CLIMATE VARIABILITY IMPACTS AND DETERMINANTS ON CHOICE OF ADAPTATION STRATEGIES AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS: THE CASE OF TOCHA WOREDA, DAWRO ZONE, SNNPR, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study was conducted in three kebeles of Tocha woreda in Dawro zone, South Nation Nationalities and People’s Region to assess climate variability impacts and determinants on choice of adaptation strategies. In this study the investigator employed a descriptive-survey design and used multi-stage sampling techniques to select sample representative kebeles. The size of the sample household heads was 286 and out of which 34and 252 were female and male headed households respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were used. The study used primary data through interview of household heads, Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observation. Secondary data was also used from review of published and unpublished materials and documents from government offices. A gridded data of temperature and rainfall from 1999 - 2018 was received from National Metreological Agency of Ethiopia. The metreologcal data analysis pointed out that, temperature and rainfall exhibited increasing and declining trends for the past two decades respectively. Descriptive statistics was used to assess smallholder farmer’s awareness on climate variability impacts, and adaptation strategies along with its constraints while multinomial logit model was used to investigate the determinants on choice of adaptation strategies. As the survey result revealed that most of the sampled household heads noticed a decrease on rainfall and the increase in temperature. As the study result confirmed that, soil erosion, landslide, pests and diseases, scarcity of water and livestock feed, food insecurity, reduced crop and livestock productivity were the most pressing perceived impacts of climate variability in the study area. Soil and water conservation, using early maturing crops and altering planting date were familiar adaptation measures to smallholder farmers. The multinomial model result showed that sex, age, educational level, family size, income level, access to climate information, livestock size, access to extension service and agro ecology were found to influence the choice of adaptation strategies positively and significantly (P ≤ 10%). Developing awareness campaign, rising literacy status and extension contact, making use of metreologcal station, strengthening infrastructure and off-farm activities and paying due attention to sound natural resource management were forwarded as recommendation to tackle the impact of climate variability.