Drought Vulnerability and Impacts of Climate Change on Pastoralist and Their Adaptation Measures in Southern Ethiopia: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Drought is a complicated natural hazard has far-reaching social and Environment impacts. In Ethiopia’s diverse agro-ecological zones, drought remains severe challenge and problem. Pastoralists on the southern on the Ethiopia Kenya-Somalia border endured extreme suffering, including the loss of more than 75% of their cattle and huge migration out of drought–stricken areas. Drought has greatest immediate effects of on pastoralists, including depletion of water resources, rising deforestation, crop failure, and an increase in food price, ill health, livestock output losses and death, and a decline in livestock prices in the Borana Zone. Ethiopian pastoral system is almost all rain-fed livestock production system, which is becoming more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and variability. Current climate variability is already imposing significant challenges by preventing the struggle to reduce poverty and sustainable efforts. The review was showed in southern Ethiopia to understand the drought vulnerability and impacts of climate change and variability on pastoral community and their adaptation strategies. Moreover, based on the drought classification, seven annual droughts occurred in the reviewed area from 1986-2018. While their perception of declining annual rainfall are not supported by actual records. More over the result indicated that the significant increment of maximum and minimum temperature, high inter annual and seasonal rainfall variability have caused effects on their livestock’s wellbeing. The prominent adaptation strategies by the pastoralist are area enclosure herd mobility supplementary feeding livestock destocking. Nevertheless, the adaptation strategies are not practiced in full capacity constrained by different socio economic and institutional factors. Therefore, it is important to provide training and improved livestock’s which drought tolerant. Drought and impacts of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures depending on geography and livestock system may improve the study’s trajectory in the future if further review is done. Also, intervention is needed to address water shortage and up scaling water harvesting technology to conserve water during drought season in the study area.