IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON LIVELIHOOD OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS: IN THE CASE OF DAMOT WOIDE DISTRICT,

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of climate change on livelihood of rural households in wolaita zone Damot Woyde district of southern Ethiopia. Both qualitative and quantitative data obtained using primary and secondary sources. The primary data were collected from 185 randomly selected respondents through interview while the qualitative data using four focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Secondary data on temperature and rainfall for the period 1987-2021 were also gathered from National Meteorological Agency hawassa sub-office. The finding of the study reveals that temperature and rainfall increasing and decreasing trend respectively. Reduction of crop yield and livestock number, shortage of posture and insufficiency of water to be the major perceived impacts of climate change. To adapt the changing climate of the area, farmers are already practicing adaptation strategies such as Crop diversification, decrease livestock number, growing short maturing crops, intensive irrigation, crop saving, changing planting dates, migration and reducing non-essential expense. This study also identified barriers to adaptation of climate change are lack of climatic information, lack of irrigation, lack of accessibility of infrastructure, lack of finance, lack of knowledge and skill and absence of support from local administration. Therefore, depending on the finding of the study, the following policy recommendations are forwarded are: increasing farmers’ awareness on how to use agricultural technologies & inputs, restoring the degraded environment, introducing short duration high yielding crops, diversifying crops, building the capacity of farmers & encouraging CBA strategies as the main poverty reduction approach.