RAINFALL, FOOD SECURITY AND HUMAN MOBILITY CASE STUDY: THAILAND
PANOMSAK PROMBUROM AND PATRICK SAKDAPOLRAK
Executive summary
The project “Where the Rain Falls: Climate Change, Hunger and Human Mobility” (short “Rainfalls”) seeks to establish an indepth understanding of the relationship between climatic events and trends – particularly rainfall –, livelihoods and food security of an affected vulnerable population and the role of human mobility as a coping and adaptation strategy. The Thailand case study conducted in the Northern Province of Lamphun is one of eight case studies carried out in Africa (Ghana, Tanzania), Asia (Bangladesh, India and Viet Nam) and Latin America (Guatemala, Peru).
The empirical research was carried out in four villages, using qualitative (Participatory Research Approach (PRA), expert interviews) as well as quantitative (household survey) social science research methods, complemented with analysis of meteorological data. The study villages are typical rural upland settlements of Northern Thailand, whose inhabitants include both Thai and Karen communities. The area is hilly and forested. Most households in the study area are engaged in agricultural activities. Rice is grown for household consumption; maize is the most common cash crop of the area. A trend to agricultural diversification can be identified. Rural to urban as well as international migration is a common feature of the villagers’ livelihoods. Within this context, the study made the following key findings:
ÆÆ Villagers in the study area are regularly exposed to rainfallrelated stress. Villagers reported dry spells as well as heavy rainfall and the occurrence of flash floods. The extreme heavy and long rainfall in 2011 was a particularly dominant feature in the narratives of the villagers about climatic stress.
ÆÆ The participants in the study notice subtle changes in climate. The villagers noticed an increase in precipitation as well as temperature, particularly during the cold seasons.
ÆÆ Rainfall-related events have a negative impact on the livelihood security of the affected households. As almost all households are engaged in agriculture, rainfall-related events had negative impacts on their production. The interviewed farmers reported decreases in quantity and quality of agricultural products such as maize. Rainfallrelated events create financial burden on the affected households, for example heavy rain washes fertilizer input away; dry spells necessitate an additional seeding of maize.
ÆÆ Rainfall-related events also cause damage to community infrastructure. Damaged roads and water reservoirs due to heavy rainfall were reported by the community members.
ÆÆ The majority of households is food secure. Good access to markets as well as opportunities for alterative income generation, are factors that strengthen the food security status of households in the study area.
ÆÆ Despite the negative impact of climatic stress, the majority of households reported that they were able to cope and adapt without the need to migrate. The severity and frequency of the events do not exceed a threshold that in the people’s point of view necessitates migration as a direct strategy to overcome stress.
ÆÆ Diversified on- and off-farm income generation activities, access to financial resources through community funds and assistance from the local government are factors that reduce the vulnerability to rainfall-related stress.
ÆÆ Migration from the study area is widespread and strongly associated with economic and social factors. Environmental factors play only a subordinate role in the decision of the people to migrate.
ÆÆ However, migration – through which livelihood strategies that transcend a single location are created – is an important dynamic to strengthen community resilience against climatic stress.
