August 2009: This paper, authored by Glwadys Aymone Gbetibouo and Claudia Ringler and published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), analyzes the vulnerability of South African farmers to climate change and variability by developing a vulnerability index and comparing vulnerability indicators across the country’s nine provinces.

Nineteen environmental and socioeconomic indicators reflect the three components of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The results of the study show that the regions most vulnerable to climate change and variability also have a higher capacity to adapt to climate change. Furthermore, vulnerability to climate change and variability is intrinsically linked with social and economic development.
IFPRI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and co-sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank. [The paper]