Conclusion

Some of the strategies employed are not only gender-specific but are also shaped by age, marital status, and type of livelihood or lack of livelihood. Weaving, which has emerged as the dominant livelihood, is gender-specific and relied upon by women of all ages regardless of their marital status. It has also been instrumental in reducing vulnerability, particularly that of female-headed households and widows, whose productive roles in small-livestock keeping has been taken over by their male folk, who have lost most if not all their cattle during episodes of severe climate extreme events. Weaving is also a climate-sensitive livelihood since it relies on the leaves of the Doum palm tree for its raw material. However, the Doum palm is a sturdy tree, and its fruits are often the only source of food when severe droughts occur. Pastoralism on the other hand has become the exclusive livelihood of men aged 40 years and above, locking out the younger men and women. Pastoralism used to be the major source of livelihood but is now under threat of extinction and may not survive with the continued impacts of climate change. The pastoralists over 40 years of age have increasingly become more vulnerable to the impacts of climate extreme events because not only are they unable to migrate in search of pasture and water but often must also compete with other men and women in the alternative livelihoods such as the charcoal business and petty trade.

The elderly widows and widowers who have no source of livelihood also belong to the vulnerable groups. Most of them are former pastoralists who have been unable to recover from successive episodes of extreme events. The young single men, and particularly those below 40 years of age, are more likely to relocate to urban areas in search of alternative livelihoods that are not climate-sensitive such as manual labour and engaging in petty trade and the boda boda business. The diversification of livelihoods has enabled both men and women to cope better with extreme events. All the respondents use both conventional and indigenous climate early-warning information to build their capacities to cope with climate change regardless of gender or age. However, the preferred source of climate information is influenced by age and type of livelihood. The younger generation prefer to use conventional early-warning information, whereas the older generation, who rely on climate-sensitive livelihoods, prefer the indigenous forecasts to manage climate risks. These findings indicate that the use of an intersectionality lens reveals the interplay of gender, age, marital status, and type of livelihood in identifying both the most vulnerable and marginalized and also those who may be able to cope with future episodes of climate extreme events.

Therefore, as the environment deteriorates, the immediate challenges become more severe. Food and water shortages intensify, leading to malnutrition, health problems, and economic hardship. Communities may be forced to migrate in search of better conditions, disrupting social structures and traditional livelihoods. The increased vulnerability and compounded challenges force communities to continue or even intensify their environmentally degrading practices, perpetuating the cycle of degradation and vulnerability. In this regard, Climate extremes exacerbate rural futures by creating immediate pressures that force communities to adopt unsustainable practices, undermining the rural environment and jeopardizing long-term resilience and development.