SARChi Chair
SUSTAINABLE LOCAL(RURAL) LIVELIHOODS

Households living in rural areas of developing countries rely on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods and, as such, are highly dependent on climatic conditions. The study assesses livelihoods climate resilience strategies in Eastern Cape, Alfred Nzo District namely Matatiele Local Municipality. There is strong agreement among policymakers, practitioners, and academic researchers that the concept of resilience must play a major role in assessing the extent to which various entities institutions respond to climate change.  

The research will assist in policy formulation and governance by coming up with climate change adaptation strategies, which could be included in the Municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP). Matatiele is a mid-sized town serving the farming and trading communities of East Griqualand in the foothills of the western Drakensberg, Eastern Cape, South Africa on the border with KwaZulu-Natal and 20 km from the southern frontier of Lesotho. Cattle rearing is the principal livelihood activity. The study assesses the processes by which structures, including schemes, rules, norms, and routines, become established as guidelines for climate induced disaster management.