CHAPTER 5: WOMEN’S VULNERABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON
5.4 The vulnerability context
A vulnerability matrix for Ndwedwe-Cibane was prepared (table 5.4.1). Both groups of women identified increasing temperature, decreasing rainfall, storms, strong winds and tremors as indicators of climate change. Prioritized resources were crops, livestock, firewood, and water.
Each stress/shock was scored against all resources with significant impacts on the resources.
Based on the table below, the most harmful stresses/shocks as identified by single women were
112 increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall while married women identified storms followed by tremors as harmful conditions.
Taking into account the scoring, the results show that all perceived stresses/shocks by single and married women have negative impacts on crop farming and water supply. With regards to livestock single women revealed that some of the stresses/shocks have high while others have medium negative impacts whereas strong winds have no impact on livestock. According to married women all stresses/shocks have negative impacts on livestock. According to single women all stresses/shocks have positive impacts on firewood supply either because they cause wood to dry (increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall) or lead to the falling of wood from trees (storms, strong winds and tremors). With reference to firewood, married women shared the similar sentiments but in addition they noted that decreasing rainfall, storms and tremors have high negative impacts on firewood supply. The vulnerability matrix indicated that single and married women are most vulnerable to changes in water supply and least vulnerable to changes in firewood supply. In section 5.7, a further exploration of climate change impacts is presented and discussed.
113 Table 5.4.1: Vulnerability matrix
Single Married
Resources Stresses and Shocks
Increasing Decreasing Storms Strong Tremor Increasing Decreasing Storms Strong Tremor
temperature rainfall winds temperature rainfall winds
Agriculture:
Crop farming 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3
Livestock 3 3 2 0 2 3 2 3 3 2
Forests:
Firewood x x x x x x 3 3 x 3
Water 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Total score &
rank 9 (1) 9 (1) 8 (2) 6 (3) 8 (2) 9 (4) 10 (3) 12 (1) 9 (4) 11 (2)
Scores:
3= high negative impact 2= medium negative impact 1= small negative impact 0= no impact
X=positive impact
114 Exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity influence the vulnerability of rural women’s livelihoods. Women’s livelihoods in Ndwedwe-Cibane are exposed to increasing temperature, decreasing rainfall and to a less extent storms, strong winds and tremors. The assessment of exposure focused on air temperature and rainfall trends. Over a 50 year period (from 1965 to 2015), there has been an increase in annual mean minimum and maximum temperatures by 0.02 and 0.03°C, respectively each year (figure 4.2.1.1 and 4.2.1.2) and a non-significant decrease of 126.5 mm of annual rainfall for the 50 year period (figure 4.2.2.1). The change in climate variables is perceived to be worsening the climate state. Single and married women’s exposure to the above-mentioned climate conditions is comparable. Assessment of exposure is important because it influences vulnerability and adaptive capacity (Badjeck et al., 2010). Projections as discussed under section 4.3 indicate future warming, wetting and change in the rainy season.
Sensitivity of both groups of women is comparable and due to their high dependence on agriculture for food, firewood for energy and the river for water supply due to limited development, and because of the roles ascribed to them at homestead and village level. FEW resources are sensitive to almost all the above-mentioned indicators of climate change as perceived by women. Section 5.7 elaborates on how single and married women’s FEW resources are affected by changes in temperature and rainfall. Adaptive capacity is revealed in sections 5.2 and 5.3, and demonstrated in chapter 6, section 6.2. Homesteads with a greater diversity of assets and activities are likely to have greater adaptive capacity because of a greater capacity to substitute between alternative livelihood strategies in times of stress and shocks.
Marital status influences vulnerability to climate change related hazards, in particular vulnerability is increased for unmarried household heads than married household heads (Zhou et al., 2016). Female headed households have been found to be vulnerable to climate variability, an element of climate change in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo province within South Africa (Flatø et al., 2017). The exposure to climatic stresses and shocks may be the same for both groups of women in Ndwedwe-Cibane, however it is argued that intersectional based differences may influence adaptive capacity. These differences are explained by variations in asset pool and livelihood strategies. Flatø et al. (2017:42) insert below explains further:
“The economic disadvantages of female headed households are coined as ‘‘triple burden” for three main reasons. First, given that women have lower average earnings, fewer assets and less
115 access to productive resources such as land, financial capital, and technology than men, it follows that it is disadvantageous for a household to have a woman as the main earner. Second, lacking a male provider, female household heads are often the single earner and are consequently more likely to carry a higher dependency burden. Third, women who are heads of households with no other adult help have to carry a ‘‘double day burden” where they have to fulfill both domestic duties and the breadwinner role. Consequently, female heads face greater time and mobility constraints and may have to work fewer hours or choose lower-paying jobs”.
The question of which group is more vulnerable than the other cannot be concluded. Women have different resources and face different contextual barriers due to the various dimensions of vulnerability. In addition, vulnerability is determined by many factors (other than marital status) not included in this study such as income level, education among other factors. Therefore strong conclusions pertaining to vulnerability cannot be drawn.
5.4.2 Daily activity profile of women in Ndwedwe-Cibane
The daily activity profile exercise was carried out to determine workloads of both single and married women (table 5.4.2). Specifically activities, roles and functions carried out daily. To establish if there was time available for climate change adaptation activities. At a quick glance, the activity profile is very similar between the two groups of women. However, upon closer inspection, subtle yet important differences are noted pertaining to the daily working hours and the times at which tasks are carried out. Single women begin their daily activities at 6:00 am and retire at 8:00 pm while married women begin their activities at 5:00 am and retire at 10:00 pm.
Married women experience sleep deprivation because they wake up earlier and sleep later than single women. Married women shared that they sleep late because they have to spend quality time with their husbands.
Both groups of women collect water in the morning. Single women shared that they do not gather firewood daily. They alternate firewood gathering with gardening. Furthermore, single women gather firewood and carry out other agricultural activities in the morning while married women undertake these tasks in the afternoon. Single women collect firewood in the morning
116 because there are no snakes. While married women gather firewood in the afternoon because they have ‘free time’ and the sun is setting, the temperature is therefore cooler.
Table 5.4.2: Daily activity profile of women in Ndwedwe-Cibane
Single Married
Time/activity Time/activity
Laundry and handcrafts are done mid-day by both groups of women. Both groups of women spend a great amount of time collecting water and firewood due to the lack of basic services. A few women are formally employed under Zibambele and the Community Work Program - CWP, eight days a month which affects their daily activity profile on those particular days. In these
6.00 am Waking up Preparing kids for school
Gathering firewood or gardening Cleaning the house
Water collection 1.00 pm
Hand crafts Laundry
Food preparation Lunch
Bathing Relaxing
Supper preparation Children’s bath time Ironing
6.00 pm
Supper time/prayer 8.00 pm Sleep
5.00 am Waking up Water collection Cleaning the house Hand crafts
Petty trading Food preparation 2.00 pm
Gardening/agricultural fields Laundry
Gathering firewood Family needs 6.00 pm Bath
Supper time Listen to radio/TV 10.00 pm Sleep
117 projects women’s tasks include: remove weeds at schools, clinics and along the road. If someone has passed on, we gather firewood for the family, we grow crops and distribute the produce among the poor and we also clean the community court (women’s account). The daily activity profile shows that women regardless of marital status hardly have free time for themselves.
Therefore, there is limited to no time available for exploitation to plan and implement climate change adaptation strategies.