VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE: CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON LIVELIHOODS IN MT. ELGON

Abstract

Mountain ecosystems worldwide are grappling with the multifaceted impacts of climate change exacerbated by concurrent anthropogenic stressors, such as habitat encroachment, land fragmentation, and degradation (Mano and Nhemachena, 2007; Biggs et al., 2008; Amwata et al., 2015). These dynamics are exacting a substantial toll on livelihoods due to diminished agricultural productivity and altered ecosystem services. The erratic, unreliable, and capricious rainfall patterns resulting from climate change are leading to declining agricultural yields, coupled with heightened risks of soil erosion and amplified evapotranspiration. According to IPCC projections (2007), any global average temperature rise beyond 1.5°C - 2.5°C is poised to trigger profound impacts on land productivity, with far-reaching consequences for human lives. In Kapsokwony Division, Mt. Elgon Sub-County, crop cultivation, livestock husbandry, and non-farm economic pursuits constitute the bedrock of household sustenance. Against the backdrop of broader economic, political, and environmental complexities, the confluence of climate change further heightens vulnerability, particularly for marginalized households. It is the impoverished strata of society that confronts the most formidable challenges, navigating cultural, social, and political barriers that impede access to vital resources and knowledge. Moreover, their agency in participatory decision-making processes remains circumscribed.