Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens
Studying natural hazards in the context of human-induced landscape transformation is complex, especially in regions with limited information. The narratives of the elderly can play a role in filling these knowledge gaps at the multi-decadal timescale. Here, we build upon a citizen-based elderly appr...
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2025-02-01
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| author | Violet Kanyiginya Ronald Twongyirwe David Mubiru Caroline Michellier Mercy Gloria Ashepet Grace Kagoro-Rugunda Matthieu Kervyn Olivier Dewitte |
| author_facet | Violet Kanyiginya Ronald Twongyirwe David Mubiru Caroline Michellier Mercy Gloria Ashepet Grace Kagoro-Rugunda Matthieu Kervyn Olivier Dewitte |
| author_sort | Violet Kanyiginya |
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| description | Studying natural hazards in the context of human-induced landscape transformation is complex, especially in regions with limited information. The narratives of the elderly can play a role in filling these knowledge gaps at the multi-decadal timescale. Here, we build upon a citizen-based elderly approach to understanding natural hazard patterns and landscape transformation in a tropical mountainous environment, the Kigezi Highlands (SW Uganda). We engaged 98 elderly citizens (>70 years old) living in eight small watersheds with different characteristics. Through interviews and focus group discussions, we reconstructed historical timelines and used participatory mapping to facilitate the interview process. We cross-checked the information of the elderly citizens with historical aerial photographs, archives, and field visits. Our results show that major land use/cover changes are associated with a high population increase over the last 80 years. We also evidence an increase in reported natural hazard events such as landslides and flash floods from the 1940s until the 1980s. Then, we notice a stabilization in the number of hazard events per decade, although the two most impacted decades (1980s and 2000s) stand out. Despite this new information, an increase in natural hazard frequency due to land use/cover change cannot yet be quantitatively validated, especially when the probable modulator effect of climate variability is considered. Nevertheless, the increase in the exposure of a vulnerable population to natural hazards is clear, and population growth together with poor landscape management practices are the key culprits that explain this evolution. This study demonstrates the added value of historical narratives in terms of understanding natural hazards in the context of environmental changes. This insight is essential for governments and non-governmental organizations for the development of policies and measures for disaster risk reduction that are grounded in the path dependence of local realities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-998f43ffbb154a5282aa805a9c840ea0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj-art-998f43ffbb154a5282aa805a9c840ea02025-08-20T03:11:21ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-02-0114234610.3390/land14020346Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly CitizensViolet Kanyiginya0Ronald Twongyirwe1David Mubiru2Caroline Michellier3Mercy Gloria Ashepet4Grace Kagoro-Rugunda5Matthieu Kervyn6Olivier Dewitte7Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, 3080 Tervuren, BelgiumDepartment of Environment and Livelihoods Support Systems, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara P.O. Box 1410, UgandaDepartment of Biology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara P.O. Box 1410, UgandaDepartment of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, 3080 Tervuren, BelgiumDepartment of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, 3080 Tervuren, BelgiumDepartment of Biology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara P.O. Box 1410, UgandaDepartment of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, 3080 Tervuren, BelgiumStudying natural hazards in the context of human-induced landscape transformation is complex, especially in regions with limited information. The narratives of the elderly can play a role in filling these knowledge gaps at the multi-decadal timescale. Here, we build upon a citizen-based elderly approach to understanding natural hazard patterns and landscape transformation in a tropical mountainous environment, the Kigezi Highlands (SW Uganda). We engaged 98 elderly citizens (>70 years old) living in eight small watersheds with different characteristics. Through interviews and focus group discussions, we reconstructed historical timelines and used participatory mapping to facilitate the interview process. We cross-checked the information of the elderly citizens with historical aerial photographs, archives, and field visits. Our results show that major land use/cover changes are associated with a high population increase over the last 80 years. We also evidence an increase in reported natural hazard events such as landslides and flash floods from the 1940s until the 1980s. Then, we notice a stabilization in the number of hazard events per decade, although the two most impacted decades (1980s and 2000s) stand out. Despite this new information, an increase in natural hazard frequency due to land use/cover change cannot yet be quantitatively validated, especially when the probable modulator effect of climate variability is considered. Nevertheless, the increase in the exposure of a vulnerable population to natural hazards is clear, and population growth together with poor landscape management practices are the key culprits that explain this evolution. This study demonstrates the added value of historical narratives in terms of understanding natural hazards in the context of environmental changes. This insight is essential for governments and non-governmental organizations for the development of policies and measures for disaster risk reduction that are grounded in the path dependence of local realities.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/346geo-hydrological hazardsland use and land cover changecitizen sciencehistorical narrativesparticipatory mappingdisaster risk |
| spellingShingle | Violet Kanyiginya Ronald Twongyirwe David Mubiru Caroline Michellier Mercy Gloria Ashepet Grace Kagoro-Rugunda Matthieu Kervyn Olivier Dewitte Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens Land geo-hydrological hazards land use and land cover change citizen science historical narratives participatory mapping disaster risk |
| title | Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens |
| title_full | Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens |
| title_fullStr | Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens |
| title_short | Historicizing Natural Hazards and Human-Induced Landscape Transformation in a Tropical Mountainous Environment in Africa: Narratives from Elderly Citizens |
| title_sort | historicizing natural hazards and human induced landscape transformation in a tropical mountainous environment in africa narratives from elderly citizens |
| topic | geo-hydrological hazards land use and land cover change citizen science historical narratives participatory mapping disaster risk |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/346 |
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