Local communities’ perceptions of climate variability in the Mt. Elgon region, eastern Uganda

Allan Bomuhangi,Justine Jumba Namaalwa,Gorettie Nabanoga,Banana Abwoli,Michael Gregory Jacobson,Serge Wich

doi:10.1080/23311843.2016.1168276

Abstract

AbstractIn order to develop climate adaptation strategies that address location and context-specific vulnerabilities, there is need to understand how communities perceive the variability in their climate as perception of climate variability is a critical component within which climate adaptation should operate. This paper examines communities’ perceptions about climate variability in relation to available meteorological data in the Mt. Elgon region. The study demonstrates that community perceptions of temperature and precipitation trends as indicators of climate variability are in agreement with meteorologically observed trends. It also reveals that local communities’ perceptions of climate variability may also provide more localized contexts of climate variability which be insufficiently captured by meteorological data in communities where capture of meteorological data is not fully developed.

Highlights

Adaptation to climate change is a local process (Locatelli et al, 2008) that is rooted, according to Neil Adger (1999), in the socialization, learning and understanding of climate risk
The community members did a trend analysis of the variability in rainfall/precipitation and temperature from 1993 up to 2013 as well as mapped the climatic shock/events associated with the climate variability for the same time period
A number of respondents in the communities noted a divergence of opinion regarding the existence of climate variability

Summary

Introduction

Adaptation to climate change is a local process (Locatelli et al, 2008) that is rooted, according to Neil Adger (1999), in the socialization, learning and understanding of climate risk. Lorenzoni and Pidgeon (2006) and Fernandez-Gimenez (2000) argue that community knowledge, perceptions and impacts of climate change are critical components within which climate change adaptation and mitigation should operate. This is important because a person’s response to change can be strongly influenced by their knowledge and perception (Ferguson & Bargh, 2004) Allan Bomuhangi ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Bomuhangi’s major research interest is gender and natural resources management He performs research on (1) Gender and climate change adaptation (2) Gender, property rights and land ownership in Uganda. This work contributes to a broader project on adaptation of people to climate change in East Africa: Ecosystems services, Risk reduction and Human well-being whose principal goal is to contribute to the development of national policies and local practices for adaptation to climate change in rural East Africa

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion