The Perception of Rural Households on Climate Change Effect on Rural Livelihoods in Lake Victoria Basin

Abstract

While the science of climate change is well investigated across most disciplines, people’s perception of climate change effects has not been well addressed. This paper sought to address the question of climate change perception and the effect of climate change on rural household livelihoods within the Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya. The study relied on households’ perception on the effect of climate change on the areas of agriculture, and food security, water, and energy supply. Multistage sampling was applied to select 539 households from four eco-ecological zones.  The study revealed that most households presented localized explanations of climate change, which included: frequent and prolonged droughts, variations in rainfall onset and cessation, increased temperatures, an increased strong wind episode. Some households perceived climate changes effects resulted into a decrease in crop yield, resulting in increased household food insecurity, while some perceived water stress at household level, but mainly for those who relied on surface water, well water, borehole, and the natural spring. In addition, some of the households perceived shortage in energy sources, particularly hydroelectric power was said to be sensitive to the changes in climate. These perceptions were based on households’ experiences, and partially the results were found to be consistent with physical science of climate change. The paper therefore recommends the need to harmonise household perception with the climate change policy in order to address emerging challenges of climate change at the local level, create more climate change awareness supported through a comprehensive climate change action plan on country’s preparedness of extreme climate events at household level.