The Effect of Climate Change on Pastoralism in Ethiopia: The Case of Awash
No Thumbnail Available
Files
Date
2014-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa Univerisity
Abstract
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges that the world is facing today.
Climate change has become world top 10 challenges which pose a risk to livelihood security.
The risk is higher in countries and regions where the dependence on natural resources is high
and the adaptive capacity to climatic changes is low. Afar is such a region. The majority of the
region 's population's sources of income, employment and food depend on pastoralism and
agriculture. With the repeated incidence of drought, it becomes important to understand the
impacts of climate change on pastoral livelihoods. The research into climate change effect on
livelihood is still in an early stage of development and little work has been done in the area
particularly as this related to the case of climate change effect on the pastOf'alist community in
Ethiopia. Building on a case study of pastoralists in Awash wereda, this thesis explores and
analyzes how the interaction of climate change effect with non climatic stressors contribute to
vulnerability of livelihoods. To address the objective of the research qualitative research method
is used. The framework of Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) is used. Thus P RA tools
such as transect walk, observation, together with interview and focus group discussion
techniques of qualitative data collection are employed to generate the data. Key underlying
drivers of vulnerability in Awash wereda emanate}i'om climatic and non climatic factors. These
are environmental degradation; encroachment of land by Prosopis, population pressures;
resource scarcity induced conflicts; inadequate non pastoral, non farming opportunities; poor
access to in}i'astructure; resources and services; weakening role of traditional institutions. The
pastoralists have been responding to these changes using different coping mechanisms. They are
using traditional adaptation mechanisms of mobility, social safety net and herd splilting. But this
has become weakening and people have started new mechanisms of coping. These are
diversification of sources of income, employment and feeding. The new livelihood strategies
such as farming, trading and waged labour are challenged by limitations in skill, knowledge and
resource. The efforts underway, the initiatives and changes occurring in pastoralism should
therefore be augmented and supported through investment and knowledge transfer. Interventions
shouldfocus in addressing the underlying drivers of vulnerability of livelihood to be successful
Description
Keywords
Climate change, Afar, pastoralism, livelihood, vulnerability, coping mechanism, diversification.