Social capital and climate change perception in the Mara River Basin, Kenya
Abstract/ Overview
Climate change is a phenomenon that affects different facets of human livelihood. However, the general public does not
easily comprehend it. This study was inspired by the realization that climate change is not just an ecological entity but that
social processes have a crucial role to play in responding to the climate change crisis. Community perception is critical
because it determines response to the crisis. Social capital has been identified as key in creating a framework for
understanding community dynamics. In the Mara River Basin in Kenya, a fragile environment that supports a large
population in Western Kenya, social capital has been analyzed by this study and linked to community perception of the
climate change crisis within the basin. The study therefore seeks to demonstrate how social capital can be used to develop a
deeper understanding of the cognizance of climate change nuances at community level.