Coping with Drought in Rural Papua New Guinea: A Western Highlands Case Study. 2017

Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
a Faculty of Education, Science, Technology, and Mathematics, Australian Institute for Sustainable Communities , University of Canberra , Canberra , Australia.

The short- and long-term effects of climate change on Papua New Guinea's agricultural sector have generated significant debate in recent times. Current literature demonstrates that different population groups have differing levels of vulnerability and resilience to the flow-on effects of climate change, particularly drought. Yet different schools of thought on the country's food security and effects on livelihoods persist. This article draws on evidence from research conducted in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea as part of a bigger economic empowerment project to illustrate the vulnerabilities of one community of rural semisubsistence farmers to drought-induced food insecurity. It examines responses to drought, identifies modes of resilience, and discusses the implications for future actions.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010219 Papua New Guinea A country consisting of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and adjacent islands, including New Britain, New Ireland, the Admiralty Islands, and New Hanover in the Bismarck Archipelago; Bougainville and Buka in the northern Solomon Islands; the D'Entrecasteaux and Trobriand Islands; Woodlark (Murua) Island; and the Louisiade Archipelago. It became independent on September 16, 1975. Formerly, the southern part was the Australian Territory of Papua, and the northern part was the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea, administered by Australia. They were administratively merged in 1949 and named Papua and New Guinea, and renamed Papua New Guinea in 1971. New Guinea, East,New Guinea, Papua
D012111 Residence Characteristics Elements of residence that characterize a population. They are applicable in determining need for and utilization of health services. Community,Domicile,Living Arrangements,Neighborhood,Place of Birth,Residential Selection,Arrangement, Living,Birth Place,Communities,Domiciles,Living Arrangement,Neighborhoods,Residence Characteristic
D003906 Developing Countries Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures. LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D005523 Food Supply The production and movement of food items from point of origin to use or consumption. Food Supply Chain,Chain, Food Supply,Food Supplies,Food Supply Chains,Supplies, Food,Supply Chain, Food,Supply Chains, Food,Supply, Food
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000067565 Farmers Persons who cultivate land or crops, or raise LIVESTOCK. Agricultural Workers,Farm Workers,Farmworkers,Ranchers,Agricultural Worker,Farm Worker,Farmer,Farmworker,Rancher,Worker, Agricultural,Worker, Farm,Workers, Agricultural,Workers, Farm
D000383 Agriculture The science, art or practice of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. Agronomy,Agricultural Development,Farming,Agronomies,Development, Agricultural
D012424 Rural Population The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural. Rural Residence,Rural Communities,Rural Spatial Distribution,Communities, Rural,Community, Rural,Distribution, Rural Spatial,Distributions, Rural Spatial,Population, Rural,Populations, Rural,Residence, Rural,Rural Community,Rural Populations,Rural Residences,Rural Spatial Distributions
D012959 Socioeconomic Factors Social and economic factors that characterize the individual or group within the social structure. Economic and Social Factors,Social Inequalities,Social Inequality,Social and Economic Factors,Socioeconomic Characteristics,Factors, Socioeconomic,High-Income Population,Land Tenure,Standard of Living,Characteristic, Socioeconomic,Factor, Socioeconomic,High Income Population,High-Income Populations,Inequality, Social,Living Standard,Living Standards,Population, High-Income,Socioeconomic Characteristic,Socioeconomic Factor,Tenure, Land
D055864 Droughts Prolonged dry periods in natural climate cycle. They are slow-onset phenomena caused by rainfall deficit combined with other predisposing factors. Drought

Related Publications

Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
September 1982, Papua and New Guinea medical journal,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
March 2015, Midwifery,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
January 2003, Papua and New Guinea medical journal,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
January 2000, Papua and New Guinea medical journal,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
December 1973, Journal of anatomy,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
August 2007, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
March 1989, Papua and New Guinea medical journal,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
January 1988, Gene geography : a computerized bulletin on human gene frequencies,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
January 1993, Annals of the rheumatic diseases,
Pauline Rutendo Gwatirisa, and Barbara Pamphilon, and Katja Mikhailovich
July 2014, Tropical doctor,
Copied contents to your clipboard!