Abstract
Abstract Nowadays climate change is amongst the most critical problems affecting the wellbeing of human beings. In Ethiopia, where the majority of the population rely on agriculture, climate change has adverse effects. In rural areas, low resilient capacity to shocks exacerbates the impacts of climate change such as production failure, which in turn enormously contributed to food insecurity. In view of this fact, this study assessed the perceptions and practices of climate change and related adaptation and mitigation strategies among farmers in the Konta Special District, Southern Ethiopia, by using a mixed research approach involving a concurrent method of data collection and analysis. Quantitative data for this study was generated from 296 randomly selected survey households; while, qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews. The findings of this study revealed that sample respondents recognized the occurrence climate change and its increasing adverse effects. Regarding its cause, a substantial proportion (46.8%) of the respondents perceived climate change as the wrath of God and a natural phenomenon rather than attributing it to human activities. Participants also acknowledged that anthropogenic factors such as deforestation are the major driving factors for climate change. The study found that farmers affirmatively perceive the feasibility of the majority of the strategies embraced in the Climate Resilient Green Economy initiative endorsed at national level. Understanding that climate change effects are less reversible, farmers were found to practice mitigation strategies such as afforestation, agroforestry and agricultural intensification more than adaptation strategies. Adaptation strategies such as fuel conservation technologies were perceived costly and complex given the economic capacity and skill of farmers. Hence, rural and agricultural development policies should initiate context sensitive adaptation and mitigation strategies to enhance the capability of smallholders to deal with the effects of climate change.
Highlights
Background of the studyClimate change is one of the most critical environmental issues and among the serious natural dangers confronting humanity around the world in the twenty-first century (ARBUCKLE ET AL., 2013; HARUN ET AL., 2014)
In view of this fact, this study assessed the perceptions and practices of climate change and related adaptation and mitigation strategies among farmers in the Konta Special District, Southern Ethiopia, by using a mixed research approach involving a concurrent method of data collection and analysis
The survey was conducted with 296 heads of households regarding the perceived cause and consequences of the impacts of climate change and the practices of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies
Summary
Climate change is one of the most critical environmental issues and among the serious natural dangers confronting humanity around the world in the twenty-first century (ARBUCKLE ET AL., 2013; HARUN ET AL., 2014). There is a growing consensus among scholars that climate change is occurring, and is largely induced by human activities such as deforestation and pollution among others (AJUANG ET AL., 2016). Notwithstanding a few skeptical views, scientists are unequivocal that climate change is happening due to anthropogenic activities such as burning of fossil fuels, industrial pollution, deforestation, and land use changes (IPCC, 2014). Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the pre-industrial era. These are driven largely by economic and population growth, and are higher than ever (IPCC, 2014)
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