Gender Influence on Climate Change Adaptation by the Fisher Community in Mbita Sub-county, Homa Bay County, Kenya

Abstract

Increasingly there concern over the consequences of global warming on household food security and livelihoods of the world’s 36 million fishers and the nearly 1.5 billion consumers who rely on fish for their dietary protein. There has been limited focus on the interaction between impacts of climate change on the fishing activities on inland and fresh waters like Lake Victoria and how the fishers are coping and adapting. This study focused on Mbita Sub-county on Lake Victoria shore whose local community’s main livelihood activity is fishing. The overall objective of the study was to examine the influence of gender on the adaptation to impacts of climate change and variability among the fisher folks’ in Mbita Sub County. The study used a constructivist epistemology and the mixed methods research design to achieve the said objectives. Both primary and secondary data were used to achieve the study objectives. The study targeted 13898 fishers out of whom 388 were selected as respondents. The primary data was collected using questionnaires; interview schedules for Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Secondary data was collected through document review on relevant information fishers’ livelihoods and climate change; time frame of Mbita Sub-county climate data for over the last 30 years (From 1987-2017) was central to the review. Analysis of data was completed by using computer supported software for quantitative data which was expressed in descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that the majority of fishers’ had clear perception of climate variability and change but only 46% had the scientific knowledge of the causes of Climate Change; the fishers’ relied more on Indigenous Knowledge (IK) since as meteorological forecasts were too technical for them hence considered irrelevant. The study further found that the erratic changes in rainfall and temperature were the greatest stressors on fishing activities with the fishers agreeing to having seen a rise in the annual temperatures with statistical significant p-value = 0.02. There was gender discrimination in access and control of resources that supported adaptive activities thus making women more vulnerable to climate variability and change including climate hazards and disasters; Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) requires access and control of resources with access to and control of land, balanced meals, sources of power and workshops found to be significant to adaptation. The long rainy season from March to May was found to have an impact on infrastructure and weather related diseases which endangered the fishers’ lives while the dry and hot season (January to February and September to October) resulted in insufficient fish catches. The fishers’ coping strategies fishers showed that adaptation required the collaboration and consultation of entire Mbita community and County Government to address the environmental and conservative resource utility while streamlining gender issues. The study concluded that a lack of capital, information and limited alternative livelihood opportunities were the major constraints to adaptation of people living in the Lake Victoria region. This was amplified with a limitation of other employable professional skills outside the fisheries. The study recommended for consultation, development and implementation of adaptive strategies by the stakeholders, which can translate into flexible and sustainable adaptation livelihood activities. Future research should explore participatory action research on environmental factors that influence Climate Change Adaptation by comparing findings across other beaches.