Disasters linked to natural hazards, environmental degradation, and the adverse effects of climate change are amongst the most prevalent and overlapping drivers of human mobility in the IGAD Region.
To provide a qualitative analysis of these complex interactions between droughts, migration, displacements, and the influence of climate change on decisions around livelihoods and mobility in the region, IGAD with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development commissioned a study in the border areas of the Karamoja region of Uganda and the Turkana County of Kenya.
The study that is entitled “Livelihoods, Resilience and Migration in the context of slow Onset Climate Change in the IGAD Region” includes a case study in which 137 pastoralists (of whom 62 where women and 45 young people) were interview on their perceptions and understandings of climate change, the impacts of droughts on their livelihoods and mobility and their coping mechanisms.
The study identified key factors in the mobility and migration decisions of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the borderlands. Among other things, the issue of conflict and insecurity was prominent in the discussions. Conflict and drought respectively were identified as key drivers conditioning mobility in the Karamoja cluster.
The study also identified actions and activities that can support agro-pastoral communities and increase their resilience. These include better dissemination of early warning information and greater integration of these communities with their indigenous knowledge and needs in resilience building and climate-change mitigation activities.
This study highlights that the interrelatedness of climate change, livelihoods, and migrations in the IGAD region is significant and complex. Through first-hand accounts, concrete ways of supporting affected communities and increasing their resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change are recommended.
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Livelihood, Resilience and Migration – In the Context of Slow Onset Climate Change in the IGAD Region
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Livelihood, Resilience and Migration – In the Context of Slow Onset Climate Change in the IGAD Region
