Abstract:
Fish farmers are a vulnerable group to climate variability and extreme climate events
effects as their production heavily relies on precipitation and temperature. However,
previous studies on vulnerability of fish farmers to climate variability and extreme events
have been done on global, regional and national scales, thus failing to capture the local
realities on spatial variability. The current study was carried out to assess the householdlevel vulnerability of fish farmers to climate variability and extreme climate events in
selected parts of Kitui County, Kenya. Purposive sampling technique was used to pick two
study sites, namely Kitui Central and Kitui East. Fish farmers’ vulnerability to climate
variability and extreme climate events was worked out using the integrated vulnerability
assessment method. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to assign weights to
selected exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indicators. The study employed a
descriptive research design. Data on fish farmers’ socio-economic status, past experiences
with the occurrence of extreme climate events, and adaptation strategies adopted in
response to climate variability and extreme events was obtained by using a household
survey interview schedule. This data was complemented by rainfall and temperature data
for 30 years (1989 - 2019) collected from Kenya Meteorological Department, Kitui County
office. A sample size of sixty (60) fish farmers was selected through random sampling from
a target population of (200) fish farmers in the study area. Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) version 22 and Ms Excel were used to analyze the data. In regards to the
exposure index of the fish farmers, Kitui Central fish farmers recorded (-0.10) while Kitui
East fish farmers recorded (1.02). The sensitivity index of Kitui Central fish farmers was
(-0.91) and that of Kitui East fish farmers was (2.67). Further, the adaptive capacity of
Kitui Central fish farmers was (1.11) and that of Kitui East fish farmers was (0.74). The
results of the study also revealed that Kitui East fish farmers had a vulnerability index of
(2.96) and Kitui Central fish farmers recorded (0.31) to climate variability and extreme
climate events. The overall vulnerability index and its components were statistically
significant (p<.01) except for the exposure index. The results also indicated that fish
farmers in the study area had adopted multiple adaptation strategies to combat the effects
of climate variability and extreme climate events. Consequently, Kitui Central fish farmers
registered a higher percentage in adoption of most adaptation strategies compared to Kitui
East fish farmers. Therefore, this study recommends that policies on adaptation
interventions be put into place to buttress fish farmers' adaptive capacity to cope with
vagaries of climate variability and extreme climate events in the study area and beyond.
