"The 2010 RUFORUM Biennial Conference was the second in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholers in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme climate change".
Livelihoods under climate variability and change: An analysis of the adaptive capacity of rural poor to water scarcity in Kenya’s drylands
Abstract:
Rainfall, which is the main source of water in Kenya’s drylands
areas, shows very high spatial and temporal variability. Crop,
forage and livestock production closely follow rainfall trends
thus putting livelihoods of a number of households at risk. This
study was carried out by administering questionnaires to agropastoral
households in Kibwezi district of Kenya. Most (98%)
of the respondents mentioned increased dry conditions
occasioned by recurrent droughts as the main unusual climatic
events. In response to climate variability, the households had
developed both short and long term adaptive mechanisms which
included planting of drought tolerant and early maturing crops,
early or dry planting, water harvesting through range pits and
roof catchments and run-off harvesting.
Les précipitations, qui sont la principale source d’eau dans les
zones arides du Kenya, montrent de très fortes variabilités
spatiales et temporelles. La production de la cultures, de
fourragère et l’élevage suit de près les tendances des précipitations
mettant ainsi les moyens de subsistance d’un certain nombre de
ménages à risque. Cette étude a été réalisée en administrant des
questionnaires aux ménages agro-pastoraux dans le district de
Kibwezi du Kenya. La plupart (98%) des répondants ont
mentionné que l’augmentation des conditions sèches, occasionné
par des sécheresses récurrentes ont été les principaux événements
climatiques inhabituels. En réponse à la variabilité du climat, les
ménages ont développé à la fois à court et à long terme des
mécanismes d’adaptation qui comprennent la plantation de
tolérantes à la sécheresse et de plantes à maturité précoce, des semis précoces ou à sec, récupération de l’eau par des puits et
des bassins versants du toit large et le ruissellement de récolte.
Language:
English
Date of publication:
2010
Country:
Region Focus:
East Africa
University/affiliation:
Collection:
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Agris Subject Categories:
Agrovoc terms:
Additional keywords:
Licence conditions:
Open Access
Access restriction:
Form:
Printed resource
Publisher:
ISSN:
E_ISSN:
Edition:
Extent:
1491-1494
Notes:
