Rural adaptation and resilience to climate change in Eswatini

Abstract

The majority of people in Eswatini, roughly 75 % of them, live in rural areas with limited access to necessities like affordable, clean energy, wholesome food, and clean, safe water. The wellbeing of Eswatini's impoverished rural communities is impacted both directly and indirectly by the insufficiency or, in certain cases, the complete absence of these essential resources. The nation is seeing a decline in rainfall, increased water stress, soil loss and degradation, decreased crop yields, increased livestock losses, more frequent and severe droughts and floods, and an increase in pest infestations, among other effects of climate change. To better understand the social, cultural, economic, political, and scientific aspects of climate change adaptation in Eswatini as they relate to the food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus, this study applied a multi-level transdisciplinary value chain analysis approach. It then makes recommendations for national adaptation strategies that are meant to build resilient rural communities. The FEW nexus refers to the complex relationships between the availability of food, energy, and water for both micro and macroeconomic applications. The multidisciplinary value chain analysis of the FEW nexus considers redundancy in activities while clarifying trade-offs and mutually beneficial interactions between sectors at both the macro and microeconomic levels. To gain a better understanding of how rural communities in Eswatini perceive the relationship between FEW issues and climate change, we conducted two focus group discussions and a survey in five of the country's four ecological regions' most vulnerable rural communities. The results emphasized the trade-offs associated with the FEW nexus that are hindered by the sectoral climate "silos" that are in place today. The findings also identified strategies for adaptation aimed at preserving the resilience of rural communities in the face of climate change.