Impacts of climate change and variability on cattle production in southern Ethiopia: Perceptions and empirical evidence

Megersa, Bekele; Markemann, André; Angassa, Ayana; Ogutu, Joseph O.; Piepho, Hans‐Peter; Zárate, Anne Valle

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2014.06.002

Cited by 60 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Human population growth in the study area is estimated to be between 3.8 and 4.3% per year (NBS 2013;ADF 2003). These observations are similar to the existing literature in which deforestation and population pressures are expected to exacerbate climate change (Chakravarty et al 2012;Angelsen 1999;Megersa et al 2014). A small proportion of cattle owners perceived climate change to be related to factories and industry activities.…”

Section: Causes Of Climate Changesupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Such a definition is more complex than pastoralists may be able to describe; however their long time experiences largely agree with the scientific description of climate change. The decline in rainfall volume and increased variability, as well as increased temperature, have been reported in other regions of Tanzania Kangalawe et al 2011;Magita and Sangeda 2017), Kenya (Silvestri et al 2012;Opiyo et al 2014), Ethiopia (Megersa et al 2014;Debela et al 2015), and Nigeria (Tambo and Abdoulaye 2013). These findings indicate climate change is a current concern over a wide range of similar communities across Africa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…They reported that the recurrent drought periods cause massive cattle deaths, severe feed shortages and water scarcity which leads to serious socio-economic impacts. Other studies in similar communities have reported similar impacts (Goldman and Riosmena 2013;Magita and Sangeda 2017;Tolemariam et al 2015), including high cattle losses during severe drought periods (Megersa et al 2014;Magita and Sangeda 2017;Bushesha et al 2009). In this study, eruption of cattle diseases was also associated with climate change.…”

Section: Impacts Of Climate Change On Cattle Productionmentioning

confidence: 63%

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Climate change perception and impacts on cattle production in pastoral communities of northern Tanzania

2018

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This study examines pastoralists' perception on climate change and impacts on cattle production from ten study villages of Monduli District in Tanzania. This study drew empirical data from 130 cattle owners and 81 participants from focus group discussions in the study villages. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data respectively. Findings from this study indicate that pastoralists are well aware of the general climate trends in their location, its variability and the impacts of extreme weather events on cattle production. The main climate changes perceived by pastoralists include more erratic and reduced amounts of rainfall, rise in temperature and prolonged and frequent periods of drought. Pastoralists mainly view population pressure and tree cutting as the major causes of climate change. Further, this study found that there are no existing climate risk programmes and early warning systems across the district. Importantly, pastoralists reported the negative impacts of climate change on cattle production. The severe recurrent drought periods result in shortage of forage and water, leading to cattle starvation and malnutrition. Pastoralists reported massive cattle deaths and outbreaks of diseases such as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and tick-borne diseases. Further, reduction in milk production and poor livestock market prices were also reported as negative impacts on cattle production. Given the range of negative impacts of current climate change and extreme weather events on cattle production, the implications of climate change must be taken into account to ensure longer-term survival and sustainability of pastoralist communities through strengthening of climate risk awareness programs and early warning systems across the district. Further, this study recommends that government and non-governmental organizations should improve institutional support to pastoralists in order to help them deal with the negative impacts of climate change on livestock production.

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Section: Causes Of Climate Changesupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Impacts Of Climate Change On Cattle Productionmentioning

confidence: 63%

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Climate change perception and impacts on cattle production in pastoral communities of northern Tanzania

2018

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“…Dry years can bring about a high mortality of their livestock due to reduced forage and water availability and outbreaks of epidemic diseases, especially if adverse conditions persist during multiple seasons (Megersa et al 2014a). Although pastoralists are a heterogeneous group in terms of wealth (Little et al 2008), those with already small herd sizes risk falling into persistent poverty after drought-induced livestock losses (Barnett et al 2008;Lybbert et al 2004;Toth 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early assessment of seasonal forage availability for mitigating the impact of drought on East African pastoralists

Vrieling

Meroni

Mude

et al. 2016

Remote Sensing of Environment

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“…Under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario, these high-resolution models project an increase in precipitation availability (e.g. Tefera 2012;Evangelista et al 2013;Megersa et al 2014). Rainfall constitutes almost all of the water resources currently used in agriculture, which contributes to nearly 50 % of national GDP and more than 80 % of total employment (CIA 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CMIP5 model simulations of Ethiopian Kiremt-season precipitation: current climate and future changes

Ballard

et al. 2015

Clim Dyn

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over central Highlands and northern Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia, but a decrease in precipitation over the southern part of the country. Such a dipole pattern is attributable to the intensification of the North Atlantic subtropical high (NASH) in a warmer climate, which influences Ethiopian Kiremt-season precipitation mainly by modulating atmospheric vertical motion. Diagnosis of the omega equation demonstrates that an intensified NASH increases (decreases) the advection of warm air and positive vorticity into the central Highlands and northern Great Rift Valley (southern part of the country), enhancing upward motion over the northern Rift Valley but decreasing elsewhere. Under the RCP 4.5 scenario, the high-resolution models project an intensification of the NASH by 15 (3 × 10 5 m 2 s −2 ) geopotential meters (stream function) at the 850-hPa level, contributing to the projected precipitation change over Ethiopia. The influence of the NASH on Kiremtseason precipitation becomes more evident in the future due to the offsetting effects of two other major circulation systems: the East African Low-level Jet (EALLJ) and the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ). The high-resolution models project a strengthening of the EALLJ, but a weakening of the TEJ. Future changes in the EALLJ and TEJ will drive this precipitation system in opposite directions, leading to small or no net changes in precipitation in Ethiopia.

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Impacts of climate change and variability on cattle production in southern Ethiopia: Perceptions and empirical evidence

Cited by 60 publications

References 39 publications

Climate change perception and impacts on cattle production in pastoral communities of northern Tanzania

Climate change perception and impacts on cattle production in pastoral communities of northern Tanzania

Early assessment of seasonal forage availability for mitigating the impact of drought on East African pastoralists

CMIP5 model simulations of Ethiopian Kiremt-season precipitation: current climate and future changes

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