Smallholder Farmers Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in Ethiopia: Evidence from Adola Rede Woreda, Oromia Region

Abstract

The share of agriculture in the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of Ethiopia is very significant. Although agriculture is undeniably a key economic sector in Ethiopia, it is the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. An attempt to reduce the impacts of climate related problems requires appropriate policy responses. A number of studies on climate change adaptation recognize the importance of agro-ecologically based studies for designing context-specific policies and programs to climate change adaptation.

Therefore, this study was carried out with objectives of identifying the determinants of farmers’ decision to undertake adaptation measures to climate change and the farmers’ preferences to different adaptation strategies in Ethiopia using a case study in Adola Rede Woreda. The primary data was collected from 250 sample households using a survey questionnaire and was analyzed using both descriptive statistics and econometric methods. The logit model was used to identify the determinants to climate change adaptation decision. In addition, the Rank-Ordered Logit Model (ROLM) was used to identify the preference as well as the determinants to preferences for climate change adaptation strategies. Results of the logit regression model show that educational level, farm size owned, number of livestock owned, access to credit, and farmers-to-farmers’ extension service are among the factors which are positively and significantly affecting the farmers adaptation decision. However, non farm income and fertility level of the farm negatively and significantly affect farmers’ adaptation decision to climate change. Besides, the results of ROLM show that improved crop and livestock variety, Agroforestry, Changing of planting date, Soil and Water Conservation, Small Scale Irrigation and Temporary Migration are the adaptation strategy preferred by the farmers in Adola Rede in that order from the most preferred to the least preferred. The ROLM indicate that demographic, socio-economic and institutional factors determine the preferences for adaptation strategies. Therefore, the government should first understand the farmers’ preferences for climate change adaptation together with demographic, socio-economic and institutional factors in designing and implementing appropriate policy response to reduce the impacts of climate change and variability in the study area. In addition, addressing the barrier to climate change adaptation is also very important.

Keywords: climate change, adaptation, agroforestry, rank ordered logit model, Adola Rede