Perceptions of Pastoralists about Climate Change in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Saba Boru District

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Saba Boru district of the Guji zone in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state. A long-term alteration in a nation's or region's climatic tendencies is referred to as climate change. Agriculture accounts for roughly 47 percent of Ethiopia's GDP, and more than 85 million people rely on agriculture for a living, either directly or indirectly. This study examined local pastoralists' perceptions of climate change and related problems and is based on primary data collected from 821 households of 12 kebeles of the Saba Boru district. The collected data have been analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics evaluate the results. There is increased annual temperature from 20.6 °C to 21.28 °C, large variance in annual rainfall from 758.23 to 2.32 mm, and higher change in annual solar radiation from -99 °C to 18.33 °C during 1981 to 2019 are the evidence of climate change. More than 81 percent of respondents agreed that higher rainfall and changes in rainfall patterns were the shreds of evidence of climate change, while 78.1 percent agreed that greater drought was a sign of climate change. Although 79.3 percent of respondents agreed to an increase in temperature and high sunlight intensity as observed evidence of climate change, 15.2 percent disagreed. Similarly, 41.3 percent of respondents disagreed on the low fertility of most soils as observed signals of climate change, while 53.4 percent agreed. The study demonstrates that respondents in the communities examined are aware of climate change, but with variable levels of agreement.