Abstract
This study investigates the perception of historic changes in climate and associated impact on local agriculture among smallholders in pastoral/agropastoral systems of Borana in southern Ethiopia. We drew on empirical data obtained from farm household surveys conducted in 5 districts, 20 pastoral/agropastoral associations and 480 farm households. Using this data, this study analyses smallholders’ perception of climate change and its associated impact on local agriculture, and the effect of various household and farm attributes on perception. Results suggest that most participants perceived climatic change and its negative impact on agricultural and considered climate change as a salient risk to their future livelihoods and economic development. Different levels of perception were expressed in terms of climate change and the impact on traditional rain-fed agriculture. Age, education level, livestock holding, access to climate information and extension services significantly affected perception levels. Household size, production system, farm and non-farm incomes did not significantly affect perception levels of smallholders. Smallholders attributed climate change to a range of biophysical, deistic and anthropogenic causes. Increased access to agricultural support services, which improves the availability and the quality of relevant climate information will further enhance awareness of climate change within of the rural community and result in better management of climate-induced risks in these vulnerable agricultural systems.
Highlights
Perception strongly affects how farmers deal with climateinduced risks and opportunities, and the precise nature of their behavioural responses to this perception will shape adaptation options, the process involved and adaptation outcomes (Adger et al 2009; Pauw 2013)
The study area The study area, Borana pastoral/agropastoral systems lie within the Borana administrative zone (3°36’ and 6°38’N and 36°43’ and 41°40’E) which is located in southern Ethiopia in the tropics and shares boundary with Northern Kenya in the south (Fig. 1)
This study suggests that educational activities - years of school, access to climate information and extension services strongly influence and increase perception of climate change and its impact on local agriculture
Summary
Perception strongly affects how farmers deal with climateinduced risks and opportunities, and the precise nature of their behavioural responses to this perception will shape adaptation options, the process involved and adaptation outcomes (Adger et al 2009; Pauw 2013). Rural households in sub-Saharan Africa are heavily reliant on their natural resource base to provide food and income for the family, and the availability of such resources is dependent on favourable seasonal weather conditions (Solomon et al 2007). The current international scientific consensus is that recent global warming conditions indicate a fairly stable long-term trend with natural variability of local climate (Hansen et al 2012). The notorious variability in local climate conditions and the underlying long-term trend towards global warming makes it difficult for local people to discern climate change. Indigenous people with limited access to climate information are more likely to attribute changing climatic conditions, extreme weather events, to a change in their rituals and cultural practices (Nyanga et al 2011). Irrespective of the driving forces understanding views of target communities is important to prompt the need to adapt and facilitate support for policy related adaptation decisions
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