Adapting to Climate Variability

Adaptation to human-induced climate change is currently receiving a lot of attention in international development circles. But throughout human existence, natural resource-dependent people have exploited and coped with the effects of climate variability on the ecosystems from which they derive a living. Learning from this experience can help inform the design of appropriate policies for responding to human-induced climate change. This paper presents the results of a World Bank study which sought to better understand the role of local institutions in supporting adaptation to climate variability and change in Ethiopia, Mali and Yemen. The study raised three questions. First, what strategies have been adopted by rural households in the past to adapt to climate variability? Second, to what extent do institutions of various sorts assist households in adopting adaptation strategies? And third, what are the factors that prevent households from adopting appropriate adaptation strategies? For the purposes of this paper, institutions are defined as structured, formal or informal organizations. The study followed a three-step approach. First, drawing on original data from field surveys, focus group discussions and institutional stakeholder interviews, household vulnerability to climate variability was characterized in terms of its three constituent elements: exposure to climate-related shocks and stresses, and sensitivity and adaptive capacity in the face of such stressors. Sensitivity refers to the degree to which people are affected by climate variability and change. High levels of exposure and sensitivity and low levels of adaptive capacity generally result in high levels of vulnerability. But a high level of exposure need not necessarily result in a high level of vulnerability if the household's adaptive capacity is also high.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Ruijs, Arjan, de Bel, Mark, Kononen, Minna, Linderhof, Vincent, Polman, Nico
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2011-08
Subjects:	ABSOLUTE TERMS, AFFORDABLE CREDIT, AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES, AGRO-ECOLOGICAL REGIONS, ANIMAL DISEASES, ARID AREAS, ARID CLIMATE, ASSET OWNERSHIP, BANKS, CASH EARNINGS, CASH INCOME, CASH-CROP, CLIMATE, CLIMATE ADAPTATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, CLIMATE EXTREMES, CLIMATE HAZARD, CLIMATE REGIME, CLIMATE RESILIENCE, CLIMATE VARIABILITY, CLIMATE-RELATED HAZARD, CLIMATIC EXTREMES, CLIMATIC FACTORS, CLIMATIC ZONES, COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, COMMUNITY LEVEL, COOPERATIVES, COPING STRATEGY, COTTON PRODUCTION, CREDIT CONSTRAINTS, CREDIT INSTITUTIONS, CREDIT MARKETS, CROP PRODUCTION, CROP SELECTION, CROP YIELDS, DEBT, DESERT REGIONS, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, DIVERSIFICATION, DIVERSIFIED INCOME, DROUGHT RISK, EARNINGS, ECOLOGICAL ZONES, ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, ECONOMICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, EXCHANGE RATES, EXPENDITURES, EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE HAZARDS, EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY, EXTENSION AGENCY, EXTREME DROUGHT, EXTREME RAINFALL, EXTREME TEMPERATURE, FACILITATION, FAMILY MEMBERS, FARM ACTIVITIES, FARM IRRIGATION, FARMER, FARMERS, FARMING SYSTEMS, FEMALE, FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL CAPACITIES, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, FINANCIAL COST, FINANCIAL MEANS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FOOD EXPENDITURES, FOOD PRICE, FOOD PRICES, FORMAL BANKING, GENDER, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GROUPS OF PEOPLE, HANDICRAFTS, HIGH TEMPERATURES, HIGHER EDUCATION LEVELS, HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD VULNERABILITY, HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL, HOUSEHOLDS, INCOME ON FOOD, INCOME SHOCKS, INDEBTEDNESS, INFORMED CHOICES, INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT, INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT, INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERVENTION, INTERVENTIONS, IRRIGATION, LACK OF INFORMATION, LAND HOLDINGS, LANDHOLDINGS, LEVELS OF VULNERABILITY, LIVELIHOOD SECURITY, LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES, LIVESTOCK OWNERSHIP, LOWER RAINFALL, METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION, MICRO-CREDIT, MICRO-FINANCE, MICRO-FINANCE INSTITUTIONS, MICROCREDIT, MICROFINANCE, MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION, MOUNTAIN AREAS, MOUNTAINOUS AREAS, NATIONAL LEVEL, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, OCCUPATION, PASTORALIST REGION, PEOPLES, POOR FARMERS, POOR HOUSEHOLD, POORER HOUSEHOLDS, PUBLIC GOODS, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, RAIN, RAINFALL, RAINFALL LEVELS, RAINFALL PATTERNS, RAINFALL REGIME, RAINFALL VARIABILITY, RAINY SEASON, REGIONAL AUTHORITIES, REGIONAL LEVEL, REMITTANCES, REMOTE VILLAGES, RURAL AREAS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL ECONOMY, RURAL ENVIRONMENT, RURAL HOUSEHOLDS, RURAL LIVELIHOODS, RURAL POPULATIONS, SAFETY, SAFETY NET, SAVINGS, SCHOLARSHIP, SEASON, SEED SELECTION, SEMI-ARID REGIONS, SMALL LANDHOLDINGS, SMALLHOLDER, SOCIAL COHESION, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL NETWORKS, SOCIAL STRUCTURES, SOIL EROSION, SOURCE OF INCOME, STORAGE FACILITIES, SURFACE RUNOFF, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TEMPERATE CLIMATE, TEMPERATURE, TEMPERATURE CHANGES, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, URBAN AREAS, VEGETABLES, VETERINARY SERVICES, VILLAGE, VILLAGE COMMUNITIES, VILLAGE LEVEL, VILLAGES, VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY, VULNERABLE GROUPS, VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/891471468326972530/Adapting-to-climate-variability-learning-from-past-experience-and-the-role-of-institutions https://hdl.handle.net/10986/26896
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