3/28/2013
Double Exposure in Niger:
Understanding pastoral vulnerability to
climate change and globalization
Sarah McKune, MPH, PhD
PostDoc University of Florida International Center
Integrating Gender into CGIAR’s Climate Change, Agriculture, and
Food Security Program
Introductions
Education
Experience
Interests
Contact information: smckune@ufl.edu or 352-273-0544
Background to research
Geography
NIGER
Economy
Population
Climate
Health
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3/28/2013
The Tuareg of Niger
Tuareg as herders
Research question
What are the consequences of environmental
and economic stressors and their interactions on
food security among pastoral populations in
Niger?
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Double Exposure Framework
The Double Exposure
framework captures
three distinct pathways
of potential interaction
between the process of
global change: outcome
double exposure,
context double
exposure, and feedback
double expsoure
This research finds
feedback and context
DE pathways to be
most significant in
determining pastoral
vulernability.
The Nigerien Tuareg Experience
Uranium markets: double exposure of globalization and
environmental global change with important feedback
mechanisms
Globalization, through colonialism and foreign direct
investment, has sidelined the pastoral Tuareg from economic
benefit while simultaneously creating increased global demand
for energy.
Increased demand for energy has required either oil, which is
having negative climatic impacts on the region through global
warming, or uranium, which is exacerbating the presence and
damage of mining companies and the marginalization of
pastoral Tuareg.
Consequent violence acts as a barrier to regional and local
economic development
The Nigerien Tuareg Experience
Land use change, markets, and household
demographics: how globalization and climate change are
altering the environmental context and subsequent
pastoral vulnerability
Pastoral mobility southward, agricultural encroachment
on pastoral lands, sedentarization, and consequent
conflict
Pastoral vulnerability to markets (purchasing power in
years of poor rain or other crisis)
Changing pastoral household composition (exode and
violence, consequences of globalization)
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The Nigerien Tuareg Experience
Conflict and violence: the result of global change in a
politically unstable environment
Climate change decreases mobility of pastoralists
Pastoralists settle near water sources or aid organizations
Increased involvement in crop production leading to increased
local level conflict over land
International conflict increases household population number
and decreases effectiveness of coping mechanisms (exode)
Simultaneous increase demand for uranium contributes to
increased regional instability and increased marginalization and
disenfranchisement of Tuareg
Resultant conflict inhibits international aid
Inability/ineffectiveness of old coping strategies and introduction of
new burdens/threats
DE Framework revisited
Discussion
Economic globalization is less influential than climate
change and conflict in determining vulnerability of
pastoral Tuareg
DE framework underscores need for structural and
circumstantial aid to improve food security of pastoral
populations – both have served to undermine food
security in the past
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Questions?
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