Analysis of Gender Vulnerability to Climate Change and Variability: The Case of Bako Tibe Dish-iet
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2014-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Recently, climate change is becoming a global phenomena, but its impact is unevenly distributed
among the regions, economic class, age class and between males and females. This study
analyzes the vulnerabililY of gender to climate change and variability in the three dominant agro
ecologies of Bako Tibe district. Multi-stage stralified random sampling was designed, for which
Ihe sample kebele, that represent Ihe respective agro ecology, was purposively selecled while Ihe
sample households were randomly selected, keeping Ihe male and female headed household
representatives equal in each kebele(agro ecologies).Accordingly, 138 household~ were surveyed
in the dislrict, for which 46 household in each representative agro ecology andfinally, equal
proportion of both gender were selected FGDs ,key informant interview and observations were
employed to collect primary dala while secondary data was basically collected on metrological
data jrom Bako Agricultural Research Center(BARC) for lowland ago ecology and Shambu
metrological station for the olher two agro ecologies. The sludy used integrated vulnerability
assessment method through the construction of indices ji-om the selecled indicator of exposure,
sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The indicalors were weighled using Principal Component
Analysis (PCA). The overall result of gender profile aClivity assessment shows unequal
dislribution of workloads and unfair traditional work division between males and females
figuring that females discharges a higher work load and constrained wilh unfair work division in
relative to males. This unequal dislribution of work load and unfair work division darken the
overall picture offemales in the community and shapes Ihe degree of vulnerability to climate
change ,since it hampers the asset formation ,ownership and control of females, that filrther
brings a lower livelihood asset pos~'ession in relative 10 males. The results of gender
vulnerability analysis shows that females are relatively vulnerable to climate changes compared
to the males in their respective agro ecology even though their vUlnerability level varies across
agro ecologies. The study implies that better possession of livelihood asset even under the slress
filii climatic condition lowers vulnerability level. The separale vulnerability analysis of male and
female in different agro ecology shows Ihat the existing exposure in a locality is oflen modified at
household level depending upon the inherent adaptive capacity of gender to give the picture of
overall vulnerability(i.e. lowland agro ecology). Using only Ihe biophysical indicators of
vulnerability (exposure and sensitivit)'l can thus lead to an erroneous policy implication.
Furthermore, intra-agro ecology analysis of gender vulnerability indicates thai poor males and
females with low adaplive capacities are vulnerable, irrespeclive of where they are located
Policy measures and development efforts should be focused towards improving the adaptive
capacity of the rural households especially females, while keeping Ihe posl-disaster emergency
relief measures in place for localilies with higher exposure to climate extremes. The females wilh
lower livelihood asset should be the primary target of any interventions.
Keywords: Gender, Vulnerabil ity, Cli mate change and variabi lity, Agro ecologies
Description
Keywords
Gender, Vulnerabil ity, Cli mate change and variabi lity, Agro ecologies