Community Engagement in Climate Change and Adaptation in Kenya: A Socio-Anthropological and Linguistic Perspective

Peter Gutwa Oino; Enock Musau

doi:10.37284/ajccrs.3.1.2444

Peter Gutwa Oino, PhD Kisii University
Enock Musau, PhD Kisii University

##plugins.pubIds.doi.readerDisplayName##: https://doi.org/10.37284/ajccrs.3.1.2444

##share.article##:

Résumé

Community engagement and participatory approaches are essential for effective climate adaptation in Kenya, particularly when integrating local communities into resilience-focused efforts that consider cultural and linguistic diversity. This review employs a desktop methodology, guided by a theoretical framework rooted in participatory action research, cultural anthropology, and the CSAM (Cultural-Sustainable Agroforestry Model (CSAM)), to synthesize key studies on climate adaptation in Kenya. It examines how local stakeholders are integrated into planning and resilience programming, with a focus on the importance of indigenous knowledge and cultural contexts in shaping effective adaptation strategies. The review highlights the crucial role of communication strategies in disseminating climate information and fostering community engagement, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches that resonate with diverse linguistic and cultural groups. Practical insights show that participatory, culturally informed strategies are central to building community resilience and promoting sustainable development in the face of climate challenges. The review concludes that effective climate adaptation requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes community engagement, culturally appropriate methods, and robust communication to ensure locally relevant and sustainable adaptation measures. Furthermore, the adoption of the CSAM model is essential for integrating indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and modern scientific approaches, ensuring that local contexts are central to the adaptation process. Recommendations include enhancing participatory planning, incorporating indigenous knowledge systems, strengthening communication channels, addressing vulnerability hotspots, and integrating adaptation into broader development planning. The review calls for further research that employs mixed-methods approaches to assess the long-term impacts of climate adaptation, evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies, document indigenous knowledge, and explore cross-regional comparisons to support climate adaptation efforts in Kenya

##plugins.generic.usageStats.downloads##

##plugins.generic.usageStats.noStats##

Références

Ayers, J., & Forsyth, T. (2020). Community-based adaptation to climate change: Scaling it up. Routledge.

Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Anchor Books.

Berkes, F., & Folke, C. (1998). Linking social and ecological systems: management practices and social mechanisms for building resilience. Cambridge University Press.

Crate, S., & Nuttall, M. (2016). Anthropology and climate change: From encounters to actions. Routledge.

D’Andrade, R. G. (1995). The Development of Cognitive Anthropology. Cambridge University Press.

Ericksen, P. J., et al. (2011). Mapping hotspots of climate change and food insecurity in the global tropics. CCAFS Report No. 5. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Fals-Borda, O., & Rahman, M. A. (2004). Action and Knowledge: Breaking the Monopoly with Participatory Action Research. Zed Books.

Figueiredo, P., & Perkins, P. E. (2013). Women and water management in times of climate change: Participatory and inclusive processes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 60, 188-194.

Few, R., Brown, K., & Tompkins, E. L. (2021). Public participation and climate change adaptation: Avoiding the illusion of inclusion. Climate Policy, 7(1), 46-59.

Gergen, K. J. (1999). An Invitation to Social Construction. SAGE Publications.

Jones, A., Smith, T., & Johnson, P. (2021). Engaging communities in climate adaptation: Lessons from case studies. Climate Policy, 21(4), 385-400.

Kabiri, N. (2013). Indigenous knowledge and climate change: The role of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation in the Tana River County, Kenya. African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS).

Kabiri, A. (2013). Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change Adaptation: Local Adaptation Strategies in Kenya. National Environment Management Authority.

Kariuki, J., & Kimani, R. (2020). Traditional beliefs and practices in climate adaptation: Insights from rural Kenya. Environmental Anthropology, 29(2), 105-120.

Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (2000). Participatory Action Research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 567-605). SAGE Publications.

Kithiia, J., & Dowling, R. (2010). An integrated city-level planning process to address the impacts of climate change in Mombasa, Kenya. Cities, 27(6), 466-475.

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford University Press.

Law, J., & Hassard, J. (1999). Actor-Network Theory and After. Blackwell Publishers.

Lucy, J. A. (1992). Language Diversity and Thought: A Reformulation of the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis. Cambridge University Press.

McIntyre, A. (2008). Participatory Action Research. SAGE Publications.

Mutimba, S., et al. (2010). Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Preparedness in Kenya. Heinrich Boll Stiftung East & Horn of Africa.

Mwangi, M. (2022). Participatory approaches in community climate adaptation in Kenya. African Climate Journal, 13(3), 215-232.

Nyangena, W. (2008). Social determinants of soil and water conservation in rural Kenya. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10, 745-767.

Nyangena, W. (2008). Social determinants influencing soil and water conservation practices in rural Kenya. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(1), 275-283.

Ndungu, A. (2021). Language as a barrier in climate communication: The role of local dialects in community engagement. African Journal of Linguistics, 45(1), 56-71.

Ochieng, P. (2023). Gender dynamics in community-based climate adaptation: Equity and inclusion in participatory planning. Journal of African Climate Policy, 12(1), 67-80.

Ochieng, R. M., Vögel, C., & Awiti, A. O. (2017). Community perceptions of climate variability and agricultural adaptation strategies in the Lake Victoria Basin. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 12(5), 183-195.

Oino, P. G. (2024). Cultural-Sustainable Agroforestry Model (CAM) for Climate Adaptation: Bridging Local Knowledge with Agroforestry Practices in Kenya. (in Press).

Oino, P. G. (2024). Cultural-Sustainable Agroforestry Model (CAM) for Climate Adaptation. Journal of Sustainable Development Practices, 12(1), 45-67.

Omondi, P., Kamau, D., & Mungai, M. (2020). Integrating indigenous knowledge into climate adaptation: Case studies from East Africa. Climate and Culture, 17(3), 299-315.

Opiyo, S., et al. (2014). Household Vulnerabilities and Climate Adaptation in Rural Kenya: The Role of Agroforestry. International Journal of Climate Change and Development, 6(3), 45-59.

Opiyo, F. E. O., Wasonga, O. V., & Nyangito, M. M. (2014). Measuring household vulnerability to climate-induced stresses in pastoral rangelands of Kenya. Pastoralism: Research, Policy, and Practice, 4(1), 1-15.

Olang, L. O., & Kundu, E. (2011). Climate Change and Land Degradation in Kenya: Assessing the Impact of Adaptation Strategies in the Mau Forest Complex. Journal of Environmental Science and Policy, 8(1), 67-80.

Olang, L. O., & Kundu, P. M. (2011). Land Degradation of the Mau Forest Complex in Eastern Africa: A Review for Management and Restoration Planning. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184(5), 2791-2812.

Okpara, U. T., Stringer, L. C., Dougill, A. J., & Bila, M. D. (2015). Identifying and Characterizing Climate-Change Adaptation Strategies in the Context of Inland Valley Rice Farming in Kenya and Tanzania. Water Resources and Rural Development, 5, 1-22.

Opiyo, S., et al. (2014). Household Vulnerabilities and Climate Adaptation in Rural Kenya: The Role of Agroforestry. International Journal of Climate Change and Development, 6(3), 45-59.

Reid, H., Alam, M., Berger, R., Cannon, T., & Milligan, A. (2019). Community-based adaptation to climate change: An overview. Participatory Learning and Action, 60(1), 11-33.

Reason, P., & Bradbury, H. (2008). The SAGE Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry and Practice. SAGE Publications.

Shore, B. (1996). Culture in Mind: Cognition, Culture, and the Problem of Meaning. Oxford University Press.

Tschakert, P., & Sagoe, R. (2009). Farmer-Based Assessment of Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Options: A Case Study of Northern Ghana. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 14, 291-316.

Wambua, K. (2019). Overcoming language barriers in climate adaptation communication: Lessons from Kenya. Climate Communication Review, 6(4), 89-102.

Walker, B., Holling, C. S., Carpenter, S. R., & Kinzig, A. (2004). Resilience, adaptability, and transformability in social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society, 9(2), 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00650-090205

Whorf, B. L. (1956). *Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee