Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya

<p>Climate variability is variation of climate elements from the longterm mean state on all spatiotemporal scales. Climate variability affects microfinance institutions directly and indirectly through physical and transition risks. However, no studies have analyzed the effects of climate varia...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Caxton Gitonga Kaua, Thuita Thenya, Jane Mutune Mutheu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Librelloph 2021-02-01
Series:Challenges in Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.librelloph.com/challengesinsustainability/article/view/521
_version_ 1830130970545618944
author Caxton Gitonga Kaua
Thuita Thenya
Jane Mutune Mutheu
author_facet Caxton Gitonga Kaua
Thuita Thenya
Jane Mutune Mutheu
author_sort Caxton Gitonga Kaua
collection DOAJ
description <p>Climate variability is variation of climate elements from the longterm mean state on all spatiotemporal scales. Climate variability affects microfinance institutions directly and indirectly through physical and transition risks. However, no studies have analyzed the effects of climate variability in relation to informal microfinance institutions. The study, therefore, aimed to analyze the effects of climate variability in relation to informal microfinance institutions. It used a descriptive study design and multi-stage sampling design. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis, descriptive analysis, and Kendall’s tau-b correlation analysis. The study found a positive trend in climate variability (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = 0.174, α&gt;0.05). Local people are highly vulnerable to climate variability as confirmed by 98.7% of the respondents who observed that climate variability affects their livelihoods. This vulnerability stems from the effect of climate variability on access to capital assets and livelihood strategies. Vulnerability to climate variability has a significant negative effect on loan repayment performance, loan access and sustainability, and hence on informal microfinance performance (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = - 0.109**, <em>P</em>&lt;0.01). Nevertheless, climate variability increases participation in informal microfinance institutions as shown by the positive relationship with the number of people who joined informal microfinance institutions (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = 0.239**, <em>P</em>&lt;0.01) and the number formed per year (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = 0.137, <em>P</em>&lt;0.01) from 1981 to 2018. This is because informal microfinance institutions help vulnerable households in building resilience to climate variability as observed by 80.8% of the respondents.. The characteristics of informal microfinance institutions have positive or negative relationships with vulnerability to climate variability. These relationships are and could be further leveraged upon to address effects of climate variability on informal microfinance institutions. Detailed contextual analysis of informal microfinance institutions in the nexus of climate variability is thus imperative to inform actions aimed at cushioning the groups and their members against the impacts.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-17T06:06:36Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7581be1c505d4d9e979b7fb68bb1b799
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2297-6477
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T06:06:36Z
publishDate 2021-02-01
publisher Librelloph
record_format Article
series Challenges in Sustainability
spelling doaj.art-7581be1c505d4d9e979b7fb68bb1b7992022-12-21T22:00:44ZengLibrellophChallenges in Sustainability2297-64772021-02-019111510.12924/cis2021.09010001189Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, KenyaCaxton Gitonga Kaua0Thuita Thenya1Jane Mutune Mutheu2Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaWangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaWangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya<p>Climate variability is variation of climate elements from the longterm mean state on all spatiotemporal scales. Climate variability affects microfinance institutions directly and indirectly through physical and transition risks. However, no studies have analyzed the effects of climate variability in relation to informal microfinance institutions. The study, therefore, aimed to analyze the effects of climate variability in relation to informal microfinance institutions. It used a descriptive study design and multi-stage sampling design. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis, descriptive analysis, and Kendall’s tau-b correlation analysis. The study found a positive trend in climate variability (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = 0.174, α&gt;0.05). Local people are highly vulnerable to climate variability as confirmed by 98.7% of the respondents who observed that climate variability affects their livelihoods. This vulnerability stems from the effect of climate variability on access to capital assets and livelihood strategies. Vulnerability to climate variability has a significant negative effect on loan repayment performance, loan access and sustainability, and hence on informal microfinance performance (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = - 0.109**, <em>P</em>&lt;0.01). Nevertheless, climate variability increases participation in informal microfinance institutions as shown by the positive relationship with the number of people who joined informal microfinance institutions (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = 0.239**, <em>P</em>&lt;0.01) and the number formed per year (τ<em><sub>b</sub></em> = 0.137, <em>P</em>&lt;0.01) from 1981 to 2018. This is because informal microfinance institutions help vulnerable households in building resilience to climate variability as observed by 80.8% of the respondents.. The characteristics of informal microfinance institutions have positive or negative relationships with vulnerability to climate variability. These relationships are and could be further leveraged upon to address effects of climate variability on informal microfinance institutions. Detailed contextual analysis of informal microfinance institutions in the nexus of climate variability is thus imperative to inform actions aimed at cushioning the groups and their members against the impacts.</p>http://www.librelloph.com/challengesinsustainability/article/view/521capital assetclimate variabilityinformal microfinance institutioninformal microfinance performancelivelihood strategyvulnerability
spellingShingle Caxton Gitonga Kaua
Thuita Thenya
Jane Mutune Mutheu
Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya
Challenges in Sustainability
capital asset
climate variability
informal microfinance institution
informal microfinance performance
livelihood strategy
vulnerability
title Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya
title_full Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya
title_fullStr Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya
title_full_unstemmed Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya
title_short Analyzing Effects Of Climate Variability In The Nexus Of Informal Microfinance Institutions: A Case Study Of Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya
title_sort analyzing effects of climate variability in the nexus of informal microfinance institutions a case study of tharaka south subcounty kenya
topic capital asset
climate variability
informal microfinance institution
informal microfinance performance
livelihood strategy
vulnerability
url http://www.librelloph.com/challengesinsustainability/article/view/521
work_keys_str_mv AT caxtongitongakaua analyzingeffectsofclimatevariabilityinthenexusofinformalmicrofinanceinstitutionsacasestudyoftharakasouthsubcountykenya
AT thuitathenya analyzingeffectsofclimatevariabilityinthenexusofinformalmicrofinanceinstitutionsacasestudyoftharakasouthsubcountykenya
AT janemutunemutheu analyzingeffectsofclimatevariabilityinthenexusofinformalmicrofinanceinstitutionsacasestudyoftharakasouthsubcountykenya