The Impacts of Climate Change on the Livelihoods of Small-Scale Traders in Zambia: A Case Study of Cross-Border Traders in Kazungula District

Abstract: Climate change is one of the global problems that the world is facing today. Previous studies have shown that climate change has negatively affected the livelihoods of the vulnerable population. However, understanding climate change is usually influenced by how it affects a person’s livelihood. For agriculture-dependent communities, it has been documented that climate change includes rainfall variability and its effects on production. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence regarding climate change and its effects on non-agriculture-dependent livelihoods. This study builds on the current literature by investigating the impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of the cross-border traders in Kazungula district. The study adopted a single case study design and employed semi-structured interviews, a focus group discussion and document analysis. The study was guided by the Sustainable Livelihood Approach and Capability Approach. The study found that traders understood climate change as rainfall variability, extreme temperature, and drought. The effects of climate change were mainly associated with mobility and reduced profits in their business, which impacted their ability to meet basic needs. The respondents had opted for coping strategies, including joining village banking groups, giving goods on credit, and changing their type of business. However, the adaptation process was found to be impacted by other factors, such as border restrictions (related to power relations), limited access to financial capital, lack of skills and lack of institutions to support the traders to effectively adapt to the impacts of climate change. It can be argued that the impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of cross-border traders are acute and have limited options for adaptation. Hence, policy interventions should be open to including non-agricultural dependent livelihoods.