Effects of climate change on livelihood strategies of farm households: the case of the Lowlands of Wolaita Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate change affects rural communities that depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Farmer focus groups and a survey of 400 farm households were used to examine the livelihood strategies used by households in the context of a changing climate and to identify the factors that affect adoption of livelihood strategies in the lowlands of Wolaita, southern Ethiopia. The findings showed that just over half of the farm households depended solely on agricultural activities (crop and animal production) as their primary source of household income. The findings suggest that during a two-decade period, the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increased, which affected the livelihood strategies of farm households. Farmers reported that climate variability affected farming activities by decreasing yields as result of irregular and delayed rainfall as well as impaired animal productivity due to shortage of grass, inadequate water, and illnesses. This study showed that gender, age, level of education, household size, landholdings, livestock ownership, extension advisory contact, total annual income, and access to food aid were significantly affected the adoption of livelihood strategies in the area. The findings suggest that national public policy should support climate-smart agricultural practices, as well as non-farm livelihood diversification strategies, as part of Ethiopia’s national job creation strategy.