Climate Change and Drought: Impact of Food Insecurity on Gender Based Vulnerability in District Tharparkar.
Memon, Manzoor Hussain ; Aamir, Naveed ; Ahmed, Nadeem 等
Climate Change and Drought: Impact of Food Insecurity on Gender Based Vulnerability in District Tharparkar.
Climate change has now become a reality that has intensified the
sufferings of people living in arid ecosystems. Decrease in rainfall,
rise in temperature and increase in the frequency of extreme events are
some of the changes observed in the semi-arid desert of district
Tharparkar. For thousands of years, people of Tharparkar are coping with
drought and aridity of the land by using indigenous knowledge. However,
global changes in the climatic pattern and deterioration of social and
economic conditions have pushed the inhabitants of this arid region into
extreme vulnerable situation. This paper investigates the link between
climateinduced natural disasters, particularly drought, from the
perspective of changing climate patterns which have resulted in food
insecurity and water scarcity. The paper analyses the rainfall pattern
in the last 38 years--dividing it into two periods i.e. from 1975-1994
and 19952014. The findings of the paper have challenged the prevailing
notions about aridity and rainfall patterns in Tharparkar district. The
research found that there is an increase in average annual precipitation
in the district with erratic patterns. Thus, the nature of drought in
the district has changed from its historic pattern of less or no
rainfall to more but erratic rainfall that is more threatening to
livelihoods of the people that in turn have multiplier effect on water
and food insecurity. In particularly, women are more vulnerable in the
absence of social security and lack of basic necessities for their
survival amidst drought. For instance, traditionally the burden of
managing water resources falls on women, which leads to an increased
work load during the time of drought and also water scarcity.
JEL Classification: Q54, Q56, Q25, 130
Keywords: Climate, Environment and Development, Drought, Water,
Poverty
INTRODUCTION
Drought is that natural calamity that has an exceptional
detrimental impact on human survival. In terms of the number of affected
people by drought, Wilhite (2000b) ranked it first among natural
hazards. It develops slowly and does not affect the valuable
infrastructure, such as homes, buildings, etc. According to UNCCD
(United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification), drought is
"the naturally occurring phenomenon that exists when precipitation
has been significantly below normal recorded levels, causing serious
hydrological imbalances that adversely affect land resource production
systems."
Pakistan is one of the least studied countries in terms of
socio-economic impacts of climate change--particularly in the context of
drought. From the context of drought, the existing literature elsewhere
in the world is also found scarce. It is therefore important to identify
the impact of climate change in drought prone areas, and the potential
influence on the socio-economic indicators of the associated
communities. Thar Desert is one of the largest subtropical deserts
situated in the northwest of the Indian sub-continent. The ecology of
Tharparkar region is characterised by high temperature, low and erratic
precipitation, scarcity of water and presence of soluble salt in the
soil. Due to long spells of dry weather with little or no rainfall in
the region, people have experienced perpetual droughts for longer
periods.
The challenge is to identify the climate variability and potential
impacts on people and other inhabitants in the drought areas. District
Tharparkar, which covers more than 30 percent of the arid zone of Sindh
province, has studied to understand the challenges posed by frequent
climate induced droughts. The research will explore the patterns of
drought with coping and adaptation mechanisms of the local population.
However, the research will also examine the changes in the drought
pattern due to climate variability with changes (if any) in the
coping/adaptation mechanisms. Following subsidiary research questions
will also be investigated to analyse the difference between past
droughts (30 years before) and present droughts.
(a) Whether the changes in the climate have changed the drought
patterns?
(b) How changes in drought pattern have impacted the livelihood
resources and quality of life of the local people?
(c) What is the gender differential impact of climate induced
drought?
(d) How effective are the indigenous/conventional coping and
adaptation measures?
This paper outlined an introduction and a brief background on the
study area, followed by a conceptual and theoretical framework.
Following this, the section explains the methodological framework of the
data collection and analysis. Subsequent section establishes the climate
challenges, faced in the study area as well as the changes observed in
the drought patterns, instigating higher gender and social vulnerability
of the people. Finally, epilogue summarises the key findings of the
study with some policy recommendations to cope with the increasing
challenges associated with the climate change, food insecurity and water
scarcity in the changing drought context.
CONCEPTUAL/THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Classification of a hazard as drought and partial drought was first
defined by Meteorological Glossary, printed and published by Her
Majesty's stationary office, London in 1972. (1) Figure 1 explains
the three classifications/stages of drought i.e. meteorological,
hydrological and agriculture droughts. The current classifications are:
(1) Meteorological Drought, normally region specific, can be
defined exclusively on the basis of the degree of dryness (often in
comparison to normal or average amount) and the duration of the dry
period. It is explained on the basis of the rainfall frequency and
intensity in a particular area.
(2) Hydrological drought causes a sharp decline in the levels of
underground aquifers and has a worst impact on human activities and
natural ecosystem. Reduction in surface and sub-surface water supplies
thus leads to a lack of water availability for human consumption,
livestock and other specific water demands.
(3) Agricultural drought refers to requirements of crops with
regard to water in different periods of cultivation. It is related to
differences between actual and potential evapo-transpiration and soil
water deficit, are crop-specific, dependent on the timings of rain and
dry periods relative to crop cycles etc.
Agricultural droughts can occur in the absence of meteorological
drought while hydrological drought is linked to meteorological drought.
Depending on the ecology, livelihood characteristics, economic base and
socio-economic indicators, the spillover effect of the agriculture
drought may lead to ecological, environmental, pastoral, economic and
socio-economic drought, thus making the people of the specific region
more vulnerable. In Tharparkar, the livelihood of the people is
primarily dependent on agriculture, livestock and manual labour in other
cities. Geophysical aspects of district Tharparkar features various
ecological zones that have varied rainfall patterns, vegetation cover,
soil quality, underground water level, temperature and topography. Based
on different characteristics, the district Tharparkar is divided into
seven ecological zones that are termed in local language as
'Dhat', 'Kha'ur', 'Kantho and
Parker', 'Muhrano', 'Samroti',
'Vango' and 'Vat'. (2) Ecological zones are one of
the criteria for sampling of villages for primary data collection.
In Sindh province, over the past 20 to 30 years climate change has
caused extreme weather events. The frequency and severity of natural
disasters such as floods and droughts have increased manifold. The brunt
of natural disasters and climate change has fallen on the poorest of the
poor. People with low socio-economic status tend to have limited access
to monetary and non-monetary resources, are more often renters, have
less or no education and inadequate health facilities are more likely to
be dependent on public social services [Krokstad (2004), Gulbrandsen and
Andersen (2006)]. A higher percentage of population living below the
poverty line in the province thus is socially and economically
marginalised with higher level of vulnerability to the impact of climate
change, impacts manifested in the form of natural disasters.
The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 underlines the fact that
the impacts of disasters on social, economic and environmental
conditions should be examined through indicators to assess the
vulnerability. The importance of institutions in determining
vulnerability to climate change was illustrated in 1991-92 when an
'apocalyptic' drought in southern Africa caused grain yields
in ten states to drop 56 percent below normal year and 17 to 20 million
people were exposed to starvation [Green (1993)]. Despite the high
magnitude of the problem, a combination of national and international
policy helped avert diseases and death in countries with functioning
governments [Evan, et al. (2010)]. Therefore, understanding whether
livelihoods are vulnerable to climate change also involves assessing the
institutions that are working in society that allows for a collective
response to the problem.
The link between climate change and inequality is intense and
problematic. Adger and Kelly (2001) have explored direct and indirect
causal links between inequality and vulnerability by looking at the
patterns of resource allocation and pooling of risk at communal level.
They explain that "inequality affects vulnerability directly
through constraining the options of households and individuals when
faced with external shock; and indirectly through its links to poverty
and other factors". Watts (1991) and Davis (1996) have shown that
in agricultural societies, both income and wealth are important in
coping strategies under conditions of drought. The ownership of land or
property, savings, livestock and other fungible assets are critical
sources of coping strategies. In the absence of income and disposable
capital assets and increasing inequality over time, climate change
impacts on vulnerability will further deteriorate the coping capacity of
the community/individuals. One of the major causes that enhance
vulnerability at community level is the increasing inequality and higher
incidence of poverty. Poverty marginalises a large section of the
population by putting a barrier (nepotism, corruption) on acquiring
benefits from social protection measures. Higher incidence of poverty
for longer period produces acute vulnerability. Yamin, et al. (2005)
explains that "although vulnerability is not defined as poverty,
but today poverty is yesterday's unaddressed vulnerability".
Further, recurrent droughts are also associated with higher levels of
vulnerability to poverty [Donald (2008)]. Dercon, et al. (2005) in a
study sampled Ethiopian villages found drought as a major disaster
amongst others that have impacts on the per capita consumption.
According to the key findings of the study, individuals experiencing
drought have lower per capita consumption by about 20 percent.
The term 'gender' is a socially constructed phenomenon
that defines different roles, identities and attitudes of men and women.
Over time, these roles, identities and attitudes shape distinct
characteristics of men and women in a society. Many believed that
climate change is an unchanging fact for all but has varied impacts,
particularly for those who are poor and marginalised [Lambrou and Piana
(2006)].
The conceptualisation of climate change impact on gender cannot
ignore the existing poverty and inequalities in communities. The
analysis of poverty should be broadened to include issues of access,
ownership and socio-cultural barriers. For instance, studies have shown
that men did not avail health services out of fear of their community
that if seen, will be considered as weak or needing support [Esplen
(2006)]. Similarly, men are less likely to seek help for stress and
mental health issues than women [Masika (2002)]. These attitudes and
behaviours demand more specific contextual based climate change
adaptation strategies for men and women. John and Kinsey (2000), examine
the impact of rainfall shock on adult health in the rural Zimbabwe, have
also found that women as compared to men, are adversely affected by
drought. They further added that all women are not equally affected by
disaster, as apparently poverty is the major cause of their low
resilience to shocks.
It is a known fact that women in developing countries as well as in
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have the lowest social status in terms
of economic and social empowerment. A vast majority of women are
illiterate, poor, marginalised, deprived and have poor health [Mitchell,
et al. (2007)]. In rural communities, the role of women is critical in
organising life at household level. Women not only work as the unpaid
family worker in agriculture and other occupations but also hold
care-giving responsibilities for children, elderly people and physically
or mentally impaired household members [Enarson (2000)]. In addition to
this, women are expected to prepare food, fetch water for drinking and
make arrangements for garbage disposal. These varied responsibilities of
women make them vulnerable to the differential impacts of climate
change.
A model/framework has been developed, to systematically investigate
the changing dynamics of drought pattern in district Tharparkar. The
model explains the impact of climate change on the drought condition and
how such drought conditions together with existing deplorable
socio-economic conditions affect food insecurity and water scarcity. The
analysis is conducted from the viewpoint of vulnerability of the
communities with specific focus on gender in the existing social
context. The model also explains the transformations and changes in
practices, followed by-changing drought dynamics and patterns. In
addition, it also explores how changing drought pattern is affecting the
indigenous knowledge that in turn is hindering the adaptation
capabilities of the people. For the analysis of the changing drought
pattern, the rainfall pattern of the last 38 years is brought into
focus--dividing it into two periods i.e. from 1975-1994 and 1995-2014.
METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
The methodological framework of this paper is based on both
qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research methodology
includes primary data collection from the field that started with the
preliminary understanding of community and farmer's perception
dialogues. The key data collection tools were multi-group shared
learning dialogues (SLDs) with stakeholders, key informant interviews
(KIIs), followed by the primary data collection (both qualitative and
quantitative) through a community and household survey questionnaire and
focus group discussions (FGDs) in the selected sample villages.
A two-stage stratified random sample selection process was adopted
to enumerate households and communities. Selection of villages was based
on the following criterion:
(a) For comparative analysis, sample villages are divided into
categories i.e. villages located in drought effected area and villages
located in non/less drought effected area;
(b) For the representation of all ecological zones of Tharparkar
district, at least 2 villages were selected from seven ecological zones;
(c) The sampling of selection of villages was also based on the
representation of the five Talukas (sub-division of district) of
District Tharparkar. At least 2 villages were selected from each Taluka;
(d) Village selection criterion has at least 50 households and less
than 200 households;
(e) Based on all of the above criteria, an appropriate number of
rural circles' (PSUs: Primary Sampling Units) list was prepared for
each tier (ecological zones, Taluka), randomly selected with the help of
statistical software.
(f) Following the criteria of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, sample
PSUs were selected with Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) method of
sampling technique.
(g) At the second stage, 20 households (SSUs: Secondary Sampling
Units) were targeted from each village. Households were selected by
systematic sampling procedure with a random start.
Based on the data collected through various instruments,
Vulnerability and Capacity Index (VCI) (3) is constructed at community
and household levels. The VCI is a simple tool that informed development
practitioners and policy makers about the relative level of
vulnerability at community and household levels of the disaster and
climate risk regions. The VCI defines and quantifies appropriate
criteria, related to material (income, education), institutional
(infrastructure, social capital) and attitudinal (sense of empowerment)
vulnerability, and can be used to measure differential vulnerability at
the household and community level in both rural and urban areas.
The methodology also includes validating primary data with
available secondary data of some key variables, such as level of
literacy, household size, dependency ratios and poverty incidences, etc.
Secondary Data Collection was conducted by reviewing published data at
district level from various sources including public documents. Relevant
publications from the Sindh Bureau of Statistics, Planning and
Development Department, Government of Sindh were also collected. These
publications provide district-wise data on various socio-economic
variables. Data from Pakistan Meteorological Department on climate
variability has also been collected to establish a link and to
understand climate variability in the district. Climatic data is based
on monthly and yearly averages on temperatures, humidity and rainfall.
Monthly data for the period of 40 years i.e. from 1975 to 2014 was
collected and analysed. To examine the impact of climate change on
rainfall pattern and dynamics of drought, the data was divided into two
periods: from 1975-1994 taken as less or no impact of climate change,
designated as 1st period and high impact of climate change as 2nd
period, taken from 1995 to 2014.
VALIDATING CLIMATE VARIABILITY
Climate change is a relatively new phenomenon that is not
adequately understood in the context of its impact on particular events
and disasters. However, there is a strong relationship between the
disasters and global warming. The existing literature validated that
climatic patterns have changed in some parts of the world and its impact
on the population is severe in terms of livelihood loss and water and
food insecurity. Similarly, the research on climate data of district
Tharparkar has highlighted some key trends over the last 40 years.
According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (March, 2014)"
... ... ... Monsoon rainfall (June-Sep) is the main source of water for
Tharparkar region in which 87% of annual rainfall is observed. This
rainfall influences the livelihood of the people. Deficit in monsoon
rainfall causes a lot of impacts on agro-socio-economic pattern of that
area." (4)
Rainfall patterns and scale of rainfall in the historical framework
can be divided in to two main parameters: the intensity and the
frequency. Rainfall patterns are far more important among the other
climatic variables while assessing the drought patterns. In district
Tharparkar, the amount of rainfall varies each year, and historically
the monsoon season is spread to four months from June to September each
year. Considering the livelihood dependency of rainfall, the mature rain
in the first 2 to 3 months i.e. June to August is more important and its
frequency of 4 to 5 times is crucial for life in Tharparkar. By
analysing the rainfall pattern, it can be concluded that the average
annual precipitation over the last 40 years has shown an increasing
trend (y=6.3465x+168.51) of 6.35mm per annum. As exhibited in Figure 2,
the increasing trend is more pronounced in post-1995 period. There was a
substantially greater inter-annual variability in the amount of rainfall
in Tharparkar district. The year 2002 was the extreme dry year in the 40
years history, while year 2011 was the extreme wet year, with the
precipitation level crossing 1000 millimetre (mm) that was first time in
the known history of Tharparkar. Having no fresh water from canal system
or natural streams, the livelihood of people in the district is solely
dependent on monsoon rainfall. Agriculture and livestock are the main
economic means of livelihood, and both depend on the amount of rainfall
which is now seemingly more erratic and irregular.
Historical normal rainfall is defined as the average annual
precipitation between the above mentioned specified time period
(Pakistan Meteorological Department) and drought, is defined as the
situation where rainfall is lower than the normal. Normal rainfall is
estimated for the monsoon season as between 175mm and 200mm and normal
annual guide ranges from 200mm to 250mm. (5)
Since 1968, the region has been officially declared 15 times a
natural calamity hit area by drought. The recent declaration of drought
was the last two years i.e. 2013 and 2014. As appears from Figure 3,
occurrence of droughts has been relatively frequent during the last two
decades.
Ironically, district Tharparkar has faced frequent droughts in the
last one decade despite having substantial increase in precipitation. A
detail investigation is needed to explore the rainfall pattern,
particularly in the monsoon period and how the higher frequency and
intensity of rainfall impacted the livelihood sources in other periods.
Since 2006, the annual rainfall in the district was found to be within
the range of normal rainfall guide.
The change in the monsoon pattern can also be observed in Figure 4
and Figure 5, by examining the existing rainfall model during the months
of June, July, August and September. Increasing rainfall trend is more
pronounced in the month of August and September, vis-a-vis June and
July. A decline in precipitation is observed in the peak monsoon season
i.e. July (minus [-] 0.4002) and relatively no change in the month of
June (0.0256). Average precipitation has decreased in the month of July
from an average of 84.32mm in the 1st period (1975-1994) to 67.38mm
during 2nd period (1995-2013).
By analysing the late seasonal and off-peak monsoon rainfall
pattern, it has been revealed that frequency and volume of rainfall
increased in the 2nd period. The rate of increase was as higher as
4.17mm per annum in the month of September, with an exceptional highest
ever rainfall of over 1300 mm in any month that was not witnessed in the
history of Tharparkar.
'April to May' and 'October to November' are
the climate transition periods. (6) Normally there are no substantial
rainfalls in the transition periods. However, during the last two
decades there have been some noteworthy observations explaining the
climate change uncertainties (Table 1). In 1999, the month of May has
experienced high precipitation of 128.2mm that was highest ever
precipitation in the month of May in district Tharparkar. The previous
average was recorded as 26.10 in year the 1982 for the same month. The
increased precipitation was mainly because of the worst cyclone in the
entire coastal region of Sindh that burst into heavy rains in the area
and surroundings.
While in the month of October, average precipitation recorded an
increase from 4.58mm during 1975-1994 to 15.78mm during the post-1995
period. There were almost three incidences of rainfall above normal
precipitation in the month of October in the 2nd period. The highest
precipitation was recorded at 82.90mm in 2004, vis-a-vis highest
previous record of 25.65mm in 1975. Detailed month wise averages and
maximum rainfall indicators are provided in the annexure.
FACTORS THAT AGGRAVATE THE GENDER AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
The following discussion highlights the factors and drivers that
aggravate the existing gender and social vulnerability in the area.
While such factors and drivers have existed historically in the region;
however, their impacts in the two periods are considerably different. In
the context of model, it is important to examine that whether the
existing socio-economic factors further aggravate the gender and social
vulnerability in the high climate change impact period (1995-2014), as
compared to the 1st period (1975-1994).
According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (March, 2014),
"In the wake of recent disaster confronting Tharparkar district,
the analysed meteorological data depicts that current disaster may be
termed as "socio-economic disaster" rather than simply drought
because seasonal and annual rainfall was moderately below the climatic
averages. The disaster may have occurred due to moderately below average
rains, coupled with some epidemic and weak socio-economic settings of
the area ... ... ... Deficit in monsoon rainfall causes a lot of impacts
on agro-socio-economic pattern of that area." (7)
Dependency Ratio, Employment and Education Profile
According to the District Census Report 1998, average household
size in Tharparkar was 5.6. The average household size of selected
villages is 1.1 higher than the district average. The number of
dependents for every 100 working age (15-59 years) persons is 113. The
ratio is well above the national average that is 97 [SPDC (2012-13)].
Higher dependency ratios indicate an economic and social burden on the
working age population and on the economy, as an economically non-active
population requires additional resources and support systems.
As far as food insecurity is concerned, the entire Tharparkar
region is agro-based. Due to lack of industrial base and fragile
economic conditions, over the years the livelihood opportunities are not
diversified and depend completely on water availability for agriculture
and livestock. Out of the total employed men, 42.7 percent are
associated with the agriculture sector, followed by 16.9 percent as
self-employed. A significant feature of the female labour force is the
prevalence of unpaid family contributors who work without pay in cash or
kind. In the case of Tharparkar, 72 percent of employed women
participate in labour force as unpaid family helpers. They usually work
in agriculture sector. This trend is counter-productive as women play a
specific role in farming activities but their contribution is not
recognised. A sizeable proportion of female labour force is
self-employed. They are mostly engaged in home-based work.
The continuous droughts in the last decade have forced people to
search alternative livelihood source for survival. With high illiteracy
and no skills, they are working as unskilled labour within as well as
outside district. Years have passed and the conditions of the local
communities have not shown any improvement. Their deplorable situation
is the outcome of twin factors; they are suffering due to natural
calamities, but the manmade hazards are further aggravating their
miseries.
The overall literacy rate in the selected communities is 31.4
percent, which is well below the literacy rate of 38.6 percent in Sindh
[PSLM (2012-13)]. Huge gender gap exists in the literacy, as 44.4
percent of the adult males are reported to be literate as compared to
17.2 percent of literate females. The enrolment ratios for boys and
girls depicted an alarming state, as only 47.4 percent of boys and 30.7
percent of girls are enrolled at primary level. Secondary schools are
either not available or not at an accessible distance from villages--a
fact that restricts a large percentage of grade 5 girls to move into the
next class. Socio-cultural taboos also impede girls from going outside
villages for education.
Incidence of Poverty
Poverty incidence at household level is estimated from per capita
consumption expenditures. The estimation of poverty incidence from
household data is conducted, by using the poverty line of Rs 1,928 per
adult equivalent per month from Jamal (2013) study. The estimates show a
very high incidence of poverty in the sample villages as 54.4 percent of
people are living below the poverty line (Table 2). The mean VCI score
of poor households was 68 in comparison with mean VCI score of 63 in
non-poor that reflected a strong correlation between poverty incidence
and vulnerability. As discussed and revealed earlier, the high
dependency ratio further aggravates the vulnerability of the households
below poverty line.
The poverty index of Sindh province has shown a higher poverty
incidence in rural areas as compared to urban areas. This is mainly due
to the dual nature of the province's economy (8) and problems with
the development priorities and resources allocation. District Tharparkar
is the only district in Sindh province that is fairly above in the
'low human development' category. According to Human
Development Indices (HDI), District Tharparkar has improved slightly
from HDI 0.3317 in 1998 to HDI 0.3137 in 2005. However, there has been a
decline of 1 percent per annum in the HDI of District Tharparkar. (9)
According to rural poverty indices, 28.4 percent of the rural population
of the district lives below the poverty line. (10)
The socio-economic profile substantiated a priori assumption of a
higher level of social vulnerability in the selected sample households
because economic and social indicators of Tharparkar have not improved
much over the last two decades. In the overall ranking of the most
deprived districts in Sindh, District Tharparkar had been ranked highest
in the deprivation index among all other districts of the province
[Jamal (2003)]. The incidence of multi-dimensional poverty in the
district is also high at 93.3 [Jamal (2012a)]. About 55 percent of the
population is deprived in terms of selected indicators i.e. education,
health, housing services and economic base [Jamal (2012)]. The
deplorable social indicators i.e., large household size, poor literacy
level, inadequate infrastructure, with poor access to education and
health facilities reflect upon the higher level of poverty and
deprivation in the district [Rehman (2013)].
Inadequate and poor social service delivery has also compounded the
existing level of vulnerabilities that may or may not be temporal in
nature. The discussion on socio-economic profiles of the selected
villages helps in the conceptualisation of the broad contours of an
analytical framework of a social vulnerability assessment. It also
identifies those stressors of the human system that are closely linked
with the sources and drivers of social vulnerability.
Empirical Test Validating Poverty and Inequality in District
Tharparkar
An independent sample t-test was also conducted to compare VCI
scores at household level (VCIHH) for both poor and non-poor households.
T-test of equality of mean between VCIHH and CPLINE (consumption based
poverty line) suggests that there is a significant statistical
difference in mean values between two groups. The result implies that
households that fall in the category of non-poor that have statistically
significant lower vulnerability in comparison with household above the
poverty line. In the case of district Tharparkar, these results pointed
out low level of household consumption because the economic base of the
district is extremely weak. Social vulnerability in district Tharparkar
has largely stemmed from inaccessibility to water, perpetual disasters,
particularly drought, absence of public social service delivery, poor
governance, absence of social capital, lack of adaptive capacity and
fragile economic base. An independent sample t-test highlighted the fact
that poverty has an effect on household vulnerability. Households having
higher incidence of poverty have a higher level of social vulnerability
(see Table 3).
In the district of Tharparkar, there is a statistically significant
correlation between VCIHH and consumption poverty at household level.
The result shows that 0.197 value share 3.88 percent of the variability
in VCI. It also implies that poverty at household level cannot fully
explain the household vulnerability (see Table 4).
Vulnerability and Capacity Index
From the sample of 307 households and community survey in 15
villages, VCI is calculated at household and village levels
respectively. As discussed earlier, the architecture of VCI encompasses
quantitative and qualitative aspects of social vulnerability, by
assigning a value (positive or negative) to each characteristic of
household or village in three broad categories of material,
institutional and attitudinal vulnerability. From the community VCI it
is revealed that higher the exposure to hazard by a community, higher is
the vulnerability of that community.
Based on the VCI scores of community and household, categorisation
(Table 5), five villages fall in the low vulnerable category, four in
the moderate category and six villages are categorised as highly
vulnerable. The categorisation revealed the significant differentials
among the selected villages, based on their exposure to hazards and
material and institutional vulnerability. * The lower and upper limit of
average mean values determined the category of each village from its
village mean score as exhibited in Table 5. From the sample of 307
villages, the households are almost equally distributed in each
vulnerable category with a slight higher percentage of households in
high vulnerable category. Figure 5 shows the vulnerability scores of all
selected villages, which range from 48 to 81. There appears to be an
increasing trend of VCI score with increase in physical exposure to
hazard. Also there is no overlap in all the three categories indicating
a distinct difference amongst the categories. The most vulnerable group
comprises 40 percent of the sample, about 6 villages.
In contrast to differentials, similarity in several factors is also
observed in almost all the villages, which tend to place them on a
higher intercept of vulnerability. For example, there are no collective
assets owned by the community in any of the villages. Self help groups
are not found in any of the villages. The sense of empowerment was
observed to be very low and in most of the villages people do not access
local or national leadership except two villages. Similarly, livelihood
sources are mostly unstable.
Due to lack of opportunities and prevalence of illiteracy
alternative livelihoods have become limited for these communities. Thus,
the most common alternate livelihoods are the locals who work on daily
wages are unskilled labourers, have unstable income which is a source of
a fragile economic system.
Food Insecurity and Water Scarcity: A Social and Gender Context
In the arid and semi-arid regions, the effect of climate change is
severe in particular for food insecurity and water scarcity. The monsoon
season is characterised by harvesting in the region, feeding of animals
with grazing land and recharge of underground aquifers. Normal rainfall
in monsoon season allows the living organisms to secure their
subsistence level of food for the rest of the year. Thus, monsoon brings
back life and hope in the region.
The normal monsoon season is considered very crucial amidst the
existing socioeconomic conditions, absence of social services delivery
and fragile economic base. Historically, the region relied on
underground aquifers for drinking purposes that recharge from the
monsoon rains. The low intensive and less frequent rains during monsoon
season together with the shift in timings affect the groundwater
recharge and quality of water due to the presence of soluble salts in
the soil.
Changes in the frequency and intensity of rainfall during the
monsoon season and an increased precipitation in the off-season bring an
uncertain situation of water availability. In such events, the soil
water deficiency occurs, thus reducing the biomass and yield. Water
deficiency in the soil reduces water quantity in underground aquifers as
well as affecting its quality. Table 6 exhibits changes observed by the
respondents of household survey. Overall 67 percent of the respondents
reported an increase in the depth of the underground aquifer while 89
percent mentioned reduction in the livestock grazing fields due to
erratic and irregular soil and land erosion. Reduction in the number of
water zones was mentioned by 48 percent men and 73 percent women. Since
the collection of water is the responsibility of women, at water-scarce
times the burden of managing water resources falls on women, which leads
to an increased work load.
Women are more vulnerable to water scarcity and deteriorated
quality amidst uncertainties during the 2nd period. In the current
drought phenomenon, only men in the family are forced to migrate towards
major towns and cities particularly in search of livelihoods for the
survival of their families. They opt for migration towards greener
areas, where they also receive relatively better social services and
sustainable livelihoods. Women, children and elders are left behind to
face difficulties of life particularly water scarcity and famine.
Sweet water is scarce throughout the district except in ecological
zones of 'vat 'vango', 'kantho and parkar'. It
was reported in most sites that the depth of the underground aquifers
has increased over the years that has affected the quality of ground
water. In particular, the women, children and elders are more vulnerable
in the context as they have to live in such harsh conditions where
drinking water is not fit for human consumption. Table 7 reveals that,
more than 75 percent of households in the sample have no access to sweet
water. They have to rely on the available water which is not suitable
for human consumption. A very few percentage of households can afford to
purchase sweet water for drinking. This indicates that the lack of
access to safe drinking water has increased the vulnerability of women,
children and elders as they have no alternative choice except to use
mixed and bitter water. Male member of the family have a choice to
migrate from the area to other areas for earning purpose.
According to the report by National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) in 2012:
"Like other countries, In Pakistan women have limited access
to resources; little awareness of their rights, limited mobility with
little exposure to environments outside their community or at times even
the household, low levels of literacy and few life skills. This makes
women highly vulnerable in periods of disaster where even greater
challenges are faced in accessing basic resources. Stakeholders agree
that to reduce the vulnerability of women and children in times of
disaster, greater efforts must be made to understand the nature of
barriers they confront and investment allocated to address these."
(11)
Life in the desert is harsh and difficult. In extreme cases
droughts lead to famine, when crops have failed to grow. Recurring
droughts increase the burden on women to manage food shortages and for
men this means obtaining additional income from nonagricultural sources.
(12)
The persistent drought conditions have resulted in severe food
insecurity. Lack of livelihood options have plunged people into a state
of hunger as they had no access to food and potable water. The field
survey reveals that 47 percent of the households have experienced
starvation (13) in their life (Table 8). On average, a household
experienced over 11 times of starvation in the span of the last 30/40
years. Both men and women reported starvation experiences. However, the
average starvation in women is almost twice as those in men. This
reflects the cultural norms where women sacrifice their nutrition
requirements for the entire family. As exhibited in Table 8, women
experienced starvation 13 times in their life as compared to 7 times by
men. Of the total households, 40 percent reported at least 5 starvations
and 20 percent reported at least 10 starvations in their life. The
incidence of starvation is comparatively high during the last five years
(2009-2013). People were asked to mention the year of most recent
starvation. As shown in Table 8, out of all households that have ever
faced starvation, 85 percent reported that their most recent experience
was during the last five years. (14)
The mean vulnerability score of those who have experienced
starvation is higher at 67 (141 households) as compared to mean VCI
score of 63 for household who did not experience any starvation (166
households) in their life. Similarly, households in which women
experience starvation are more vulnerable (mean VCI 69) as compared to
households where only men reported the experience of starvation (mean
VCI score 64). Further, household where women experienced starvation
either singly or jointly with men are also more vulnerable with mean VCI
score of 68. Starvation incidence is high in households below poverty
line that is 87 percent, while they have monthly income less than or
equal to Rs 16,666 with relatively high dependency ratios.
Coping and Adaptation Practices
Coping and adaptation practices in the last 10-20 years have
changed considerably due to climate variability. During the last 10-20
years, respondents were unable to distinguish the changing
characteristics of climate with the precise recognition and
understanding of potential drought in the region. Migrations to barrage
areas are still in practice. However, participants of FDGs mentioned
that migration of the whole family has reduced. Mostly male members of
the family migrate in search of livelihood while women, children and
elders are left behind to face a difficult life, owing to water scarcity
and limited availability of fodder for livestock. This may be one of the
major reasons behind the high incidence of starvation in women as
mentioned earlier. As shown in Table 9, current practice of temporary
migration was reported by about 40 percent of household as compared to
59 percent in the past. The practice of storing food as coping mechanism
has increased substantively from 33 percent to about 48 percent of
households. However, the quantity of food available for storage was
reported to be lower than the subsistent level. As stated by a female
respondent: "the practice of storing grain was a method of coping
with drought, but we are unable to store enough due to decrease in yield
and an increased frequency of disasters."
Agriculture in the district is entirely rain fed, depending on
monsoon rains. In order to achieve the optimum growth, various crops
have particular temperature requirement, moisture and nutrient during
their growth cycle. If the moisture availability falls below the optimum
amount during the growth cycle, the growth of crop will be impaired and
yields reduced. (15) The main crops of the district are millet and guar
(cluster bean), which are sown immediately after the first spell of
mature rain. The agriculture cycle requires at least three to four
spells of normal rainfall with an interval of 10-15 days. During the
last 10 years, there are significant production losses due to irregular
and erratic pattern of rainfall. As depicted in Figure 7, there has been
decline in the productivity in 1995-96, 2005-06 and 2006-07, despite the
fact that there was normal rainfall in terms of the amount but was
erratic and irregular. The unpredictable rains normally vary within
frequency and intensity in terms of area and time [Shaikh (2013)]. Lack
of knowledge and absence of government support through agriculture
extension department were cited as major reasons for inability of
farmers to shift to other crops or change the cropping pattern.
Livestock activities are also changed owing to limited availability
of fodder in the district. According to a respondent, horses were a
common sight in the desert, but due to the loss of fodder, they are not
seen anymore. Communities preferred to have more sheep and goats while
donkeys have also received importance because of increased water
scarcity and fast depletion of water zones. However, such practices are
subjective in the wake of less resilience to diseases amidst available
fodder and grazing lands. The donkeys are mostly used for carrying water
from far flung areas. Green fodder livestock like cow and buffaloes are
found in very small numbers particularly in areas which are canal
irrigated or have better access to water resources. It is found from
data that in 1970 ratio of cows to goats and sheep was 1:1 and district
Tharparkar was declared as main cattle region of Pakistan, but it turned
to 1:6 in 1998 amidst increase in water scarcity. (16) Analysing the
primary data of sample communities, the ratio of cow to goats and sheep
comes out as 1:8.
CONCLUSION
Climate change has now become a reality and arid ecosystems will be
amongst the major sufferers. Decrease in rainfall, increase in
temperature and increased incidences of extreme events are some of the
changes expected in arid zones of district Tharparkar. For thousands of
years, people of Tharparkar region have been living with their
indigenous knowledge, combating the problems arising from the lack of
natural resources and provision of facilities. But over the years global
changes in the climatic pattern parallel with the over powering nature
of social and economic factors have pushed the inhabitants of this arid
region into a more vulnerable situation.
In the last two decades, changes in drought patterns instigated the
higher level of the vulnerability in the people. Unlike historical
droughts, the recurrent recent drought dragged the life of majority of
people in the region to below subsistence level. Besides the change in
climatic patterns, the other reason behind their vulnerability is the
absence of industrial base that makes the economic base of the region
fragile. Thus reduces the income generating opportunities of the
district, negatively affects the food security and increases the
incidence of poverty of the district. With increase in demographic
pressure and inability of the government to provide economic
opportunities and support the industrious potential of the population,
the livelihood of the region will continue to be at risk. The
availability of water and food would have been a minor issue if people
have high purchasing power and adequate and diversified sources of
livelihood.
There is need to impart and enhance knowledge and understanding of
hazards and climate changes in both men and women for more effective
coping and adaptation strategies. Water is the main source of miseries
of the people, as beside other chronic challenges, it is responsible for
water borne diseases in the region. Ironically, women and children are
mainly affected. The disjointed circumstances aggravate the
vulnerability of the families, particularly the women because of their
socially constructed roles and prominence in the society. Women have to
bear the disproportionate burden and face hardship of life. Despite
cumbersome responsibilities women radiate strength and is evident from
their experience of starvation which is almost double than the entire
family members. However, this results in high malnutrition in women
leading to high maternal mortality rates. Further, the low birth weights
result in high infant mortality rates in the district.
The underdevelopment of the entire Tharparkar region is another
aspect aggravating the vulnerability and can be explained by malicious
behaviour of the authorities. Lack of provision of basic infrastructure,
poor communication network, pathetic health and education facilities and
non-provision of clean drinking water are the key vulnerability factors.
Thus the prevailing issues and the intense human sufferings will
continue if provincial government chose to continue with its ad-hoc and
disconcerted approach. Serious efforts are also needed to stop the
corruption / pilferage and address the issue properly as an issue of a
climate change--which would require serious technical inputs, a
comprehensive strategy, envisaging short and long term of action; a
gender lens; and an effective coordination between relevant government
departments. Water availability being the main source of suffering, the
provincial government must start by maintaining the existing wells and
ponds and conversion of brackish water into sweet water with the help of
technology. In the long term, a diversion of excessive water via outfall
drains in the region would help in recharge of the ground water. Also a
long run economic and development strategy would assist in improving the
living standards and eliminate the economic disparity of the people of
the Tharparkar district.
Caption: Annex A MONTHLY RAINFALL TRENDS--SELECTED MONTHS (IN
MILLIMETER)
ANNEX B
Monthly Rainfall Averages
1975-1994
Month Average Median Max Min
January 0.96 -- 6.20 --
February 3.08 -- 36.00 --
March 0.53 -- 7.50 --
April 2.11 -- 30.60 --
May 3.86 -- 26.10 --
June 14.60 -- 112.20 --
July 84.32 34.10 231.80 --
August 92.69 73.30 356.10 --
September 35.14 13.70 241.20 --
October 4.58 -- 25.65 --
November 4. 80 -- 48.60 --
December 0.28 -- 3.30 --
Total 249.1 255.3 499.1 24.6
1995-2013
Month Average Median Max Min
January 1.35 -- 11.00 --
February 3.49 -- 19.20 --
March 1.92 -- 12.80 --
April 1.56 -- 13.00 --
May 7.71 -- 128.20 --
June 25.07 18.80 87.20 --
July 67.64 32.60 354.30 --
August 113.24 69.80 562.80 --
September 95.94 26.20 778.1 --
October 15.78 -- 82.90 --
November 1.85 -- 33.20 --
December 0.58 -- 10.00 --
Total 336.1 221.0 1361.3 4.6
Manzoor Hussain Memon <
[email protected]> is PhD
Candidate/Scholar, Applied Economics Research Centre, University of
Karachi, Karachi. Naveed Aamir <
[email protected]> is Senior
Economist, Social Policy and Development Centre, Karachi. Nadeem Ahmed
<
[email protected]> is Principal Economist, Social Policy and
Development Centre, Karachi.
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(13) Starvation is defined as a no food for 24 hour.
(14) These responses should be taken with the caution that they are
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(15) Chahudary, Sheikh, Bari, 'History's Worst Drought
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(16) Ibid.
Caption: Fig. 1. Drought Characteristics
Caption: Fig. 2. Historic Annual Precipitation Trends in District
Tharparkar
Caption: Fig. 3. Incidence of Drought in Tharparkar (1968-2014)
Caption: Fig. 4. Change in Monsoon Pattern
Caption: Fig. 5. Change in Monsoon Pattern
Caption: Fig. 6. Vulnerability Scores of Selected Villages
Caption: Fig. 7. Area and Productivity of Millet in Selected Years
Table 1
Non-Seasonal, High Rainfall Incidence
1975-1994 No Incidence of
Non-seasonal Rainfall
October 1995 60mm
October 1998 52.4mm
May 1999 128.2 mm
October 2004 82.90mm
September 2011 778 mm
October 2013 49mm
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department, Government
of Pakistan; District Development Statistics (Various Issues).
Table 2
Poverty Incidence and Vulnerability
Category MHHs FHHs Total VCI
Below Poverty Line 148 19 167 68
54.4% 54.3% 54.4%
Non-Poor 124 16 140 63
45.6% 45.7% 45.6%
Source: SPDC Household Survey, 2014.
Table 3
Independent Sample Test
Levene's t-test for Equality
Test for of Means
Equality of
Variances
F Sig T df Sig. (2-
tailed)
VCIHHN Equal .884 .348 3.52 305 .001
Thar VCI variances
HH all assumed
Equal 3.48 280.83 .001
variances not
assumed
t-test for Equality
of Means
95%
Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Mean Std. Error Lower Upper
Difference Difference
VCIHHN Equal 4.183 1.189 1.843 6.522
Thar VCI variances
HH all assumed
Equal 4.183 1.201 1.818 6.548
variances not
assumed
Table 4
Correlation between VCI and Consumption Poverty at Household Level
VCIHH Thar cpline consumption
VCI HH poverty line
VCIHH Thar Pearson Correlation 1 -.197 **
VCI HH
Sig. (2-tailed) .001
N 307 307
Pearson Correlation -.197 ** 1
cpline Sig. (2-tailed) .001
consumption
poverty line N 307 307
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Table 5
Categorisation of VCI Scores
Vulnerability Lower Limit of Upper Limit of No. of
VCI Score VCI Score Villages
Low 48 61 5
Moderate 65 69 4
High 71 81 6
Total -- -- 15
Vulnerability Number of Percentage of
Households Households
Low 103 33.5%
Moderate 97 31.5%
High 107 35.0%
Total 307 100.0
Source: SPDC Household and Community Survey, 2014.
Table 6
Observed Changes Due to Drought
Variables Changes Male Female
Underground Aquifers Lowering 63.5% 70.4%
Livestock Grazing Fields Decreases 93.5% 85.7%
Number of Water Zones Decreases 48.4% 72.6%
Herbs/Plants/Bushes Decreases 70.8% 50.2%
Source: SPDC Household Survey, 2014.
Table 7
Drinking Water Quality
Variables Yes (%)
Sweet 23.5
Mixed 33.8
Bitter 42.7
Source: SPDC Household Survey, 2014.
Table 8
The Incidence of Starvation
Households ever experienced starvation 47%
Average number starvations in life (male) 7
Average number starvations in life (female) 13
Table 8
The Incidence of Starvation
Households ever experienced starvation 47%
Average number starvations in life (male) 7
Average number starvations in life (female) 13
Table 9
Coping and Adaptation and Coping Practices
Variables Current 30 Years Back
Food Storage 47.5% 33%
Temporary Migration 39.9% 58.8%
Store Water -- --
Change of Livelihood 10.9% 4.9%
Source: SPDC Household Survey, 2014.
Percentage Distribution of Households that have ever
Experienced Starvation
Before 2009 15%
2009 5%
2010 8%
2011 36%
2012 16%
2013 20%
Note: Table made from bar graph.
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