Climate Variability and Rural Livelihoods: How Households Perceive and Adapt to Climatic Shocks in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Rural households in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, effectively adapt to climate variability by leveraging indigenous knowledge and weather forecasting techniques. The study found that these households use both natural animate and inanimate indicators to predict weather patterns, engaging ethnometeorologists to discuss observations with community members. Adaptation strategies include selecting drought-resistant seeds and adjusting farming calendars. Most households perceive a direct link between changing weather patterns and declining agricultural outputs over the past decade. This experiential knowledge provides valuable insights for policymakers addressing climate variability impacts in similar social-ecological contexts.

Kolawole, O. D., Motsholapheko, M. R., Ngwenya, B. N., Thakadu, O., Mmopelwa, G., & Kgathi, D. L. (2016). Climate Variability and Rural Livelihoods: How Households Perceive and Adapt to Climatic Shocks in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Weather, Climate, and Society, 8(2), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-15-0019.1