Climate Change Adaptation Strategies of Smallholder Farmers: The Case of Assosa District, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

This study identified farmers’ choice of and factors determining adaptation strategies to climate change in Assosa district, western Ethiopia which is severely affected by climate change stresses. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data were collected from a randomly selected 140 sample households through interview and focus group discussions. Relevant secondary data were also obtained from Assosa district office of agriculture, national metrology agency and different reports. Descriptive statistics were used to describe farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change. Multivariate probit model was estimated to identify the factors determining households’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate change. The results of the model pointed out that the likelihood of households to adopt irrigation, improved varieties of crops, adjustment of planting date, crop diversification and soil conservation practices were 52.3%, 45.8%, 49.5%, 46.9% and 34.1%, respectively. The results also indicated that the joint likelihood of using all adaptation strategies was only 1.5% and the joint likelihood of failure to adopt all of the adaptation strategies was 3.5%. Moreover, Multivariate probit model confirmed that sex, literacy status, farming experience, family size, land holding, access to credit, access to media, extension contact, farmer to farmer extension, farm income, off/non-farm income, livestock ownership, market distance and access to training have a statistically significant impact on climate adaptation strategies. Therefore, policy makers should focus on the aforementioned factors to enhance farmers’ adaptation to climate change in order to reduce their vulnerability to different shocks and seasonality as well as to improve their livelihood.

Keywords: Climate change, Adaptation strategies, Multivariate probit model, Assosa district, Western Ethiopia