Abstract
<p>The Horn of Africa Drylands (HAD) region is vulnerable to climate-related risks, including droughts. Drought is a persistent and costly hazard; it negatively impacts the environment, people’s livelihoods, access to education, and food security. The rural livelihoods of countries in the HAD region are highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and livestock herding (agro-pastoralism), which is extremely sensitive to weather and climate variability. Communities can take adaptation decisions that influence the impacts of drought. In turn, adaptation behaviour by agro-pastoralists influences the drought hazard. However, only a few drought models incorporate these feedbacks in drought analysis. This research presents a dynamic drought adaptation modelling framework that combines socio-hydrological and agent-based modelling approaches. By coupling the spatially explicit hydrological Dryland Water Partitioning model (DRYP) with a behavioural model capable of simulating (bounded rational) behavioural theories, the model enables simulating the feedbacks between the environment and agro-pastoralists and amongst agro-pastoralists (both through ‘communication structures’ and indirectly via their water and land use). Qualitative and quantitative data inform the model parameterisation on adaptive decision behaviour of agro-pastoralists, applied to the upper Ewaso N’giro river basin in Kenya. We demonstrate the possibility of capturing adaptive human-drought feedbacks, laying the foundation for in-depth analysis of human-drought feedbacks and future climate and policy scenarios.</p>
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.