Climate Change and Variability Impacts On Rural Livelihoods And Adaptation Strategies By Local Community: The Case Of Cheliya District West Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Agriculture is the sector most vulnerable to climate change impact. Climate variability and change are global phenomena, which have become a huge challenge to humankind. The general objective of this study was to assess impacts of climate change and variability on rural livelihoods, and the adaptation responses being undertaken in Cheliya district, West Shoa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. The study focused on the local peoples of three sampled kebeles namely Jarso Dire Geda, Alehula Dabi and Rafiso Alanga which were selected through stratified sampling method based on their agro-ecologic conditions. Random sampling technique was employed and 272 household heads were selected from the three sample kebeles. The result from respondents showed that declining of precipitation and rising temperatures was one of manifestation of climate change observed in the study area, this in turn making farming increasingly more difficult for farmers and resulted in reduction of crop production and livestock rearing, resulting in destructive, impacts on livelihoods, income, food prices and coping capacities, and ultimately increasing food insecurity. The group of society more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and variability were large family size (29.78%), children and elderly (27.21%), the female headed HHs (24.63%), the landless and HHs who have no additional income account for 18.38% respectively. The main coping mechanisms employed in the study area were reducing the number of meals per a day (46.69%), livestock selling (26.84), taking loan (18.38%) and remittance from relatives (8.09%). These current adaptation strategies that the local people used were not planned, coordinated and not sufficient too. Restoring the degraded ecosystem by planting the trees, conservation of water bodies and support local farmers to protect soil erosion is important to sustain life.