Rural households’ agricultural land vulnerability to climate change in Dembia woreda, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental threats facing our world in recent decades. As Ethiopia is dependent on rain–fed agriculture, it becomes one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Therefore, this study analyzed farmers’ agricultural land vulnerability to climate change in four randomly selected kebeles of Dembia woreda (District). The 372 sample respondents were randomly selected. The primary quantitative and qualitative data were collected using household survey, field observation, and interview methods. Accordingly, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the data. The rainfall and temperature trends were analyzed using simple linear regression and standardized precipitation index (SPI). Livelihood vulnerability index was used to analyze the levels of rural households’ agricultural land vulnerability to climate change supported with percentages, averages, maximum and minimum values. The results revealed increasing temperature, decreasing rainfall and abnormal precipitation distribution over past 32 years. Likewise, the livelihood vulnerability indices (LVIs) calculated for agricultural land and climatic exposure indicators revealed that households are increasingly vulnerable to climate change risks. For building more climate-resilient community the government in collaboration with stakeholders should enhance apt land management mechanisms and provide training, education, and required agricultural land inputs to the community.