DETRMINANTS OF WOMEN ADAPTATION TO THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY IN ASSOSA WOREDA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Different authors have shown that the factors that influence the climate change adaptation decisions of female are different from those that influence the adaptation decisions of male. However, the particular determinant factors of women adaptation to climate change was not separately considered in studies conducted on the different adaptation mechanism. This study analyzed determinant of women adaptation to potential impacts of climate change in Assosa Woreda .In the study both Primary and secondary data were analysed. Meteorological data of Assosa Station from 1980 to 2013 was collected from Addis Ababa NMA. Primary data (existing climate change adaptation mechanisms and potential factors) were collected from focus group discussion and empirical literature. This was analyzed using multinomial logit model fitted to data from survey of 150(one hundred fifty) households semi-structured questionnaire. Major existing adaptation mechanisms were identified by focus group discussion. The variability and trend of temperature and rainfall of the area was analyzed using variability indices (CV, PCI and SAI) and Man-Kendall trend test respectively. The major adaptation methods identified were crop diversification , pesticide use, planting trees, crop rotation, shifting cultivation and shifting to non-farming activities mainly firewood and charcoal sale, and gold mining. The result of the analysis using the fitted multinomial logit model showed that wealth, access to climate information, distance from home of rivers and forest, education level, access and control over resources, working condition and, area of land owned were significant factors of climate change adaptations. From the analysis it can be concluded that: lack of access to climate information, lack of access to education, lack of agricultural extension service, lack of access and control over resources ,long distance women walk to fetch water and fuel, and long working hour condition was barriers of women climate change adaptations. Government policies and implementing bodies should support economical empowering of women, improving access of women to climate information, construction of water schemes near houses, promote use of energy saving cook stoves, improve access to electricity of rural area, improve women access and control over resources and minimize work load by changing women working condition.