Essays on Agricultural Productivity and Climate Resilience in Ethiopia: Insights into Conservation Practices, Public Works, and Land Cover Change
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Date
2025-07-16
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A.A.U
Abstract
This dissertation explores the interconnected dynamics of agricultural productivity, climate
resilience, and sustainable land management in rural Ethiopia. It evaluates the effects of targeted
conservation information on productivity, examines the role of public works in resource
conservation and labor engagement, and analyzes the impact of land cover changes on
agricultural output. The first essay assesses the influence of plot-specific conservation practices
on productivity, highlighting the role of tailored information in promoting recommended
practices and enhancing productivity. Through multi-year (2015-2021) randomized controlled
trials, the study demonstrates that site-specific conservation recommendations significantly
improve the adoption of conservation practices and increase maize land productivity across
diverse agroecological contexts. The findings further suggest that such interventions lower costs
by saving labor and improving soil fertility, thereby increasing productivity. These findings
highlight the potential of targeted conservation strategies to improve agricultural productivity
and promote long-term sustainability across diverse agroecological regions. The second essay
examines the impact of public works programs on soil and water conservation and their effect on
labor engagement in rural Ethiopia. By utilizing unbalanced panel data from the Ethiopian
socioeconomic survey across three periods (2011/12, 2013/14, and 2015/16), this study illustrates
that public works programs enhance soil and water conservation, reallocate labor to agricultural
production, and reduce labor participation in non-agricultural activities. These programs
support immediate livelihoods and long-term sustainability, particularly as adaptive strategies in
drought-prone areas, by strengthening conservation efforts, reshaping household labor allocation,
and enhancing food security. The third essay explores the impact of weather shocks on
agricultural productivity in rural Ethiopia, focusing on the role of land cover dynamics. This
study employs balanced panel data from the 2011/12, 2013/14, and 2015/16 waves of the
Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey, combined with satellite-based vegetation indices, drought
severity, and temperature data. Using a multiway fixed-effects estimator, the analysis shows that
weather shocks significantly reduce agricultural productivity, while improved land cover
mitigates these effects and increases productivity. The study finds that enhanced land cover
change better mitigates climatic stress in tropical-cool zones and high-productivity households.
The paper emphasizes the critical importance of sustainable land management in strengthening
resilience to climate variability in vulnerable regions. Collectively, these essays advance the
understanding of sustainable practices and resilience strategies, offering valuable insights for
policies that promote livelihoods, food security, sustainability, and climate resilience in rural
Ethiopia. This dissertation synthesizes key findings and offers evidence-based recommendations
to enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience in Ethiopia, with broader
applicability to regions sharing similar agroecological and farming contexts.
Keywords: Agricultural productivity, Climate resilience, conservation, information, Public
works, Land cover change