This paper examines the determinants and implied economic impacts of climate change adaptation strategies in the context of traditional pastoralism. It is based on econometric analysis of survey data generated from household level interviews in southern Ethiopian rangelands. Pastoralists’ perception of climate change in the region is found to be very consistent with the actually recorded trends of increased temperature and the evident secular declines in precipitation. Not only long-term declines, trends in the region’s rainfall also appear to have taken a shift towards the direction of more unpredictability. Pastoralist adaptation response strategies broadly involve adjustments in pastoral practices and shifts to non-pastoral livelihoods. Results of the estimated models confirm that pastoral mobility is still quite essential in the present context of climate-induced household vulnerabilities. Increased mobility and diversification of pastoral herd portfolios in favor of a drought-tolerant species (camel) are found to be positively associated with pastoral household net income. A policy stance that ignores the detrimental impacts of the currently pervasive private rangeland enclosures or intends to hasten pastoralist sedentarization in the area is simply untenable in the present context of climate-induced risks and pastoral livelihood vulnerability.

Vulnerability assessment varies widely across households, countries, and regions. Though many previous studies assessed vulnerability to climate change, their unit of analysis was aggregate. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change at the household level and identify its determinant factors in east Hararghe zone. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select districts, kebeles, and sample respondents. Vulnerability as expected poverty approach was used to measure household-level vulnerability. Logit model was also used to assess factors contributing to households’ vulnerability. The study revealed that 73% of households were vulnerable to climate-induced shocks. Households with better farm experience, land size, livestock ownership, access to credit, access to extension service, social capital, access to climate information, non-farm income, and headed by a male were not vulnerable to climate change; whereas households who were living in low and midland agro-ecologies, far from the market, and participating in productive safety-net programs were vulnerable to climate change. The study indicated that the vulnerability of smallholder farmers was sensitive to the minimum income required to maintain daily life. Income-generating activities that supplement farm income should be well designed in policy to reduce the vulnerability of smallholder farmers.

Smallholder farmers who rely on home garden agroforestry are experiencing significant impacts from climate change. To mitigate these effects, it is crucial for farmers to have access to various adaptation strategies. This study collected data from 384 randomly selected respondents in 18 kebeles over three districts, using descriptive statistics and a multivariate probit model to evaluate the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ decisions on their adaptation strategies against climate change. In Ethiopia’s Gedeo zone, this study found that smallholder farmers employ a range of adaptation methods, including expanding their agroforestry system, implementing modern agriculture techniques, conserving soil and water, diversifying their livelihoods, and employing various coping mechanisms. By analyzing data using the multivariate probit model, this study found several factors that had a significant impact on smallholder farmers’ choice of adaptation options. These factors include social network, age, education level, farming experience, household size, cultivated land size, annual income, and livestock holding. In addition, factors such as perception of climate change, previous experience of crop failure, recurrent drought, and access to information about climate change, occurrence of frost, agricultural extension contacts, access to farmer-to-farmer extension services, and perception of land infertility also influence their decision-making process. Our findings highlight the importance of improving institutional services in rural areas, promoting education on climate change, and strengthening social networks to enhance the ability of smallholder farmers to cope with the effects of climate change.

This paper examines claims and conflicts in the management of the Abijata-Shalla Lakes National Park in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. We used data from households, key informants (elders, park managers), and focus group discussions. Poor wildlife policy resulting in space competition between wildlife and humans (other forms of land use), limited means of revenue generation for insiders and centralized benefits from tourism have accumulated grievance and then conflict between national park authority and local communities. Contested land tenure and overlapping claims generated by ill-defined property rights, as interrelated factors, sustained the conflicts. Weak information sharing, rising demographic pressure and conservation policies, giving more priority to global and national than local interests, contributed to the conflict. The result implies that efforts in revitalizing customary authorities and institutions and introducing a co-management strategy can immensely provide an avenue to manage conflicts between communities and park managers.

The paper presents the results of analysis conducted to empirically establish the role of social network in smallholder farmers’ decision to join seed producer cooperative, in Hararghe, Oromia, Ethiopia. We used a ‘random matching within sample’ technique to generate data on social links and resources shared like information among their links. Average treatment effects were used to limit ‘non-awareness’ or ‘selection bias’ on participation rate. An econometric strategy was employed to isolate endogenous effect from correlated and contextual social network effects and analyzed by Probit model. Rainfall data was obtained from NMA for 1986–2018 years and analyzed by coefficient of variation (CV) and standardized anomalies index (Z). The result CV and Z shows intra- and inter seasonal variability of rainfall and, the severity and frequency of drought have increase which works against a single optimum seed source. Rate of membership to FBSc was 75% for exposed sub-sample against 70% for the full sample. This shows the existence of exposure bias. The size of social network, linkage with relatives and extension agents influence farmers’ decision to join FBSc and thus, the presence of endogenous effects of social networks. Thus, participation decision is more likely to be affected by characters and structure of social network. Access to off-farm income and perception on profit influences farmer participation decision where weather-indexed seed insurance can service as an effective strategy to ensure sustained membership. Therefore, any intervention in promotion of FBSc should consider the characters’ and structure of social network and emphasis on indexed-based seed insurance and climate information services as strategy to promote seed producers cooperatives.