Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability in eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Agricultural production in Ethiopia is vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation is one of the options to abate the negative impact of climate changes. This study has analyzed factors influencing different climate change adaptation choices by farm households in eastern Ethiopia. The study were analyzed by using the data obtained from 330 household heads randomly and proportionately sampled from two agroecologies in Eastern Hararghe zone of Oromiya Region and Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia. The study used a multinomial logistic regression model to identify factors affecting the choice of adaptation strategies to climate change where changing planting date, irrigation water use, soil and water conservation, and crop variety selection. The result indicated that factors determining choice of climate adaptation options were sex of household head, family size, education status of household head, agroecology, distance to market, cultivated land, credit access, decreasing precipitation and change of temperature. Policy thrust should focus on linking farmers to fertilizer usage, credit access and social participation as well as creates awareness to climate change. Keywords: climate change, adaptation strategies, multinomial logit model