06:06Z
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractThe world community faces many risks from climate change, with most scenarios indicating higher temperatures and more erratic rainfall in Africa. Predictions for southern Africa suggest a general decrease in total seasonal rainfall, accompanied by more frequent in-season dry spells that will significantly impact crop and livestock production, and hence economic growth in the region. The hardest hit will be the rural poor in the drier areas, where crop failure due to drought is already common and chronic food emergencies afflict the region in most years. Lessons can be learnt on how the rural poor currently cope with the vagaries of climate and be used to help them adapt their current production systems to the future threats of further climate change. But this assumes the institutions that work towards the economic empowerment of the rural poor have the requisite skills to understand their current coping strategies and how adaptation can be facilitated. This new initiative led by Midlands State University and the Zambian Meteorological Office proposes that improving the ability of institutions that train the ‘Future Change Agents’, who will subsequently support smallholder communities in adapting their agricultural practices to current climate variability, is the first step in building adaptive capacity to cope with future climate change. The capacity of African scientists, regional organizations and decision makers in dealing with the issues of climate change and adaptation will be enhanced on a continuing basis, and the impacts of their agricultural development programs improved.en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10625/44030
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474706508001551
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier ScienceDirect, Amsterdam, NLen
dc.relation.ispartofPhysics and chemistry of the earth, v. 33, issues 8-13, 2008en
dc.subjectCLIMATE CHANGEen
dc.subjectCAPACITY BUILDINGen
dc.subjectDROUGHTen
dc.subjectVULNERABILITYen
dc.subjectADAPTIVE CAPACITYen
dc.subjectCOPING STRATEGIESen
dc.titleBuilding adaptive capacity to cope with increasing vulnerability due to climatic change in Africa : a new approachen
dc.typeJournal Article (peer-reviewed)en
idrc.dspace.accessIDRC Onlyen
idrc.noaccessDue to copyright restrictions the full text of this research output is not available in the IDRC Digital Library or by request from the IDRC Library. / Compte tenu des restrictions relatives au droit d'auteur, le texte intégral de cet extrant de recherche n'est pas accessible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI, et il n'est pas possible d'en faire la demande à la Bibliothéque du CRDI.en
idrc.project.number104144
idrc.project.titleBuilding Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change in Zambia and Zimbabween
idrc.rims.adhocgroupIDRC SUPPORTEDen

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IDRC Research Results / Résultats de recherches du CRDI
2000-2009 / Années 2000-2009
Research Results (CCAA) / Résultats de recherches (ACCA)
Southern Africa / Afrique australe