Analysis of Climate Variability and Adaptive Strategies of Rural Household: The Case of Abobo District and Itang Special Districts, Gambella Region State, Ethiopia

Many low-income regions are largely affected by climate change impacts as a result of their relatively low adaptive capacity as pointed out by IPCC. Particularly, the change of climate has adverse implications to the Ethiopian economy with connection to different climatic parameters. The main objective of this study was to examine climate variability and its effect on rural households in Abobo District and Itang Special District. Both primary and secondary data were collected during the study. For this study, 240 HHs were interviewed from both Abobo District and Itang Special District while FDGs and KII were collected qualitatively. Relevant secondary data were also obtained from the National Meteorology Agency of Gambella station. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the characteristics of sample households and farmers' perception of climate variability. Moreover, multivariate probit model was employed to identify the determinants of smallholder farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate variability. The result indicated that the major adaptation strategies applied by smallholder farmers in the study area including the use of improved crop varieties, adjusting the planting date, planting trees, crop diversification and using drought-resistant crop. Multivariate Probit model result shows that age, education, farm income, extension contact and access to credit significantly affect HHs choose of improved verity as adoption strategy; total land hold, farm income and extension contact significantly affect HHs choose of adjusting planting date tree as adoption strategy; farm income is the only factor significantly affect HHs choose of planting tree as adoption strategy; age, education, farm income and access to credit significantly affect HHs choose of crop diversification as adoption strategy and education and access to credit significantly affect HHs choose of improved verity as adoption strategy.