DROUGHT, EARLY WARNING SYSTEM AND DETERMINANTS OF COPING STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF KERSA WOREDA, EAST HARARGHE ZONE OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Drought is one of the major natural hazards that occur in global and occasionally impacts on livelihoods and human life. Droughts have certain unique features like, dynamic in frequency and duration. The objective of this study to identify drought early warning system and determinants of coping strategies in Kersa woreda, East Hararghe Zone. To address this objective primary data gathered from interview of 200 respondents, practitioners and observation and for secondary data collection referred documents through practice mixed method and triangulation. Standard precipitation index, descriptive and Multinomial logistic model used for result analysis. In study area drought is not silent so practice drought resistant/early mature cropping, off-farm activities and government supports are most copping strategies. Multinomial Logit model regression results indicated the likelihood of adopting early mature and drought resistance crop planting have positive and significant effect for households who received better market information, access to credit service and higher education level as compared to livestock and livestock product selling on drought copping strategies. But households having large farming experience and larger farm size have negative effect on adopting off/non-farm activity as compared to livestock and livestock product selling and the likelihood also lower on drought coping strategies. Therefore, development partner should focus on strengthening capacity of households through access credit and market information and promoting demonstration of early mature and drought tolerant crop planting. The way of access to adult education should be redesign and implemented by the government through invest on educating and increasing literacy among the farmers