Original Research

Ecological vulnerability indicators to drought: Case of communal farmers in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Andries Jordaan, Yonas T. Bahta, Boitumelo Phatudi-Mphahlele
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 11, No 1 | a591 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v11i1.591 | © 2019 Andries Jordaan, Yonas T. Bahta, Boitumelo Phatudi-Mphahlele | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 14 December 2017 | Published: 15 January 2019

About the author(s)

Andries Jordaan, Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free State, South Africa
Yonas T. Bahta, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, South Africa
Boitumelo Phatudi-Mphahlele, Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free State, South Africa

Abstract

Estimation of ecological drought vulnerability indicators is the important step for drought mitigation management. This article identified and estimated ecological drought vulnerability indicators among communal farmers in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, using an ecological vulnerability index based on a household survey of 121 communal farmers. The results identified overgrazing, soil erosion, land degradation, surface and groundwater supply, and land use management as the main ecological vulnerability variables. The results showed that climate is not necessarily linked to ecological vulnerability. High rainfall districts in this study showed higher ecological vulnerability to drought because of poor planning and management of water supply, poor grazing practices and land management that leads to serious land degradation. The identification and analysis of ecological vulnerability indicators to drought would aid in reconsidering priorities for the government to implement appropriate policy measures in response to drought and suggest strategies to reduce drought vulnerability. Such policies and strategies will strengthen climate change adaptation and ensure ecological and climate sustainability that comply with the Millennium Development Goals set out by the United Nations in 2000 and the subsequent 2030 development agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords

ecological vulnerability; drought; communal farmers; sustainable development

Metrics

Total abstract views: 5020
Total article views: 7838

 

Crossref Citations

1. Assessment of drought hazard, vulnerability and risk in Iran using GIS techniques
Esmail Heydari Alamdarloo, Hassan Khosravi, Sahar Nasabpour, Ahmad Gholami
Journal of Arid Land  vol: 12  issue: 6  first page: 984  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1007/s40333-020-0096-4

2. A novel remote sensing ecological vulnerability index on large scale: A case study of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor region
Hongwei Wu, Bing Guo, Junfu Fan, Fei Yang, Baomin Han, Cuixia Wei, Yuefeng Lu, Wenqian Zang, Xiaoyan Zhen, Chao Meng
Ecological Indicators  vol: 129  first page: 107955  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107955

3. Diversity and determinants of traditional water conservation technologies in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Buntu Fanteso, Kowiyou Yessoufou
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment  vol: 194  issue: 3  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-09848-2

4. Analysis of Legal Risk in Farms of Intensive Chicken Production - The Case of Kosovo
Agim Ndregjoni, Arif Murrja, Llambi Prendi
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT  vol: 19  first page: 655  year: 2023  
doi: 10.37394/232015.2023.19.64

5. Projection and assessment of future droughts in Iowa: developing a machine learning model and an interactive application
Ingrid Cintura, Antonio Arenas
Frontiers in Environmental Science  vol: 13  year: 2025  
doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1564670

6. Economic vulnerability to tropical storms on the southeastern coast of Africa
Ernest L. Molua, Robert O. Mendelsohn, Ajapnwa Akamin
Jàmbá Journal of Disaster Risk Studies  vol: 12  issue: 1  year: 2020  
doi: 10.4102/jamba.v12i1.676

7. Optimizing interpolation and quantitative morphometry analysis suitability to soil erodibility modeling for soil erosion risk mapping in a complex topography
Solomon Temidayo Owolabi, Johanes A. Belle
Geocarto International  vol: 40  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1080/10106049.2025.2509878

8. Research Progress and Conceptual Insights on Drought Impacts and Responses among Smallholder Farmers in South Africa: A Review
Sheunesu Ruwanza, Gladman Thondhlana, Menelisi Falayi
Land  vol: 11  issue: 2  first page: 159  year: 2022  
doi: 10.3390/land11020159

9. Curbing land degradation and mitigating climate change in mountainous regions: a systemic review
Bonginkosi S. Vilakazi, Geofrey Mukwada
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment  vol: 195  issue: 2  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-10906-y

10. Spatial assessment of drought severity in Cape Town area, South Africa
I.R. Orimoloye, O.O. Ololade, S.P. Mazinyo, A.M. Kalumba, O.Y. Ekundayo, E.T. Busayo, A.A. Akinsanola, W. Nel
Heliyon  vol: 5  issue: 7  first page: e02148  year: 2019  
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02148

11. Landscape connectivity for biodiversity conservation: a mammal-based multi-species corridor approach for the Eden to addo corridor initiative, South Africa
Daan Lichtenberg, Elina Kreuzberg, Katharina von Dürckheim, Brian Reeves, Rhian Berning, Stacey Klein Snakenborg, Frida Ruiz Mendoza, Otto Beukes, Maya Beukes
Biodiversity and Conservation  vol: 34  issue: 11  first page: 3933  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1007/s10531-025-03140-8

12. Effect of drought on communal livestock farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
S Vetter, VL Goodall, R Alcock
African Journal of Range & Forage Science  vol: 37  issue: 1  first page: 93  year: 2020  
doi: 10.2989/10220119.2020.1738552

13. Satellite-based application in drought disaster assessment using terra MOD13Q1 data across free state province, South Africa
Israel R. Orimoloye, Olusola O. Ololade, Johanes A. Belle
Journal of Environmental Management  vol: 285  first page: 112112  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112112