ANALYSIS OF ADAPTATION DIVERSITY TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE AMONG PASTORAL COMMUNITIES IN NORTH-EASTERN UGANDA

Adaptation framing remains one of the major challenges to achieving greater implementation of adaptation initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using an integrated analytical framework that frames adaptation indicators into three dimensions; adaptive, absorptive and transformative capacities, we analysed the adaptation diversity in Karamoja sub-region, Uganda. We found a strong perception of the existence of climate variability and change manifested through the occurrence of droughts, floods, hailstorms, late onset and early rainfall onset. Absorptive capacity revealed varied status of asset ownership, custodianships, and access to these assets, presence of informal social safety nets, and social cohesion. Adaptive capacity revealed the presence of a diversity of livelihood sources, livelihood assets and associated income, but its human capital indicator revealed considerably high illiteracy levels among respondents. Meanwhile, transformative capacity revealed existence of network structures, governance and institutions, facilitated access to early warning information on pests, diseases and rainfall onset. Traditional institutions and the justice system played a key role in conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation for kraals establishment, grazing, and watering rights. We conclude that pastoral communities in Karamoja have a high inclination to maintenance of stability while their flexibility and ability to change decreases with the intensity of change pro-rata.Le cadrage de l\u2019adaptation reste l\u2019un des d\ue9fis majeurs pour parvenir \ue0 une plus grande mise en \u153uvre des initiatives d\u2019adaptation en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS). En utilisant un cadre analytique int\ue9gr\ue9 qui encadre les indicateurs d\u2019adaptation en trois dimensions; capacit\ue9s d\u2019adaptation, d\u2019absorption et de transformation, nous avons analys\ue9 la diversit\ue9 de l\u2019adaptation dans la sous-r\ue9gion de Karamoja, en Ouganda. Nous avons trouv\ue9 une forte perception de l\u2019existence de la variabilit\ue9 et des changements climatiques qui se manifestent par la survenue de s\ue9cheresses, d\u2019inondations, de temp\ueates de gr\ueale, d\u2019apparition tardive et pr\ue9coce des pr\ue9cipitations. La capacit\ue9 d\u2019absorption a r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 des statuts vari\ue9s d\u2018\ua0actifs\ua0de\ua0propri\ue9t\ue9, de la protection de ses actifs et d\u2019acc\ue8s \ue0 ces actifs, la pr\ue9sence des r\ue9seaux de la s\ue9curit\ue9 sociale informels et la coh\ue9sion sociale. La capacit\ue9 d\u2019adaptation a r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 la pr\ue9sence d\u2019une diversit\ue9 de sources de subsistance, d\u2019actifs de subsistance et de revenus associ\ue9s, mais son indicateur de capital humain a r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 des niveaux d\u2019analphab\ue9tisme consid\ue9rablement \ue9lev\ue9s parmi les r\ue9pondants. Pendant ce temps, la capacit\ue9 de la transformation a r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 l\u2019existence de structures de r\ue9seau, de gouvernance et d\u2019institutions, a facilit\ue9 l\u2019acc\ue8s aux informations d\u2019alerte pr\ue9coce sur les ravageurs, les maladies et l\u2019apparition des pluies. Les institutions traditionnelles et le syst\ue8me judiciaire ont jou\ue9 un r\uf4le cl\ue9 dans la r\ue9solution des conflits, la m\ue9diation et la n\ue9gociation pour l\u2019\ue9tablissement des \ue9tables et les droits de p\ue2turage et d\u2019abreuvement. Nous concluons que les communaut\ue9s pastorales du Karamoja ont une forte tendance au maintien de la stabilit\ue9 tandis que leur flexibilit\ue9 et leur capacit\ue9 \ue0 changer diminuent avec l\u2019intensit\ue9 du changement au prorata