An analysis of the effects of refugees on household adaptive capacity in Kagera, Tanzania

Abstract

Every year thousands of refugees worldwide have to leave their home- countries and flee to neighboring countries. These host countries experience certain effects of refugees, however, little is known about these specific effects on local inhabitants. With the use of an adaptive capacity framework, a household level study was executed in Kagera, Tanzania. Based on 4 months fieldwork, surveys and interviews form the basis of an assessment of positive and negative effects of refugees, to be able to discover change in adaptive capacity of locals in Kagera. The results show that refugees have positive and negative effects on the adaptive capacity of locals. Mainly human and financial capital are influenced positively, and natural capital is influenced negatively. Also, a tendency of positive effects in northern Kagera and negative effects in southern Kagera was discovered. Additionally, a difference in households that mainly benefitted from the refugees and that were disadvantages was revealed. Nevertheless, the main finding was that the Kagera region as a whole experienced mainly positive effects of refugees, and the inhabitants of Kagera thus established an increased capacity to adapt.