Managing risk, changing aspirations and household dynamics: Implications for wellbeing and adaptation in semi-arid Africa and India

•Gender and household relationships shape how we are impacted by and respond to climatic changes.•In semi-arid Africa and Asia, persistent drought has made male incomes insecure.•New forms of cooperation and conflict within and across households, impact wellbeing and adaptive capacity.•An intersecti...

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Published in:	World development Vol. 125; p. 104667
Main Authors:	Rao, Nitya, Singh, Chandni, Solomon, Divya, Camfield, Laura, Sidiki, Rahina, Angula, Margaret, Poonacha, Prathigna, Sidibé, Amadou, Lawson, Elaine T.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2020 Pergamon Press Inc
Subjects:	Adaptation Age differences Agricultural practices Arid regions Arid zones Aspiration Aspirations Behavior Caste Cooperation Diversification Domains Ethnic identity Gender Gender roles Household dynamics Households Inequality International cooperation Livelihood Marital status Migration Norms Political power Resource management Risk management Risk taking Rural areas Rural communities Rural populations Semi arid areas Semiarid lands Social interactions Social power Social resources Social support State role Sustainability Sustainable development Urban areas Well being Wellbeing Women Africa India Wellbeing Household dynamics Gender Risk management Aspirations Adaptation
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Summary:	•Gender and household relationships shape how we are impacted by and respond to climatic changes.•In semi-arid Africa and Asia, persistent drought has made male incomes insecure.•New forms of cooperation and conflict within and across households, impact wellbeing and adaptive capacity.•An intersectional and differentiated lens to risk management forefronts barriers to adaptation by women and men.•Focus on changing household structures, assets, and aspirations, can inform inclusive, effective adaptation. Semi-arid regions across Africa and Asia are characterized by rapidly changing biophysical regimes, structural vulnerabilities, and increasing livelihood precarity. Gender, class, and caste/ethnic identities and relationships, and the specific social, economic and political power, roles and responsibilities they entail, shape the choices and decisions open to individuals and households in managing the risks they face. Unpacking the multiple, intersecting inequalities confronting rural populations in these climate hotspots is therefore vital to understand how risk can be managed in a way that supports effective, inclusive, and sustainable local adaptation. Drawing on empirical evidence from six countries, generated through a mixed methods approach, we examine how changes in household dynamics, structure, and aspirations, shape risk management with implications for household well-being, adaptive capacity, and ultimately sustainable development. The ability of individuals within households, differentiated by age, marital status, or education, to manipulate the very structure of the household and the material and social resources it offers, differentiates risk management strategies such as livelihood diversification, migration, changing agricultural practices and leveraging social support. Our evidence suggests that while greater risks can drive conflictive behavior within households, with women often reporting lower subjective wellbeing, new forms of cooperative behavior are also emerging, especially in peri-urban spaces. Through this study, we identify entry points into enabling sustainable and inclusive adaptation behavior, emphasizing that interventions should work for both women and men by challenging inequitable social and gender norms and renegotiating the domains of work and cooperation to maintain overall household wellbeing.
ISSN:	0305-750X 1873-5991
DOI:	10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104667