Rural roads are built to improve people's mobility and to enhance access to markets, administrative centres, schools and health posts, and are credited with important socio-economic changes. A less studied aspect is the impact of roads on hydrological resources, as roads interact with existing surface and groundwater flows, redistributing water-related hazards and resources across space with significant consequences on people and their livelihoods. In Ethiopia, the government has embarked on a massive road construction programme over the last decade, mainly to serve the needs of an essentially rural population and agrarian economy. In parallel, the government has also been investing significantly in water harvesting and conservation measures and irrigation to serve the needs of a population whose livelihoods depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture. Based on fieldwork conducted in 2014 in the semiarid region of Tigray, Ethiopia, this article explores the opportunities and potential for multifunctional infrastructures. We argue that the two distinctive objectives of improving road connectivity and water availability for irrigation are interlinked and can be served by the same infrastructure, which we call multifunctional roads.

Vulnerability to climate change impact is the most pressing issues for less developed countries whose economy mainly depends on the agricultural sector. The demand for food is growing swiftly whereas impacts of climate change on the global food production are increasing. More area specific research outputs and evidences-based policy directions are needed to tackle the ever changing climate and to reduce its impacts on the agricultural production. The aim of this study was to investigate subsistence farmer household’s vulnerability level to climate change impacts and its associations with household’s agricultural production. Then primary data was collected from 400 households from Kolla Temben District, Tigray Regional State, North Ethiopia. Multistage sampling techniques were applied to select households for interview from the district. In the first stage, 4 Kebelles (Kebelle - administration unit) were selected randomly out of 27 Kebelles and then400 households were selected for interview through systematic random sampling techniques (Figure 1). Multiple regressions were used to examine the associations between household’s vulnerability to climate change impacts and agricultural production. Grounded theory and content analysis techniques were use to analyze data from key informant interviews and focus group discussions. For every single unit increase in household vulnerability to climate change impacts, there was an average agricultural production decrease between 16.99 and 25.83 (Table 4). For single unit increase in household’s vulnerability to climate change impact, there was a decrease of total crop production, Total income, total livestock, total food consumption and food consumption per adult equivalent. Rainfall decrease, small farmland ownership, steep topography, frequent flood occurrences and large family size are among the major factors that negatively affect household’s agricultural production and total income. The more the vulnerable the households, the less in total annual crop production, total livestock size, total income from agricultural production and the more dependent on food aid). There is a negative association between household’s vulnerability level to climate change impacts and agricultural production (crop production, total livestock ownerships and total income from crop production). More access to irrigation and agricultural fertilizers, improved varieties of crops, small family size, improve farmland ownership size, more access to education and Agricultural Extension services are an effective areas of intervention to improve household’s resilient, reduce households vulnerability level to climate change impacts and increase household’s total agricultural production.

One of the most detrimental concerns brought on by a changing climate that annually affects many people's lives is drought. Proactive and reactive drought coping and adapting mechanisms enable farmers to be resilient against climate–induced drought and improve the drylands' current disaster preparedness and early warning systems. The aim of this study was to assess proactive and reactive farmers' drought coping strategies at household level in Raya Valley in southern Tigray, Ethiopia. Agro–climatological based 246 households were sampled from the lowlands, midlands and highlands of the study area. The most effective drought coping mechanisms were discovered using a multinomial logit model. The study area had endured mild to extremely severe drought in the last three decades. The association between the various drought severity and household heads were significant (chi2 = 9.861, df = 3, p < 0.05). Proactive drought coping measures included collecting and storing pasture, conserving soil and water, weather prediction information to adjust saving and farming practices. Livestock feeding with roasted cactus cladode, small business loans, livestock selling, productive safety–net program, and food consumption reduction were the major reactive drought coping strategies. The proactive and reactive drought coping strategies identified in this study should be used to improve the existing disaster preparedness and early warning systems in the face of climate and weather extreme related impacts of climate variability and change.

Drought is one of the most damaging climate–induced threats impacting the lives of many people every year. Proactive and reactive drought coping and adapting mechanisms enable farmers to be resilient against climate induced drought and improve the current disaster preparedness and early warning systems in the drylands. The aim of this study was to assess proactive and reactive farmers’ drought adaptation & coping strategies at household level in Raya valley in southern Tigray, Ethiopia. Agro–climatological based 246 households were sampled from the lowlands, midlands and highlands. Multinomial logit model was used to identify best drought coping strategies. Respondents had mild to extremely severe drought in the last three decades. The association between the various drought severity and household heads were significant (chi2= 9.861, df=3, p < 0.05). Pasture collection and saving, soil and water conservation, and weather prediction information to adjust saving and farming system were proactive drought adaptation and coping strategies. Livestock Feeding with roasted cactus cladode, small business loans, livestock selling, productive safety–net programme, and food consumption reduction were the major reactive drought adaptation and coping strategies. The proactive and reactive drought coping and adaptation strategies identified in this study should be used to improve the current disaster preparedness and early warning systems monitoring and evaluation in the face of climate and weather extreme related impacts of climate variability and change.