The 2015–2016 El Niño had large impacts globally. The effects were not as great as anticipated in Kenya, however, leading some commentators to call it a ‘non-event’. Our study uses a novel combination of participatory Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis tools, and new and existing social and biophysical data, to analyse vulnerability to, and the multidimensional impacts of, the 2015–2016 El Niño episode in southern coastal Kenya. Using a social-ecological systems lens and a unique dataset, our study reveals impacts overlooked by conventional analysis. We show how El Niño stressors interact with and amplify existing vulnerabilities to differentially impact local ecosystems and people. The policy significance of this finding is that the development of specific national capacities to deal with El Niño events is insufficient; it will be necessary to also address local vulnerabilities to everyday and recurrent stressors and shocks to build resilience to the effects of El Niño and other extremes in climate and weather.
Fortnam M., Atkins M., Brown K., Chaigneau T., Frouws A., Gwaro K., Huxham M., Kairo J., Kimeli A.K., Kirui B. and Sheen K. (2020) Multiple impact pathways of the 2015–2016 El Niño in coastal Kenya. AMBIO 50: 174-189. 10.1007/s13280-020-01321-z[Online ahead of print]
@article{Fortnam2020,
Title = {Multiple impact pathways of the 2015–2016 El Niño in coastal Kenya},
Author = {Fortnam, Matt and Atkins, Molly and Brown, Katrina and Chaigneau, Tomas and Frouws, Ankje and Gwaro, Kemyline and Huxham, Mark and Kairo, James and Kimeli, Amon Kibiwot and Kirui, Bernard and Sheen, Katy},
Editor = {},
Journal = {AMBIO},
Year = {2020},
Pages = {174-189},
Volume = {50},
Doi = {10.1007/s13280-020-01321-z},
Abstract = {The 2015–2016 El Niño had large impacts globally. The effects were not as great as anticipated in Kenya, however, leading some commentators to call it a ‘non-event’. Our study uses a novel combination of participatory Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis tools, and new and existing social and biophysical data, to analyse vulnerability to, and the multidimensional impacts of, the 2015–2016 El Niño episode in southern coastal Kenya. Using a social-ecological systems lens and a unique dataset, our study reveals impacts overlooked by conventional analysis. We show how El Niño stressors interact with and amplify existing vulnerabilities to differentially impact local ecosystems and people. The policy significance of this finding is that the development of specific national capacities to deal with El Niño events is insufficient; it will be necessary to also address local vulnerabilities to everyday and recurrent stressors and shocks to build resilience to the effects of El Niño and other extremes in climate and weather.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Fortnam, Matt
AU - Atkins, Molly
AU - Brown, Katrina
AU - Chaigneau, Tomas
AU - Frouws, Ankje
AU - Gwaro, Kemyline
AU - Huxham, Mark
AU - Kairo, James
AU - Kimeli, Amon Kibiwot
AU - Kirui, Bernard
AU - Sheen, Katy
TI - Multiple impact pathways of the 2015–2016 El Niño in coastal Kenya
T2 - AMBIO
PY - 2020
SP - 174-189
VL - 50
DO - 10.1007/s13280-020-01321-z
AB - The 2015–2016 El Niño had large impacts globally. The effects were not as great as anticipated in Kenya, however, leading some commentators to call it a ‘non-event’. Our study uses a novel combination of participatory Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis tools, and new and existing social and biophysical data, to analyse vulnerability to, and the multidimensional impacts of, the 2015–2016 El Niño episode in southern coastal Kenya. Using a social-ecological systems lens and a unique dataset, our study reveals impacts overlooked by conventional analysis. We show how El Niño stressors interact with and amplify existing vulnerabilities to differentially impact local ecosystems and people. The policy significance of this finding is that the development of specific national capacities to deal with El Niño events is insufficient; it will be necessary to also address local vulnerabilities to everyday and recurrent stressors and shocks to build resilience to the effects of El Niño and other extremes in climate and weather.
ER -
