The impact of climate change on rural agro-pastoralist communities in Aweil East County, South Sudan

Abstract

he study examined the impact of climate change on rural agro-pastoralist communities in Aweil East County, South Sudan. The objectives of the study were; to determine patterns and trend of climate variability and change in Yargot Payam of Aweil East County from the year 2007-2017; to assess the impacts of climate change on the rural agro-pastoralist communities in Yargot Payam of Aweil East County; to determine the adaptation strategies devised by the rural Agro-pastoralist communities in order enhance their resilience to climate change impacts and to determine existing Community / local governance early warning mechanisms/policies of actions to mitigate the impacts of Climate Change.

The study was guided the primary data collection phase, which combined quantitative household-survey with comprehensive, targeted qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs), Key Informants interviews and observations of physical environmental changes. This mixed method of data collection was chosen to help triangulate information, provide a contextualized and confined analysis and yield a comprehensive dataset on the impacts of climate change in agro-pastoral communities as well existing adaptation strategies.

The study findings herein demonstrated that the effects of climate change on the agro-pastoral communities and their livelihoods in the study area are frightening. Climate change has altered the physical geography of the area leading to a disappearance of flora and fauna and other natural habitat that constituted the livelihoods of the local agro-pastoral communities. Declining precipitation and rising temperatures are making farming increasingly more difficult, unreliable rainfall that consequently results to recurring droughts and flash floods triggered by late arrival of unreliable heavy rains that causes destruction to crops, homesteads and key community assets such as dykes, roads, health and Water, Hygiene and Sanitation facilities. The findings also indicated low level of community awareness on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, though local traditional mechanisms are practiced by the local agro-pastoral communities to respond to effects of floods and droughts.

The study recommended that strengthening agro-pastoral resilience to effectively tackle and eventually overcome the impacts of climate change through creating awareness aimed at changing individual attitude towards the use of land resources and ensuring that decisive actions are collectively taken and repeatedly practiced at local levels by the communities themselves.