Effects of Drought on Household Livelihoods in Ngomeni Ward, Mwingi North Sub County, Kitui County

Abstract

Drought is one of the commonest disasters affecting Kenya today. About 80% of the landmass in Kenya is categorized as arid and semi-arid lands. These areas are prone to droughts. Over the years, the intensity, duration and frequency of droughts have increased causing great risks and disruptions to household livelihoods. The disruptions in household livelihood sources that are climate-sensitive are likely to exacerbate households' dependence on the immediate environment to meet their basic needs. This research, therefore, sought to examine the impacts of droughts on household livelihoods in Ngomeni ward, Mwingi North Sub County, Kitui County. The researcher applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches with a sample size of 283 households and five key informants. The sampling methods used were simple probability sampling for households and purposive sampling for the key informants. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, observation, and pictorials were used for data collection. Data was analysed through inferential analysis, descriptive and inferential analysis, while SPSS was used to generate tables, graphs, and frequencies. Cross tabulation for chi-square was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 rejection level for all inferences The major findings of the study are that most households in Ngomeni had more than one livelihood source. Sources of livelihoods included crop production, livestock keeping, off-farm casual labour, on-farm casual labour, business, formal employment, remittances, assistance and transfers, and credit. Most households depended on crop production that was highly affected by drought. Most households could not diversify their livelihood sources and that reduced the households’ ability to cope with droughts. Droughts impacted the level of engagement and dependency on different livelihood sources. The study concluded that there was a significant difference between spatial-temporal characteristics of drought and its effects on household’ livelihoods in Ngomeni Ward. The study also concluded that droughts significantly aggravated environmental degradation in Ngomeni Ward by increasing the likelihood of household’s dependence on the immediate environment through engaging in destructive activities such as charcoal burning, small-scale stone quarrying, and wood logging. The study recommended community training and support to diversify sources of income without degrading the immediate environment.