Abstract
This article analyses vulnerability to climate related shocks across five districts in the shire river basin of Malawi. The analysis employs an indicator approach that integrates biophysical and socio-economic indices. Principal component statistical analysis was used to calculate an index for adaptive capacity, sensitivity and exposure to climate impact for each of the five districts. These indices were aggregated to develop a vulnerability index differentiated also by gender for the surveyed districts. The results showed that Chikwawa, Machinga and Blantyre appear to be more vulnerable to climate related shocks compared with Mwanza and Zomba. Women in Chikwawa are also found to be the most susceptible to the climate hazards impacts. To reduce vulnerability to climate impact, the study suggests that the national adaptation strategies adopted by the government should be mainstreamed into specific local adaptation actions that can be accessible and adopted by the community. Specific emphasis should be given to the improvement of women’s welfare through better access to productive assets and resources.
Highlights
The agriculture sector in Malawi as in most African countries is dependent on rainfall
Results of the factor loading for the first principal components of the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indices along with the mean and standard deviation of the original variables are reported in Table 1 below
The first principal component of these indices accounts for the greatest variation in the data sample and explains 49%, 46% and 25% of the variance in the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity variables, respectively
Summary
The agriculture sector in Malawi as in most African countries is dependent on rainfall. This high dependence on the short rainy season renders the country very vulnerable to weather hazards. Erratic rainfall, increased water scarcity, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events such as floods and droughts have increased in magnitude and frequency. The higher frequency of flood and drought represents a big threat for the economy and populations’ livelihoods because of the many consequences on agricultural production, food security, water availability and health [2]. The creeping effects of soil erosion and deforestation undermine further the livelihoods of rural communities and exacerbate the extent of food insecurity and rural poverty in Malawi. Loss of fertile soil has several negative impacts on water cycle, biodiversity and supportive ecosystem services
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