You are all invited to the following seminar:

Wednesday 15th May at 4pm in R3.41 (Ramphal Building)

Speaker: Dr Theobald Theodory (Mzumbe University, Tanzania)

Title: Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change Among Smallholder Farmers in Kagera Region, Tanzania

Abstract: This article dwells on the broader discourse of vulnerability and adaptation as commonly discussed in climate change debates. Vulnerability to climate change is intimately related to poverty, and poor communities are the least able to adapt to climate change. However, climate change impacts differ between regions due to variations in communities’ adaptive capacity. Thus, there are some regions more seriously affected by the impacts of climate change than others globally. This in fact situates vulnerability and adaptation at the centre of the discussion regarding how poor communities in developing countries respond to climate stimuli. Using the case study of smallholder farmers in Kagera Region located at the north-western corner of Tanzania, this article confines itself to answer the following questions including: what are the different sources of vulnerability to climate change within the community? In which ways do smallholder farmers in Kagera Region respond to climate change impacts? This study used case study research design, in which both qualitative and quantitative data were employed in data collection. The findings unveiled that extreme poverty, inadequate social services, increased drought and reduced precipitations, as well as incidence of pests and diseases to both crops and livestock were the major causes of community vulnerability to climate change. However, decrease of grazing land was also reported by the local communities to have caused community vulnerability due to contemporary land grabbing in the study area. Despite increased community vulnerability in the study area, local communities have been applying a repertoire of mechanisms to withstand the impacts caused by climate change. Some of the employed strategies include diversification of livelihood, grain storage, use of locally made pesticides, crop diversification and storage of fodders. Thus, an understanding of community vulnerability is important in getting relevant information concerning the capacity of an individual or a group of people to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impacts caused by natural or man-made hazards.

Dr. Theobald Theodory is a social scientist focusing on environment and natural resource management. He is a registered environmental expert at the National Environmental Management Committee (NEMC) of Tanzania to carry out environmental impact assessment, environment auditing and environmental monitoring. He serves as a member of editorial boards for different local and international journals. He has a wealth of experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation for different public and private development projects, carrying out of feasibility studies, undertaking baseline surveys and outreach activities. Currently, he is a Lecturer and Acting Head of the Centre for Environment, Poverty and Sustainable Development at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Mzumbe University (Tanzania). Dr. Theodory has published extensively in areas of climate change adaptation, land investments, water resources governance and natural resources management.

REFRESHMENTS AND BISCUITS SERVED THROUGHOUT.