SEASONAL CALENDAR
Conservation, Livelihoods and Governance Programme
Tools for participatory approaches
February 2013
A seasonal calendar is a visual method of showing the distribution of seasonally varying
phenomena (for example, economic activities, production activities, problems such as debt,
illness/disease, migration, and natural events/phenomena etc) over time.
What is it useful for?
Understanding seasonal distribution and differences between variables (events, conditions,
activities etc) and the cause and effect relationships between them.
Identifying periods of stress and hazards, including those associated with a changing climate,
and those times of year when different social groups are more or less vulnerable.
Understanding livelihoods and identifying some of the reducing, mitigating, and coping
strategies people use, including those that have emerged as a result of climate changes.
Introducing the concept of climate change adaptation.
Identifying the likely impact of a proposed intervention on seasonal risk and vulnerability
amongst different households or groups.
Exploring the benefits (or costs) of ecosystem services at different times of the year for
different people, and the relationship between different variables that may influence this.
Suggested steps
Allow approximately 2 hours for this exercise.
1) Ask participants to identify aspects in their lives that fluctuate on a seasonal basis. If
necessary, start with areas that appear clearly related to the main focus of the research
(livelihoods systems or climate hazards for example) but do not limit the list to these. These
can include (but are not limited to):
Holidays and festivals
Rainfall / wet seasons / dry seasons
Water availability
Periods of food scarcity / plenty
Income sources (times of higher and lower income)
Expenditures (times of higher and lower expenditure)
Planting and harvest seasons
Labour for agriculture (intensity)
Times of migration
Timing of hazards / disasters such as cyclones, droughts and floods
When common seasonal illnesses occur
2) The calendar can be based on a linear format, as in the example (Figure1), or on a table
format with months/seasons along one matrix and phenomena, events and changes along
the other. If using a table format, these variables or phenomena can then be placed down
the left side of the diagram. Additional variables can be added whenever necessary. A period
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of at least one year should be covered (in some circumstances a period of 18 months might
be more useful) so that the full seasonal variations in individual phenomena can be seen
clearly.
3) Taking each variable in turn, ask participants to put marks, or place stones, sticks, seeds,
coins, and other locally available materials, under each month or season to indicate relative
amounts, abundance or intensity of each variable.
4) If there are differences in the timing of fluctuations / events for women and men, each
variable should be considered separately for women and for men (and clearly marked).
Alternatively, the group may decide to prepare separate calendars for women and for men.
5) Discuss and analyse the results. Look for any patterns that can be seen, and cross-check
and probe for possible inconsistencies. It is important to note different perspectives from
different participants. If there are several different groups, ask each group to present its
calendar to the others for their reactions and comments.
Figure 1: An example of a seasonal calendar produced by male farmers in Kashmir (World
Bank, 2005)
Questions to guide discussion and analysis
The following questions can be used to guide the discussion but should be adopted and adapted
according to the focus of the exercise.
How do women's calendars compare with men's? What are the busiest periods for women?
For men?
How does food availability vary over the year? Are there periods of hunger? For whom?
How does income vary over the year? Are there periods of no income? For whom?
How do expenditures vary over the year? Are there periods of great expense, for example
school fees, food purchases?
What are the key linkages or ‘cause and effect’ relationships? For example, income and
food supply or rainfall and labour or weather and disease.
Are the overall livelihood systems fairly stable or with great seasonal variations? What are
the most important livelihood strategies employed at different times of the year?
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Which are the most difficult or high-risk times during the year? How do people plan and
respond to any risks? (This information can be transferred to a risk management matrix).
Are these strategies working?
Are there any differences in the timing of seasons and events as compared to 10 / 20 / 30
years ago?
Have livelihoods/coping strategies changed based on the changing seasons or events?
How are decisions made on timing of livelihood strategies?
What are the possible implications of these findings for any proposed intervention?
Points to remember:
Seasonal calendars should reflect local/indigenous concepts of time and seasonal
categories.
Symbols or drawings can be used to indicate the seasons and/or the events and changes
that occur throughout the year. It is important that all participants understand what has been
represented.
Local participants should be encouraged to build as much of the diagram as possible without
interruption and to suggest anything else that should be recorded.
Before using this tool read the accompanying document, A guide to using tools for
participatory approaches.
For further information
CARE (2009) Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Handbook
http://www.careclimatechange.org/tools
FAO (2001) Field Level Handbook (Socio-Economic and Gender Analysis Programme)
http://www.fao.org/sd/SEAGA/1_en.htm
World Bank (2005) Poverty and Social Impact Analysis Sourcebook
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This tool is an adapted version of the tool Seasonal Calendar in the World Bank (2005) Poverty
and Social Impact Analysis Sourcebook
FFI’s Conservation, Livelihoods and Governance programme is
financially supported by Anglo American.
The development and public dissemination of this tool has been co-
funded by the British American Tobacco Biodiversity Partnership.
Fauna & Flora International, 4th Floor, Jupiter House, Station Road,
Cambridge, CB1 2JD
Telephone +44 (0) 1223 571000
Fax +44 (0) 1223 571000
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