Vulnerability of Rural Households’ Livelihoods to Climate Change in Tunisian Arid Zones

Abstract

This work presents an assessment of livelihood vulnerability and compares the levels of exposure, sensitivity and adaptation to climate change of local populations in different territories of Tunisian drylands. The vulnerability index of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (LVI-IPCC) was adapted and applied to assess this livelihood vulnerability, based on socio-economic surveys and semi-structured interviews with local populations. A landscape typology was the basis for the assessment of vulnerability and its determinants in the different territories of Tunisian drylands.

The results show that households in coastal territories are more vulnerable in terms of socio-demographic profile, food security, social networks, access to water and climate variability. These territories are much more exposed to climate change, although they are slightly less sensitive. In contrast, households in mountainous areas are more vulnerable in terms of livelihood strategies, land tenure and health, despite their adaptive capacity, which reduces their vulnerability to climate change.

Based on this vulnerability assessment, this work suggests specific adaptation strategies and measures for the sustainability of livelihoods and food security in each territory.