Smallholder Farmers’ Adaptation strategies to Climate change and Determinant Factors in Gedeo and West Guji Zones, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Now a day climate change is becoming the global concern particularly in agricultural sector. The problem is even worse in subsistence agriculture. Due to the negative impact of climate change in agricultural sector farmers are practicing different climate change adaptation strategies to minimize the negative impact on agricultural production. The purpose of this study was to identify the most prevalent adaptation strategies used by farmers and determinants in southern Ethiopia. Data was collected from 386 households using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and Multinomial logit equation model were employed to identify types of adaptation options prioritized by the local community, to examine factors that influence the choice of farmers to employ adaptation options to climate change and to provide suitable policy implications on adaptation options to climate change. The result showed that different districts had different strategies for adapting to climate change. Therefore, the most important adaptation strategies in Abaya district were soil and water conservation, tree planting, and grain storage; in Bule district the most important adaptation strategies were soil and water conservation, tree planting, and agroforestry practices; and in Dilla-zuria farmers prioritized tree planting and enset planting. Farmers' decisions to implement climate change adaptation strategies have been influenced by determinants of climate change in both positive and negative ways. According to the results, policies and methods that promote farmers' involvement in the design and implementation of adaptation alternatives using a bottom-up approach are necessary for improved climate change anticipation rather than concentrating on minimizing the adverse impact. This can be accomplished by strengthening farmers' organizations for the purpose of exchanging experiences in order to increase public adaptation capacity, incorporating climate change training into educational policies, improving agricultural extension systems in light of climate change, and strengthening institutional capacity to produce climate information at the local level.