Climate-oriented social enterprises and livelihoods in semi-arid areas of Tanzania
Keywords:
Climate change, social enterprises, alternative livelihood patterns, semi-arid areas, TanzaniaAbstract
The social enterprise logic is founded on goals that address social challenges to scale impact. Literature acknowledges varieties of socio-economic livelihoods that are affected by the effects of climate change. However, inadequate explored are the roles of social enterprises in bridging the gaps in livelihoods that are compromised by the effects of climate change in semi-arid areas of Tanzania. The proportion of climate-oriented social enterprises over others and the extent to which the enterprises provide alternative patterns of livelihoods to individuals affected by climate change are examined. A quantitative research design that combines secondary and primary data was employed. Secondary data were collected from reports and statistical databases provided by key informants. Primary data were collected from beneficiaries of ten small-scale climate-oriented social enterprises by using a questionnaire. The quantitative data were analyzed descriptively.
The study found 58.3% of the mapped social enterprises to engage in addressing climate-related activities in comparison to other social enterprises that have diverse activities. Also, beneficiaries in the range of 64% to 91% are portrayed to benefit from the alternative livelihood-enhancing patterns provided by the climate-oriented social enterprises. Notwithstanding the percentages, findings point a 35% of beneficiaries not seeing strong contributions to livelihood enhancement from climate-oriented social enterprises. The study puts up knowledge on policy and practices to create climate-oriented social enterprises that maximize value to both the environment and the livelihoods of communities subjected to climate risks.
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