Assessment of smallholder farmers' adaptive capacity to climate change: Use of a mixed weighting scheme

Determinant Indicators for Assessing the Adaptive Capacity of Agricultural Producers to Climate Change

Assessing adaptive capacity to climate change is a complex task since it is a multidimensional component. There has been considerable discrepancy between the dimensions or elements that compose it. This study aimed to analyze the relevant dimensions and indicators that allow estimation of the adaptive capacity to climate change and to propose a set of indicators that will enable their application to assessment at the level of agricultural producers. A systematic review of scientific literature on evaluating or measuring adaptive capacity to climate change was carried out. Subsequently, the indicators were analyzed and selected through a coincidence analysis and were calibrated through a multicriteria evaluation with relevant actors in the southern Mexico, state of Chiapas. In total, 329 indicators were identified and analyzed. As a result, 19 indicators were selected and then grouped into six dimensions: economic resources, human resources, infrastructure for production and marketing, institutionality, social capital, and natural resources. These represent the 14 specific dimensions with the greatest potential to contribute to the estimation of adaptive capacity to climate change. The dimensions and indicators can be applied to assess the adaptive capacity of farmers in Mexico at a national or regional scale and specifically by producer types.

THE ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY OF FISHING HOUSEHOLDS TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC REGION OF COLOMBIA

Climate change's direct and indirect effects on marine ecosystems and coastal areas mainly impact small-scale fishers, especially in developing countries, which present extreme poverty and high dependency on marine ecosystems as a source of food and sustenance for households. Understanding the vulnerability of fishing households and considering the associated socio-economic-political complexities is essential for preserving their livelihoods and maintaining their well-being. This study proposes a measure of economic vulnerability based on the capacity of fishing households in Tumaco, located on the southern Pacific coast of Colombia, to diversify their livelihoods. Different statistical procedures have been conducted to identify the most relevant strategies in reducing the economic vulnerability of households. The results indicate that reducing the vulnerability of fishing households depends on adaptation strategies such as occupational mobility, some elements of social capital, and reduced dependence on the fisheries resource. This study could constitute an input for creating public policy that guides efforts to achieve strategies for the generation of other livelihoods and the sustainability of fishing households that continue to choose fishing as their main economic activity.