What Policy Recommendations Can Promote Coping and Adaptation Strategies for Addressing Future Climate Change Impacts on Livelihoods in Kapsokwony Division, Mt. Elgon Sub-county, Bungoma County, Kenya?

Abstract

The term adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. It also refers to changes in processes, practices and structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change and climate variability. Estimates of likely future adaptations are an essential ingredient in impact and vulnerability assessments. The extent to which ecosystems, food supplies, and sustainable development are vulnerable or ‘in danger’ depending both on exposures to changes in climate and on the ability of the impacted system to adapt. There is need for the development and assessment of planned adaptation initiatives to help manage the risks of climate change. Enhancement and building of adaptive capacity and resilience is a necessary condition for reducing vulnerability, particularly for the most vulnerable regions, nations, and socio-economic groups. Long term and short changes in climate are disproportionately affecting all parts of the world in equal measure. The most impacted by vagaries of climate change are the most vulnerable and the poor who live in the developing world. Climate variability impacts the smallholder farmers though they continue to apply traditional technologies in order to cope with climate change vulnerabilities. In most of the parts the world over, adaptive coping strategies are lacking especially in the African States. The purpose of this study was to build new transformation knowledge by integrating the traditional and the modern adaptive technologies in order to transform lives of the indigenous communities in the study area. This paper therefore explores and highlights the existing traditional and modern technologies which can be employed by smallholder farmers to counteract the impacts of climate change and climate variability. Data collected through in-depth and informant interviews together with Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and a structured questionnaire administered to 384 household heads in twelve sub-locations in the study area (Kapsokwony Division) formed the basis of these policy recommendations. The long and short term adaptive strategies and recommendations developed by all the actors including those from the academia and the traditional communities during the research are meant to build climate resilience at local and national levels. A framework that has been developed by this research will help support policy decisions in the agricultural systems, human health systems and social economic development to improve livelihoods. If fully implemented these policy recommendations will go a long way to bring a paradigm shift that will improve livelihoods and social economic development in the region. These policy recommendations can be replicated in any other region the world over to bring about desired changes to a people impacted by climate change and climate variability however the threats.