Goldman Mara J, Riosmena Fernando
Department of Geography, Faculty Research Associate, Environment and Society Program, Institute for, Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Guggenheim 110; 260 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0260 USA.
Department of Geography, Faculty, Population Program, Institute of Behavioral Science University of Colorado at Boulder, 1440 15 St. 483 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0483 USA.
Glob Environ Change. 2013 Jun;23(3):588-597. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.02.010.
This study examines the ways in which the adaptive capacity of households to climatic events varies within communities and is mediated by institutional and landscape changes. We present qualitative and quantitative data from two Maasai communities differentially exposed to the devastating drought of 2009 in Northern Tanzania. We show how rangeland fragmentation combined with the decoupling of institutions and landscapes are affecting pastoralists ability to cope with drought. Our data highlight that mobility remains a key coping mechanism for pastoralists to avoid cattle loss during a drought. However, mobility is now happening in new ways that require not only large amounts of money but new forms of knowledge and connections outside of customary reciprocity networks. Those least affected by the drought, in terms of cattle lost, were those with large herds who were able to sell some of their cattle and to pay for private access to pastures outside of Maasai areas. Drawing on an entitlements framework, we argue that the new coping mechanisms are not available to all, could be making some households more vulnerable to climate change, and reduce the adaptive capacity of the overall system as reciprocity networks and customary institutions are weakened. As such, we posit that adaptive capacity to climate change is uneven within and across communities, is scale-dependent, and is intimately tied to institutional and landscape changes.
本研究考察了家庭对气候事件的适应能力在社区内部如何变化，以及如何受到制度和景观变化的影响。我们展示了来自坦桑尼亚北部两个不同程度遭受2009年毁灭性干旱影响的马赛社区的定性和定量数据。我们说明了牧场碎片化以及制度与景观的脱钩如何影响牧民应对干旱的能力。我们的数据突出表明，流动仍然是牧民在干旱期间避免牲畜损失的关键应对机制。然而，现在的流动方式发生了新变化，这不仅需要大量资金，还需要习惯互惠网络之外的新知识和新联系形式。就牲畜损失而言，受干旱影响最小的是那些拥有大量畜群的人，他们能够出售部分牲畜，并支付费用以获得进入马赛地区以外牧场的私人许可。基于权利框架，我们认为新的应对机制并非对所有人都适用，可能会使一些家庭更容易受到气候变化的影响，并随着互惠网络和传统制度的削弱而降低整个系统的适应能力。因此，我们认为社区内部和社区之间对气候变化的适应能力是不均衡的，取决于规模，并且与制度和景观变化密切相关。
