Assessing vulnerability of rural communities to climate change : a review of implications for forest-based livelihoods in South Africa

dc.contributor.authorOfoegbu, Chidiebere
dc.contributor.authorChirwa, Paxie W.
dc.contributor.authorFrancis, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorBabalola, Folaranmi Dapo
dc.date.accessioned2017-08-15T11:34:24Z
dc.date.available2017-08-15T11:34:24Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractPURPOSE : The paper aims to enhance the understanding of the impacts of climate change on rural communities in Africa, including people's livelihoods, their adaptive capacity, coping practice and ability to engage in sustainable forest use and management of climate change adaptation. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The paper opted for a desktop review approach, using the forest-sed rural communities of South Africa as a case study. FINDINGS : This review shows that climate variability and change are affecting rural people and their livelihoods negatively. Forest-based livelihoods are particularly vulnerable. Nevertheless, the people have developed coping mechanisms to cushion the effects of climate variability and change. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these strategies are greatly constrained by factors that are related mostly to their socioeconomic characteristics (for example, skill level, educational status and health) and the functionalities of infrastructures and services in their communities. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : Given that the study focused on forest-based rural communities and livelihoods, the results may be limited in generalizability. This may have particular implications for other categories of rural communities and livelihoods in Africa and developing countries in other continents. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : The study showed that opportunities for planning and implementing effective climate change adaptation at rural community level in South Africa are reliant on effective strategies to overcome the constraints identified by the study. The authors thus recommend that climate change adaptation initiatives in rural communities of Africa should focus on improving people's socioeconomic conditions and the overall sustainable development of the community. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This paper fulfils an identified need to study how climate change affects rural forest-based communities and livelihoods.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentAgricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Developmenten_ZA
dc.description.departmentPlant Production and Soil Scienceen_ZA
dc.description.librarianhj2017en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipThe National Research Foundation of South Africa through the innovation doctoral scholarship programme, Grant UID: 82942.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ijccsmen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationChidiebere Ofoegbu, Paxie Chirwa, Joseph Francis, Folaranmi Babalola, (2017) "Assessing vulnerability of rural communities to climate change: A review of implications for forest-based livelihoods in South Africa", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 9 Issue: 03, pp.374-386, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-04-2016-0044.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1756-8692
dc.identifier.other10.1108/IJCCSM-04-2016-0044
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/61659
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherEmeralden_ZA
dc.rights© Emerald Group Publishing Limiteden_ZA
dc.subjectCommunityen_ZA
dc.subjectForestsen_ZA
dc.subjectLivelihoodsen_ZA
dc.subjectDevelopmenten_ZA
dc.subjectAdaptationen_ZA
dc.titleAssessing vulnerability of rural communities to climate change : a review of implications for forest-based livelihoods in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typePostprint Articleen_ZA

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Ofoegbu_Assessing_2017.pdf
Size:
675.36 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Postprint Article

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: