IMPACTS OF PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET PROGRAM IN REDUCING VULNERABILITY OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS TO CLIMATE INDUCED SHOCKS: THE CASE OF CHIRO DISTRICT, EASTERN OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopia is a country highly vulnerable to climate change and climate change-induced shocks. The adverse impacts of climate change and variability, as well as climate-induced shocks, are putting increasing pressure on rural household’s livelihoods depending on natural resource. The level of vulnerability varies among households, regardless of whether they have been participated in the Productive Safety Net program. However, local, and context-specific vul-nerability assessments in West Hararghe zone in general and in Chiro district in particular, are scarce and insufficient for planning and actions. Therefore, this study examined the im-pacts of productive safety net program in reducing the vulnerability of rural households to climate-induced shocks in Chiro District, Eastern Oromia Ethiopia. This study applied de-scriptive research design by combining with mixed research design (qualitative and quantita-tive data) from primary and secondary data sources. The study applied simple random sam-pling method to select 300 households and four kebeles in Chiro District. The study also used data collection instruments such as household survey, interviews with key informants and fo-cus group discussions and observation. This study analyzed household vulnerability using In-tergovernmental Panel on Climate Change components of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity through the principal component analysis method. Thus, the results of the finding showed that PSNP participants were more vulnerable than non-participants by (4.22%). This is because participants showed lower adaptive capacity than non-participants did. In addi-tion, the participants were more exposed to climate induced-shocks and susceptible to bio-physical conditions than non-participants. Similarly, using logit model, the study also identi-fied the incidence of some major climate-induced shocks such as drought, fall worm army, desert locust infestation and human disease. The study also examined the impact of PSNP on some outcome variables using the propensity score matching method for participants and non-participants. Accordingly, the study disclosed that participation in the program have a significant impact in increasing annual income by (32.9%), total asset (19.13%), reducing food gap months by (4.33%), improved food security by (24.63%) and improving access to credit (4.33%) and improving gender equality (13.27%). Finally, the current study concluded that households that participated on the program were more likely to be vulnerable than non-participant households. Therefore, the program needs to strengthen with livelihood enhance-ment interventions like off-farm, non-farm activities, and creating access to credit. The study will further ensure gender equality and women empowerment issues which are crucial in helping poor households to be self-reliant and recover quickly from climate-induced shocks.