Abstract:
Beekeeping activity remains source of livelihoods for rural communities of Ethiopia, but faces the challenge of changing climate. Smallholder beekeepers’ adaptation strategies in response to climate change and variability are influenced by socioeconomic, institutional, and environmental factors. This study was initiated to identify factors affecting smallholder beekeepers’ decisions to choose strategies to adapt to climate change and variability in Welmera District, Oromia regional state. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using interview schedule, focused group discussions, and key informant interviews. Percentage, means, and t-test were used for data analysis. Furthermore, a multinomial logit model was used to identify factors influencing beekeepers’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate change and variability. Results signified that skip honey harvesting, additional feeding, bee hive shade and improved bee forage planting are the dominant adaptation strategies that smallholder beekeepers used to limit the negative impact of climate change and variability in the study area. The result from the multinomial logit analysis showed that age, education, family size, farm size, income, perception of effects of climate change, access to climate information, membership to beekeeping group, and access to beekeeping extension contact are significance factors influencing adaptation strategies of beekeepers. Therefore, Government policies and investment strategies must be geared towards the support of education, beekeepers group mobilizing, update extension services in line with the prevailing climatic condition and create awareness on climate information about adaptation to climate change to increase beekeeper ability to adapt to climate impact
