SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF DROUGHT AND DETERMINANTS OF COPING STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF YABELLO PASTORAL AND AGRO-PASTORAL AREAS, BORANA ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study was undertaken in Yabello woreda of Borana Zone, Southern Ethiopia to assess severity, frequency and trends of drought incidences, the socio-economic impacts of drought and Determinantes of their coping strategies on pastorals and agro pastorals. A total of 288 Pastoral and agropastoral sample Households from three kebeles were surveyed to acquire data on socioeconomic, drought incidences, Drought impact and coping strategies. Meteorological data of Yabello and El-weye station were used. Standardized precipitation index, was used to indentify deficit of precipitation for multiple timescales in the stations. Mann-Kendall’s test was employed for a trend analysis of drought incidences. Multinomial logit model were used to analyze the determinants of the pastoral coping strategy. The coefficient variation of the study area for Yabello was (21.2%), while for El-weye it was (53%) which showed high inter-annual variability. Both stations experienced drought episodes in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2014 and 2015 drought years in the history of Ethiopia. The year 2006 was the most drastic and distinct-wide extreme drought episode in both stations, with standard precipitation index values -2.14 at El-weye and -2.01 at Yabello station. Except two-month timescale at El-weye station, the Mann–Kendal test shows all timescales were not statistically significant (P<0.05). Increasing tendencies of drought were observed during main rainy season and decreasing tendencies of drought during short rainy season and annual scale in the study area. The survey results show that drought has severely affecting the socioeconomic activities of the community. Especially, Livestock, Grazing land, Income, crop production and the water sources. In order to cope with drought impacts, households are using a variety of strategies including livestock diversification, crop-livestock livelihood diversification, water and range land management and different nonfarm, non pastoral practices. Results from choice model employed indicate that gender, age, level of education, market distance, and credit, livestock size and income influence Pastorals and agro pastorals choices at 1%, 5% and 10% significance level. Moreover, the result revealed pastorals and agro pastorals whose livelihood depend on rainfall are significantly affected from impact of drought sensitivity with weakened coping strategies. The study further recommends, the need to design appropriate water management strategies and improve the capability to cope with changing environmental conditions to offsets the negative impacts of droughts.