Rural Households in a Changing Climate

Javier Baez, Dorothy Kronick () and Andrew D. Mason ()
Additional contact information
Dorothy Kronick: World Bank
Andrew D. Mason: World Bank

No 6872, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper argues that climate change poses two distinct, if related, sets of challenges for poor rural households: challenges related to the increasing frequency and severity of weather shocks and challenges related to long-term shifts in temperature, rainfall patterns, water availability, and other environmental factors. Within this framework, we examine evidence from existing empirical literature to compose an initial picture of household-level strategies for adapting to climate change in rural settings. We find that although households possess numerous strategies for managing climate shocks and shifts, their adaptive capacity is insufficient for the task of maintaining – let alone improving – household welfare. We describe the role of public policy in fortifying the ability of rural households to adapt to a changing climate.

Keywords: rural households; adaptation; risk-coping mechanisms; climate change; long-term effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q12 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25 pages
Date: 2012-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-ene, nep-env and nep-res
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published - published in: World Bank Research Observer, 2013, 28 (2), 267–289

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Related works:
Journal Article: Rural Households in a Changing Climate (2013)
Working Paper: Rural households in a changing climate (2013)
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