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Do people manage climate risk through long-distance relationships?
Anne C Pisor1,2, James Holland Jones3
1Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Summary
Long-distance social ties help manage risks from climate variability, especially for those experiencing patterned resource shortfalls. While not directly predicted by exposure, factors like being male or extraverted correlate with more such relationships.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Sociology
Background:
- Long-distance social relationships have deep evolutionary roots.
- A key historical function of these ties is managing resource scarcity caused by climate variability.
- This risk management is crucial when shortfalls are chronic or predictable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of long-distance relationships in mitigating risks from climate variability.
- To test hypotheses on why individuals maintain these connections despite costs.
- To examine these dynamics in Bolivian horticulturalist communities facing precipitation variability.
Main Methods:
- Collected data on migration, social networks, and other variables from 119 individuals in 2017.
- Utilized precipitation data to estimate participants' exposure to drought and excess rainfall.
- Analyzed relationships between climate exposure and the number of long-distance social connections.
Main Results:
- Exposure duration, proximity, or frequency to climate variability did not predict the number of long-distance relationships.
- However, males, extraverted individuals, and those with more travel experience reported more long-distance relationships.
- These findings suggest social and individual factors play a role independent of direct climate risk exposure.
Conclusions:
- Long-distance relationships serve to access resources unavailable locally, a primary function in rural Bolivia.
- The study refines predictions on when these relationships effectively help manage climate variability risks.
- Individual traits and mobility influence the maintenance of social networks for risk management.
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