The state of local adaptive capacity to climate change in drought-prone districts of rural Sidama, southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The paper assesses local adaptive capacity of rural households in three drought-prone districts of rural Sidama using Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance’s (ACCRA) Local Adaptive Capacity Framework (LACF). Randomly selected401 households were approached to collect relevant data on the state of local adaptive capacity. Additional qualitative data were gathered from key informant interviews and focus group discussions so as to substantiate the findings from HHs data. Gridded satellite rainfall data (1983–2014) was also used to examine the trend of growing season rainfall and drought incidents over the years under consideration. The collected data was analysed vis-à-vis the five parameters (livelihood resources, institutions and entitlements, knowledge and information, innovation and technology, and flexible forward looking decision making and governance) of the framework. The findings indicated that growing season rainfall had declined and seven droughts of different magnitude happened over the three decades under consideration. Further, despite government’s endeavor to build adaptive capacity of rural households through different programs, the state of local adaptive capacity to climate change is in its infantile stage entailing further selective intervention to strengthen adaptive capacity in sustainable manner.