Climate, Gender, and Ethnicity

This chapter presents the findings of a study on gendered vulnerability of farmers to climate change in two regions of Eritrea—the subregion Berik, Central Highlands (Tigrinya ethnic group), and the subregion Sosona/Barentu, Lowlands Gash-Barka (Kunama ethnic group). Eritrea regularly suffers food shortages due to climate- and non-climate-related stressors on agriculture and limited adaptive capacity. The stressors include erratic rainfall, a shortage of male labor, gender inequality, and the lack of agricultural inputs. The chapter outlines the similarities and differences faced by farmers in both study regions. It highlights the complex nature of vulnerability of farming communities and households based on culture, ethnicity, gender, and sociopolitical circumstances. The chapter recommends that to properly support adaptation to climate change and variability, contextual specificities that underlie vulnerability need to be explicitly considered.