The Impacts of Climate Change on Rural Livelihood and Their Adaptation Methods: the case of Alamata woreda, Southern Tigray
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Climate change and variability is one of the greatest challenges facing the Ethiopian
agrarians. Climate change has a drastic impact on agricultural output, with total crop
failure and massive livestock deaths. Furthermore the capacity of the rural poor to cope
with climate related shocks has declined due the increase frequency and intensity of
droughts. This study looks on the impact of climate change on rural livelihood and their
adaptation methods of Alamata woreda. The woreda or the study area is hotspot for the
impact of climate change. Three tabias was selected by simple random sampling method
and 131 persons were participated in the study. The general findings of the study shows
that the climate of the woreda has show variability and in turn this climate change and
variability has impact on the woredas livelihood sources like: crop production, cropping
pattern, availability of long cycle crops, and availability of livestock feed and loss of
livestock were the major ones. To minimize the impacts of climate change and variability
the farmers of the woreda had adopted different coping strategies like; decrease on
amount of meal, selling labor, food aid, selling livestock and other assets and eat less
expensive foods. Beles feeding for livestock, migration, early maturing crop varieties,
water and soil conservation, rehabilitation of gullies and area closure were long term
adaptation practices applied by farmers and woreda office of agriculture. By considering
the above facts the researcher recommends: there should collaboratively works of
farmers and DA experts on rehabilitation of their environment. The woreda’s office of
agricultural should encourage farmers to use drought resistant crop seeds with
commercial fertilize, compost and soil moisture management practices. In addition there
should be focus on planting fodder trees and beles around irrigation dykes and area
closures
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Geography and Environmental Studies