The Relevancy to Providing Interdisciplinary Research in Wat

The Relevance to Providing Interdisciplinary Research in Water, Climate, and Health (WCH) Disciplines for Underprivileged Communities in Ethiopia

Kar’retta Venable

Howard University Program in Atmospheric Science

NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences

Johns Hopkins University

NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Trainee

4th year Ph.D. Fellow

Acknowledgments

Summary

• This material is based upon [work] supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Educational Partnership Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, under Agreement No. NA11SEC4810003
• NSF Water, Climate, and Health IGERT
• NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences
• Johns Hopkins University Global Water Program Cohert
• Howard University

Conceptual Framework

References

Conceptual Framework

Summary

• Identify regions of vulnerability from climate change
• Develop strategies adaptation and mitigation for implementation
• Design strategies based on community concerns

• We as scientists, must question the relevance of our research
• Decipher and implement mitigation strategies for its stakeholders

We're Bridging the Gap!

Bohle, H. G., Downing T. E. & Watts M. J. (1994). Climate change and social vulnerability: the sociology and geography of food insecurity. Global Environmental Change 4, 37-48.

Coates, J., Swindale A. & Bilinsky P. (2007). Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) for Measurement of Household Food Access: Indicator Guide (v. 3). Washington, D.C.: FHI 360/FANTA.

Deressa, T.T., Hassan, R. & Ringler, C. (2008). Measuring Ethiopian farmers’ vulnerability to climate change across regional states. IFPRI Discussion Paper 806. Washington, D.C.: IFPRI.

Hahn, M. B., Riederer, A. M., & Foster, S. O. (2009). The Livelihood Vulnerability Index: A pragmatic approach to assessing risks from climate variability and change—A case study in Mozambique. Global Environmental Change, 19(1), 74–88.

Simane, B., Zaitchik, B. F., & Foltz, J. D. (n.d.). Agroecosystem-specific climate vulnerability analysis : application of the livelihood vulnerability index to a tropical highland region, 1–51.

Simane, B., Zaitchik, B.F. & Mesfin, D. (2012). Building Climate Resilience in the Blue Nile/Abay Highlands: A Framework for Action. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 9(2), 610-631.

Simane, B.; Zaitchik, B.F. & Ozdogan, M. (2013). Agroecosystem Analysis of the Choke Mountain Watersheds, Ethiopia. Sustainability, 5, 592-616.

Zaitchik, B.F.; Simane, B.; Habib, S.; Anderson, M.C.; Ozdogan, M. & Foltz, J.D. (2012). Building Climate Resilience in the Blue Nile/Abay Highlands: A Role for Earth System Sciences. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 9, 435-461.

The Implications

Background

Building Resilience

Implications

• Capstone Project to Ethiopia to investigate food security for farming communities in response to variations in climate change

• Identify and create measurable socio-environmental indicators
• Identify, access, research, educate, and inform local communities
• Develop adaptation techniques and implementation strategies

Agroecosystsem

Variability

• Vulnerabilities increase for communities as climate variability increases

A Preview of Rural

Ethiopian Highlands

Ethiopian Highlands

6 agroecosystem classifications within a watershed:

Climate

Topography

Soil

Farming systems

Socio-economic status

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Biodiversity

• Encompasses Blue Nile (Abay) Highlands relevant to water resources and agricultural production
• ~90% of Ethiopia's population (Simane, et al 2012)
• As climate patterns shift, crop production shifts
• Consequently, livelihood, wealth, nutrition, and the environment are impacted

• For for scientists to assist rural communities in addressing socio-economic sustainability concerns, we must collaborate in interdisciplinary water, climate, and

health research

Water Resources

Cultural differences...

Leading to health

related issues

• Implementation of adaptation and mitigation strategies based on interdisciplinary research will improve socio-economic development of rural farming communities

• Accessibility
• Quality
• Variability

Objectives

Climate Variability

Agricultural Disadvantages

• Subsistanence farmers become vulnerable when exposed to a variety of conditions
• Adaptation and mitigation strategies should be implemented to minimize water, climate, and health (WCH) issues
• The absence of modern farming practices and critical infrastructure present additional challenges within the context of heightened climate variability

• Identify vulnerabilities within communities
• Understand interactions between agricultural practices in the context of water, climate, and

health changes

• Facilitate adaptation strategies to cope

with vulnerabilities to improve communities

• Precipitation
• Shifts in growing season
• Forces migratory behavior

Traditional agricultural practices are highly vulnerable to increasing climate variability and regional land use change

Overview

Interdisciplinary

Concerns