Gender and Climate Change: Botswana Case Study - Climate Change (Omari K. HBS/HBF)

The disadvantaged position of women means greater difficulty in coping with disasters, environmental change and climate variability. Gendered divisions of labour often result in more women represented in agricultural and informal sectors, which are more vulnerable to environmental variability and climate change. Climate change therefore magnifies existing inequalities, reinforcing the disparity between women and men in their vulnerability to and capability to cope with climate change. The study was conducted in two villages in Botswana, one, Chobokwane, located in the Kalahari Desert and the other (Seronga) located in the Okavango Delta part of Botswana. The Kalahari Desert conditions are dry, with sandy soils that have low agricultural potential. The Okavango Delta, on the other hand, is a swamp with permanent and seasonally flooded areas and supports lots of biodiversity. The soils are however not highly suitable for agriculture either. Chobokwane is a settlement occupied by a predominantly San community while Seronga is a village inhabited by predominantly Bayei, but also has a large number of the Hambukushu.

Copyright: HBS / HBF.

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https://za.boell.org/2014/02/03/gender-and-climate-change-botswana-case-study-climate-change

Created Date: 08-11-2015
Last Updated Date: 02-12-2015
License: Link only