Adjustment in Self-provisioning SocietiesN SJodhaauthorA CMascarenhasauthorThe impact of climate variation on society and appropriate methods for its assessment will vary according to the society that is being studied. In this chapter we focus on self-provisioning societies, bringing to bear evidence from India and Tanzania. We focus oh the variability of climate from one year to the next and over short groups of years, as these variations create pressing problems for self-provisioning societies. We also emphasize drought, which surpasses other climate variations in impact on these societies. For a discussion relevant to the effects of gradual long-term climate change on self-provisioning societies, see Parry (Chapter 14), who offers historical examples from Europe and North America. The question of impacts of seasonality is addressed here in part; for a more extensive treatment, see Chambers (1982). It is also informative to contrast the issues and approaches in this chapter with those in Pilgrim (Chapter 13), who describes social impact assessments undertaken in developed countries.Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics1985John Wiley & Sons LtdBook Section