Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://etd.hu.edu.et/handle/123456789/320
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Item SMALLHOLDER FARMERS PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICES OF THEIR ADAPTATION PRACTICES: THE CASE OF LOKA ABAYA WOREDA, SIDAMA REGION, ETHIOPIA(Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2021) NIGATU TUNSISA TUMICHAClimate change has currently been recognized across disciplines and groups of people as a serious challenge facing societies today. This study was motivated by the fact that smallholder farming as part of the broader agricultural sector locally affected by climate change while contributing to food security, economic growth and employment provision particularly in study area. This study sought to analyze Smallholder Farmers Perception of Climate Change and Factors Affecting Choices of Their Adaptation Practices: The case of Loka Abaya Woreda, Sidama Region. It further aimed to identify small holder farmers’ perception on climate change, adaptation practices to CC at farm level and to analyze factors affecting adoption of different adaptation strategies by small holder farmers. The study used cross sectional survey design to accomplish the study. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 148 sample respondents. Both primary and secondary data sources were used to while collecting study data. To collect the required data household survey, FGDs, and KIIs were used from primary data sources. Furthermore the study collected secondary data sources from published and unpublished materials. Descriptive statistics and econometric model was used to analyze the objectives of the study. The finding of study indicated that the state of climate of the area has been changing when a comparison is made with over 30 years based on perceptions of smallholder farmers, local elders, local leaders and experts. Most of the interviewed small holder farmers had experienced the change in climate; fully aware that temperature is getting warmer, rainfall has decreased, occurrence of drought, rainfall starting latter, unpredictable rainfall, and risk of crop and livestock diseases have increased due to climate change. This had impacted crop production through crop failure and reduced yield. Furthermore, other major losses incurred due to climate change could be ordered sequentially as livestock productivity decreased, crop area reduced, income reduced, high food costs, and river run off decreased, crop/ animal disease outbreaks, plant species decreased/loss , dependency on relief increased (food insecurity) as the other impacts of climate change, respectively. The main farming’s adaptation strategies to CC used by smallholder farmers in Loka abaya woreda were found to be: crop diversification, diversifying sources of livelihood, planting/keeping drought tolerant crops/livestock, use of agro-forestry and reforestation/ afforestation as the main climate change adaptation strategy in the study area. Other important climate change adaptation strategies used by the farmers in the study areas include: Soil and water conservation techniques, use of irrigation system/water storage, changing planting dates, incomes from remittances, and out migration from climate risk areas. The findings of multinomial logistic regression model (MNL) explained that out of eleven selected variables, six of them (age, family size, farm size, education, contact with extension personnel, access to credit service ,attaining information on climate change and distance from market) were statistically significant factors that affect small holder farmers use of adaptation strategies to climate change in study area. The study, therefore, recommends, local governments, research institutions and farmers needed to be mainstreamed and institutional networks strengthened in order for effective and stable small holder farmers based adaptation practice to inevitable climate change.