Livestock wealth and social capital as insurance against climate risk : a case study of Samburu County in Kenya

Ng'ang'a, Stanley Karanja and Bulte, Erwin H. and Giller, Ken E. and Ndiwa, Nicholas N. and Kifugo, Shem C. and McIntire, John M. and Herrero, Mario and Rufino, Mariana C. (2016) Livestock wealth and social capital as insurance against climate risk : a case study of Samburu County in Kenya. Agricultural Systems, 146. pp. 44-54. ISSN 0308-521X

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Abstract

We use data from 500 households in Samburu County (Kenya) to explore how natural environment and market accessibility affect coping and adaptation strategies of pastoralists. In particular, we ask whether households accumulate livestock wealth and invest in structural and cognitive social capital to protect themselves against climate risks. We find weak evidence that households accumulate livestock wealth in response to living in a drier environment, and no evidence that households invest in either structural or cognitive social capital as insurance against climate risks. Howeyer, coping strategies vary across social groups. For example, while rainfall does not robustly affect cognitive social capital (trust) we find that the "poor" and "financially-integrated" households (i.e., those who have relatively good access to credit and capacity to save money) show greater mutual trust in drier environments. The results from this study can be used for priority setting by policy makers and development agencies for programs aimed at safeguarding household livelihoods in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Agricultural Systems
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1103
Subjects:
?? climaterisksinsurancesocial capitalcognitive capitalstructural capitalmaterial determinantspastoral productionnorthern kenyaeast-africaagricultureadaptationmanagementdroughtpovertysystemsanimal science and zoologyagronomy and crop science ??
ID Code:
84605
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
07 Feb 2017 11:00
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 16:23