The Effect of Climate Change Adaptation Strategy on Farm Household’s Welfare in Nile Basin of Ethiopia: Is there Synergy or Trade off?
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2016-06
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Abstract
Climate change is affecting different dimensions of human life. The effect is significant for rural farm
households in Ethiopia. In response to this farmers use different adaptation strategies. However, there is a gap in knowledge on the effect of different adaptation strategies on farm household’s welfare. This study examines the effect of Crop Diversification (CD), as a climate change adaptation strategy, on farm household’s welfare in terms of farm income and demand for labor in Nile Basin of Ethiopia. The study also identified the main determinants of adopting CD. The study explore whether there is synergy or tradeoff between the effect of CD on household income and labor demand. The relationship between Farm household’s income and family labor demand are modeled by using Endogenous Switching Regression model (ESRM) containing household and farm characteristics including a set of geo referenced climate variables such as, temperature and growing season rain fall. The analysis is based on farm household data collected in 2015. The result indicates that, climate variables such as, the amount and variability of growing season rain fall and temperature are the most important factors affecting both household’s income, demand for labour and adoption of CD. The study also shows that adopting CD is more likely in areas characterized by low rain fall and high temperature. In addition to this the study indicates synergy on the effect of adoption of CD, a positive and significant effect in enhancing farm household’s income and reducing family labor demand. Adopters benefited more in terms of reduction in labor demand than their non adopter counter parts. The findings of this study confirms that using crop diversification is a win-win
climate change adaptation strategy that provides double benefit both in terms of productivity improvement and labor reduction. Thus, the result suggests the adoption of CD in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia to improve the wellbeing of farm household’s and to build a resilient agricultural system for the catastrophic effect of climate change.
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Resource and Environmental Economics, Environmental Economics Stream, Resource and Environmental Economics Stream