Patterns of Drought and Community Responses in Fentale Pastoral Woreda, Oromia Region
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2010-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Pastoralism is a rational, adaptable, tried and tested production system uniquely suited to the
dlY lands. Pastoralism occupies a quarter of the world area, which is predominantly arid and
semiarid. Pastoralism developed autonomously across the world's dry lands ji-om some 7000
years ago. It is still widely practiced today and remains a dominant jeature of rural east AFican
in which most household sustain their means of living ji'om keeping domestic livestock. The arid
and semi-arid areas of Ethiopia, which covers 61 % of the land area of the country, are homes
for millions of pastoralists of diverse ethnic groups. The Karrayu Oromo of Eastern shewa Zone
are among the ethnic groups those practicing pastoralism under marginal condition and high
production risk because of the natural and different manmade factors; in which drought is the
major serious natural hazard and is continuously threatening the lives and livelihood of
past ora lists.
This study was conducted in Fentale Woreda of Eastern Shewa Zone with the objectives of
investigating the patterns of drought and community responses in the Fentale Pastoral Woreda
of Oromia Region. To conduct this study, a total of 134 purposely sampled households, focus
group discussion participants, some individual case studies, knowledgeable key informant
interviews and secondQ/y data sources were used.
Thejinding of the study indicates that in the present day, especially, post 2002; the pattern of the
drought in the Fentale Woreda is distorted ji-om its past normal cycle. In the present day,
drought cycle is shortened, drought is occurred every year or every other year and the severity
of drought is extremely increased. The increase in frequency and severity of drought has posed
multi- dimensional adverse effects on the Karrayu pastoralists' livelihood sources. /t caused
extinction of pasture ji-om the rangelands, dried up water points; unusually caused break out of
new and existed human, livestock and plant pests and diseases, declined household livestock
holding size; reduced production, productivity and reproduction of livestock; and has resulted in
chronic food insecurity. As a result, in the present day, pastoral mode of life of Karrayu
pastoralists ' are in a continuumjluxes.
In the present day, Karrayu pastoralists have been practicing a set of pastoral and non pastoral
activities as response mechanisms to mitigate the adverse effects of severe drought that is
aggravated by the recent climate change. An extent of household responses towards both
pastoral and non pastoral activities are varied, in which the household characteristics,
specifically, wealth in terms of livestock holding is the decisive factors for the engagement of the
household in anyone or more of a set of productive activities/response mechanisms! It is found
that there are various natural and manmade factors that are challenging response mechanisms
that are undertaken by Karrayu pastoratists ' to mitigate the adverse effects of severe drought
that is aggravated by climate change. Hence, designing of holistic (multidisciplinary which
comprise pastoral and non pastoral activity and people centered) development approach is a
decisive factor in order to build an appropriate response capacity at a local level to mitigate the
adverse effects of drought and to develop adaptation to drought/ climate change/in a sustainable
and sound full manner instead of taking only sedenteray agriculture as a sole jinal option in
responses that is undertaken to drought
Description
Keywords
Drought and Community Responses