Climate Change Impact on Quality of Life Indicators of Pastoralists (Case study: Rangelands of Haraz River Basin, Mazandaran province, Iran)

Journal of Rangeland Science

مقاله 4، دوره 9، شماره 1 - شماره پیاپی 4، فروردین 2019، صفحه 24-39   

نوع مقاله: Research and Full Length Article

نویسندگان

Amirhossein kavianpoor^{* 1}؛ Hossein Barani²؛ Adel Sepehry³؛ Abdolreza Bahremand²؛ Hamidreza Moradi⁴

¹Department of Range Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

²Associate Professor, Dept. of Range Management; Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

³Professor, Dept. of Range Management; Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

⁴Department of watershed management, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

چکیده

Climate changes pose great threats to the main services of ecosystems such as food security, water security and health. This research was carried out in Haraz river basin rangelands, Mazandaran province in the north of Iran in 2015-2017 to analyze the perspectives of Haraz river basin (HRB) pastoralists about climate change. From 5236 local pastoralists, the sample size was consisted of 350 ones based on Cochran formula. This study was conducted in 130 custom units (Samane Orfi) in HRB. At first, a questionnaire with 13 main criteria and 31 indicators related to quality of life was prepared and filled by local pastoralists. Cronbach's alpha was varied from 0.72 to 0.88. Independent indicators were compared via Mann-Whitney U test using SPSS 16. Rangelands of HRB were divided into two parts due to having a wide variety of environmental factors and management. Most of pastoralists believed that climate changes occurred in HRB and also, there was a strong convergence between the perspectives of two pastoral groups (pastoralists of Baladeh and Larijan) with long-term trends in all weather stations about changes in climate characteristics. The results of Mann-Whitney U test showed that pastoralists perceptions of climate change impact on quality of life indicators differ significantly in terms of increased migration, anger, frustration, conflicts between the pastoralists, decreasing sympathy, reduced sense of responsibility between pastoralists, reduced pastoralists' participation in the range management actions, reduced effective participation in the improvement measures, increased distance between livestock pen and water resources (p<0.01) and reduced food intake regardless of health and management of livestock diseases and loss of social cohesion (p<0.05). It means that two groups believed that these indicators have been affected by climate changes with different weights. But no significant differences were observed for other indicators. The most important impact of climate changes from the perspectives of Baladeh pastoralists was on water quantity, migration, job insecurity, future expectancy and social conflicts with coefficient of variations of 0.207, 0.22, 0.297, 0.299 and 0.30, respectively with negative impacts. Larijan pastoralists believed that climate changes had the most important impact on migration, water quantity, future expectancy, social conflicts and job insecurity with coefficient of variation involving 0.26, 0.263, 0.277, 0.29 and 0.323, respectively with negative impacts. Although proper interpretation of regional climate change pattern is provided by pastoralists, extension services and increasing social awareness associated with global warming and climate changes should be prepared to cope with potential future threats of climate changes.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Climate changes؛ Socio-economic Impact؛ Water Scarcity؛ Quality of Life Indicators

مراجع

Agata, D., Chris, F., Mark, W. S., Tom, S., 2015. Climate change influences on environment as a determinant of health: Relationships to place, sea ice, and health in an Inuit community. Social Science & Medicine, 136-137: 17-26.

Agrawal, A., 2009. Local institutions and adaptation to climate change. In: Mearns R, Norton A, editors. Social dimensions of climate change: equity and vulnerability in a warming world. Washington (DC): The World Bank; pp. 173–198.

Balgah, R. A., Jude, N. K., 2015. Building an indigenous agro-pastoral adaptation framework to climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa: experiences from the North West Region of Cameroon. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 29: 126 – 127.

Berton, R., Driscoll, C.T., Chandler, D.G., 2016. Changing climate increases discharge and attenuates its seasonal distribution in the northeastern United States. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 5: 164-178.

Bhatta, L.D., Oort, B.E.H., Stork, N.E., Baral, H., 2015. Ecosystem services and livelihoods in a changing climate: Understanding local adaptations in the Upper Koshi, Nepal. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 11(2): 145-155.

Bloom, D.E., Craig, P.H., Malaney, P.N., 2001. The Quality of Life in Rural Asia. Manila: Asian Development Bank. Oxford University Press (China) Ltd. 310 PP.

Bruggemann, R., Garlipp, P., Haltenhof, H., & Seidler, K. P., 2007. Quality of life and social support as outcome characteristics of a psychiatric day hospital. Journal of psychiatry, 10(1): 58-68.

Bryan, E., Deressa, T.T., Gbetibouo, G.A., Ringler, C., 2009. Adaptation to climate change in Ethiopia and South Africa: options and constraints. Environmental science & policy, 12:413–426.

Bucknell, D., 2002. Rural Quality of Life in a Changing Environment: a Study of the Eramosa-Speed Region. Ontario: The University of Guelph.

Cummins, R.A., 1997. “Assessing quality of life” in Brown, Roy (ed.) Quality of Life for People with Disabilities: Models, Research and Practice. Pp. 116-150. Cheltenham, UK: Stanley hornes.

Dang, H.L., Li, E., Nuberg, I., Bruwer, J., 2014. Understanding farmer’s adaptation intention to climate change: a structural equation modelling study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Environmental Science & Policy, 41(1): 11-22.

Egeru, A., 2012. Role of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation: a case study of the Teso sub-region, Eastern Uganda. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 11(2): 217-224.

Ford, J.D., 2012. Indigenous health and climate change. Am. J. Public Health 102, 1260e1266. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300752.

Funk, C., Dettinger, M.D., Michaelsen, J.C., Verdin, J.P., Brown, M.E., Barlow, M., Hoell, A., 2008. Warming of the Indian Ocean threatens Eastern and Southern African food security but could be mitigated by agricultural development. PNAS 105 (32), 11081–11086.

Gunten, D.V., Wöhling, T., Haslauer, C.P., Merchán, D., Causapé, J., Cirpka, O.A., 2015. Estimating climate-change effects on a Mediterranean catchment under various irrigation conditions. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 4:550-570.

Hagerty, M.R., Cummins, R.A., Ferriss, A.L., Land, K., Michalos, A.C., Peterson, M., Sharpe, A., Sirgy, J., Vogel, J., 2001. “Quality of life indexes for national policy: review and agenda for research”. Social Indicators Research. 55(1): 1-96.

Hayati, D., Karami, E., & Slee, B., 2006. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods in the measurement of rural poverty (the case of Iran). Journal Social Indicators Research, 75(3): 361-394.

IPCC, 2007a. Summary for policy makers. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, Linden PJ, Hanson CE, editors. Climate change: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press; p. 1–18.

International Association of Public Participation, 2007. IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation. http://www.iap2org/associations/4748/files/IAP2%20Spectrum vertical.pdf (accessed 28.01.14).

IPCC, 2007b. Climate Change, v.4. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

IPCC, 2013. Climate Change: the Physical Science Basis. Working Group I Contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York.

Keshavarz, M., Karami, E., Zibaei, M., 2014. Adaptation of Iranian farmers to climate variability and change. Regional Environmental Change, 14:1163–1174.

Khosh Akhlagh, F., Negahban, S., Roshan GH., Baghebani, H., 2010. Review the role and effect of climate changes on the climate comfort of Yazd City by the use of EVANZ Model. Geography and Development Iranian Journal, 8(20): 167-181. (In Persian).

Lammel, A., Dugas, E., Guillen, E., 2011. Traditional way of thinking and prediction of climate change in New Caledonia (France). Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 10(1): 13-20.

Lio, C., Ruelle, M. L., Kassam, K.A.S., 2016. Indigenous ecological knowledge as the basis for adaptive environmental management: Evidence from pastoralist communities in the Horn of Africa. Journal of Environmental Management, 182: 70-79.

Lukenga, W., 2015. Water Resources Management 1^st Edition, ISBN 978- 87-403-0978-2. 283 PP.

McCarthy, J., Canziani, O.F., Leary, N.A., Dokken, D.J., White, C. 2001. Climate change 2001: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Meng, F., Su, F., Yang, D., Tong, K., Hao, Z., 2016. Impacts of recent climate change on the hydrology in the source region of the Yellow River basin. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 6: 66-81.

Miyan, M. A., 2015. Droughts in Asian Least Developed Countries: Vulnerability and sustainability. Weather and Climate Extremes, 7: 8–23.

Orlove, B., 2009. The past, the present and some possible futures of adaptation. In: Adger WN, Lorenzoni I, O’Brien K, editors. Adapting to Climate Change: thresholds, Values, Governance. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press; p. 131–163.

Rana, A., Foster, K., Bosshard, T., Olsson, J., Bengtsson, L., 2014. Impact of climate change on rainfall over Mumbai using Distribution-based Scaling of Global Climate Model projections. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 1-107-128.

Raphael, D., Brown, I., Renwick, R., Cava, M., Weir, N., Heathcote, K., 1996. Measuring the Quality of Life in Older Persons: A Model with Implications for Community and Public Health Nursing. Toronto Center for Health Promotion, University of Toronto.

Rezvani, M.R. Mansourian, H., 2007. Assessing the Quality of Life: A Review of Concepts, Indices and Models, and Presentation of a Proposed Model for Rural Areas. Village & Development. 11(3): 1-26. (In Persian).

Saadatfar, A., Barani, H., Bahremand, A.R., Massah Bavani, A.R., Sepehri, A., Abedi Sarvestani, A., 2013. Statistical Downscaling HadCM3 Model for Detection and Prediction of Seasonal Climatic Variations (Case Study: Khabr Rangeland, Kerman, Iran). Journal of Rangeland Science, 3(3): 265-275.

Sarmad, Z., Bazargan, A., Hejazi, A., 1999. The research system in behavioral Science. 2 edition, Agah press, Tehran, Iran. 406p. (In Persian).

Taghdisi, A., Ahmadi Shahporabadi, M., 2012. Migration and again of the rural population of Iran: the challenge for rural sustainable for development. Geographical Research, 1:133 –164.

Tan, P., Jackson, S., 2013. Impossible dreaming—does Australia’s water law and policy fulfil Indigenous aspirations? Environmental and Planning Law Journal, 30:132–149.

Thomas, D.S.G., Twyman, C., Osbahr, H., Hewitson, B., 2007. Adaptation to climate change and variability: farmer responses to intra-seasonal precipitation trends in South Africa. Climatic Change, 83: 301–322.

Warwick, R.A., 1975. Drought hazard in the United States: A research assessment: Boulder. University of Colorado, Institute of Behavioral Science, Colorado (Monograph no. NSF/RA/E-75/004, 199 p.).

Weingaertner, C., Moberg, Å. 2011. “Exploring Social Sustainability: Learning from Perspectives on Urban Development and Companies and Products.” Sustainable Development, 22: 122–133.

WHOQOL Group, 1993. “Study protocol for the World Health Organization project to develop a quality of life assessment instrument”. Quality of Life Research, 2 (2):153-159.

Yan, D., Werners, S.E., Ludwig, F., Huang, H.Q. 2015. Hydrological response to climate change: The Pearl River, China under different RCP scenarios. Journal of Hydrology 4:228-245.