Resource Management and Geography - Theses
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ItemMicrofinance organisations and social vulnerability to climate change( 2016)Microfinance Organisations (MFOs) are working with more than 175 million families around the world. In theory they can be instrumental in reducing social vulnerability to climate change,yet their effect on social vulnerability to climate change has not been well demonstrated. This study aims to explore the role that MFOs play in reducing social vulnerability to climate change in Bangladesh, a country that not only pioneered microfinance but also is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through interviews with 60 households across four villages in a disaster-prone coastal area in south-western Bangladesh, along with observations and interviews with key informants. The quantitiative data was used to develop a social vulnerability index based on an assessment of livelihood capitals (human, physical, natural, financial and social), which was compared with different levels of membership with microfinance organisations to test for associations. Qualititative data was used to explain the results generated through the quantitative analysis. The quantitative results indicate that households who have engaged with at least one MFO are less vulnerable than those who have not. Those who have engaged with more than one MFO, and who use the loans for business purposes, are even less likely to be vulnerable. The analysis not only provides evidence that microfinance organisations are valuable institutions for achieving sustainable adaptation, but also indicate that some of the most valuable outcomes of their services are the building of social and human capital. Despite this, some of the root causes of vulnerability, such as social marginalisation and gender discrimination are not overcome through the interventions of microfinance.
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ItemUnderstanding adaptation: households and bushfire risk in Mount Dandenong( 2014)Despite growing evidence of the need for climate change adaptation, it is not well understood. Adaptation is a complex social phenomenon in which climate risk is negotiated and acted upon in social and environmental contexts. This complexity makes adaptation difficult to research and there are few empirical studies that investigate adaptation in practice. In lieu of evidence about adaptation practices, many researchers instead assess the capacity to adapt, despite little evidence to suggest that adaptive capacity explains the practice of adaptation. This thesis makes a contribution to knowledge about adaptation to climate change by examining the extent to which households in Mt. Dandenong are adapting to bushfire risk, and the extent to which their adaptation practices are explained by their adaptive capacity. It studies household preparation for bushfires in Mount Dandenong as this is a good proxy for adaptation practices, and it compares this with an assessment of the their adaptive capacity (by examining their wealth, health, education, knowledge, and social capital). The research then examines alternative factors that might be explaining or influencing adaptation in the case study. The thesis finds that very few households are adapting well, despite a high level of adaptive capacity. There is a tenuous relationship between adaptive capacity and adaptation within the sample. There is a disparity between what people could do to adapt, and what they actually do. High adaptive capacity does not ensure that adaptation occurs. The findings suggest that to understand the adaptation practices of households, greater attention needs to be paid to the factors that trigger people to apply their available capacities.