Journal of Environment and Earth Science www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0948 (Online) Vol.6, No.7, 2016 9 Climate Change Adaptation Strategies of Smallholder Farmers: The Case of Assosa District, Western Ethiopia Seid Sani 1* Jema Haji 2 (Associate professor) Degye Goshu 2 (Assistant professor) 1.Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Assosa University, P. O. BOX 018, Assosa, Ethiopia 2.School of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Haramaya University, P.O. BOX 138, Ethiopia Abstract This study identified farmers’ choice of and factors determining adaptation strategies to climate change in Assosa district, western Ethiopia which is severely affected by climate change stresses. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data were collected from a randomly selected 140 sample households through interview and focus group discussions. Relevant secondary data were also obtained from Assosa district office of agriculture, national metrology agency and different reports. Descriptive statistics were used to describe farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change. Multivariate probit model was estimated to identify the factors determining households’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate change. The results of the model pointed out that the likelihood of households to adopt irrigation, improved varieties of crops, adjustment of planting date, crop diversification and soil conservation practices were 52.3%, 45.8%, 49.5%, 46.9% and 34.1%, respectively. The results also indicated that the joint likelihood of using all adaptation strategies was only 1.5% and the joint likelihood of failure to adopt all of the adaptation strategies was 3.5%. Moreover, Multivariate probit model confirmed that sex, literacy status, farming experience, family size, land holding, access to credit, access to media, extension contact, farmer to farmer extension, farm income, off/non-farm income, livestock ownership, market distance and access to training have a statistically significant impact on climate adaptation strategies. Therefore, policy makers should focus on the aforementioned factors to enhance farmers’ adaptation to climate change in order to reduce their vulnerability to different shocks and seasonality as well as to improve their livelihood. Keywords: Climate change, Adaptation strategies, Multivariate probit model, Assosa district, Western Ethiopia 1. Introduction Climate change is a global concern as it severely affects the livelihoods of the world community in general and agricultural production and food security of the farming community in particular. Climate change affects agricultural production and productivity of the rural community both directly and indirectly. It directly affects agriculture by affecting the weather variables, which are important inputs for agricultural production, such as temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, wind speed and humidity (Sowunmi and Kintola, 2009) and indirectly through disease and pest outbreaks as well as favoring the development of climate related diseases like malaria that affect the work force (Ngigi, 2009). Newton et al. (2010) also indicated that climate change affects the complex interactions between crop and pathogens leading to increased outbreak of pests and diseases. The impact of climate change on agricultural production is not uniform across regions of the world. Because of greater agricultural share in their economies and limited ability to adapt developing countries are expected to suffer more from global climate change. As depicted by Oxfam (2010), Ethiopia is especially vulnerable to climate variability and change because large portions of the population are poor and depend on agricultural income, which is highly sensitive to rainfall variability and change in temperature. Most of the farmers have low access to education, information, technology, and basic social and support services, and, as a result, have low adaptive capacity to deal with the consequences of climate change. Particularly, the study area is highly affected by climate change and variability. As Temesgen et al. (2008) indicated most significant climate change impact in the western part of Ethiopia is due to drought and flood. The overall natural resources base of the region is highly degraded. This initial potential together with the current global climate change aggravates the vulnerability of the community to climate change impacts. Various reports agree that the region has been facing droughts that have occurred in the country indicating susceptibility of the region to climate change. Thus, people in the region are facing a variety of shocks and become vulnerable. However, farmers in the study area have been responding to climate change through various adaptation strategies. But, there was no empirical study that substantiates or supports the existing adaptation strategies practiced by the farmers in the area. To intervene the problem, which can motivate smallholder farmers adaptation to climate change, there needs to critically investigate the adaptation strategies used and determinants of the use of the adaptation strategies. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the adaptation strategies pursued and factors determining the use of adaptation strategies are important to improve the response mechanisms to climate change. Thus, these are the gaps of knowledge that this study intends to bridge. 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