Impact and adaptation of climate variability and change on small-holders and agriculture in Ethiopia: A review

Abstract

Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to climate variability and change due to depend on the rain-fed agricultural system. The paper provides comprehensive review of impact and adaptation of climate variability and change on small-holder farmers and agriculture in Ethiopia. The study used secondary data from journal articles, books and technical reports, and discussed and organized with desk review. The study explored that climate variability and change has significantly affected crop and livestock production, fisheries and aquaculture, and food security. The study found that over 38 million people seriously interrupted from their living condition associated to climate related crises since 2000s up to 2010s in Ethiopia. Locust upsurge with the pest spreads reduces 1,228,352, 1,026,132 and 843,241 quintals of cereal crop productions in Oromia, Somali and Tigray regions of Ethiopia, respectively in 2020 production year. Drought declined 26% of number of cattle herd sizes in Dire and Yabelo District, Borana zone, southern Ethiopia in 2010/2011year. Although Effect of climate variability and change has become a serious problem on crop cultivation, pastoralism, and agro-pastoralism in Ethiopia, pastoralism, and agro-pastoralism are more vulnerable comparatively. Small-holder farmers have practiced soil and water conservation, improved crop and livestock variety, tree planting, livestock mobility, crop diversification, planting date adjustment, irrigation, agronomic practices, livelihood diversification, integrating livestock with crop production to reduce adverse impact of climate variability and change in the country. Livestock ownership, farm size, extension service, credit service, distance to market, and access to climate information were major factor of adaptation strategies. It concluded that farmers have practiced different adaptation strategies to reduce impact of climate variability and change in different part of the country. The study suggest that scholars should conduct their studies in disaggregate way for impact and adaptation to climate related problem and the corresponding factors across agro-ecologies in Ethiopia.