1
|
Belay A, Oludhe C, Mirzabaev A, Recha JW, Berhane Z, Osano PM, Demissie T, Olaka LA, Solomon D. Knowledge of climate change and adaptation by smallholder farmers: evidence from southern Ethiopia. Heliyon 2022; 8:e12089. [PMID: 36544823 PMCID: PMC9761729 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has the greatest negative impact on low-income countries, which burdens agricultural systems. Climate change and extreme weather events have caused Ethiopia's agricultural production to decline and exacerbated food insecurity over the last few decades. This study investigates whether farmers' awareness and perceptions of climate change play a role in climate change adaptation using climate-smart agricultural practices. To collect data, 385 households in Southern Ethiopia were sampled using a multistage sampling. A Heckman probit two-stage selection model was applied to investigate the factors influencing farmers' perceptions to climate change and adaptation measures through adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices, complemented with key informant interviews and focused group discussions. The results indicated that most farmers (81.80%) perceived that the local climate is changing, with 71.9% reporting increased temperature and 53.15% reporting decreasing rainfall distribution. Therefore, farmers attempted to apply some adaptation practices, including soil and water conservation with biological measures, improved crop varieties, agroforestry, improved breeds, cut and carry system, controlled grazing, and residue incorporation. The empirical results revealed that farmers adaptation to climate change through adoptions of CSA practices was significantly influenced by education, family size, gender, landholding size, farming experience, access to climate information, training received, social membership, livestock ownership, farm income and extension services. The study found that farmers' perceptions of climate change and variability were significantly influenced by their age, level of education, farming experience, and access to climate information, hence, the need to focus on enhancing the accuracy of weather information, strengthening extension services, and considering a gender-sensitive adaptation approach toward improving farmers' knowledge and aspirations. Agricultural policies should support the efforts of farmers to increase the reliance on climate risk and alleviate farmers' difficulties in adopting climate-smart agriculture practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abrham Belay
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany,Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100,GPO, Nairobi, Kenya,Stockholm Environment Institute-Africa, World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi P.O. Box 30677, Kenya,Corresponding author.
| | - Christopher Oludhe
- Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100,GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alisher Mirzabaev
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - John W. Recha
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O.Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Zerihun Berhane
- Center for African and Asian Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia
| | - Philip M. Osano
- Stockholm Environment Institute-Africa, World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi P.O. Box 30677, Kenya
| | - Teferi Demissie
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O.Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lydia A. Olaka
- Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100,GPO, Nairobi, Kenya,Department of Geoscience and Environment, School of Physics and the Environment, Technical University of Kenya, P.O. Box 52428–00200, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Dawit Solomon
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O.Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Thomas E, Bradshaw A, Mugabo L, MacDonald L, Brooks W, Dickinson K, Donovan K. Engineering environmental resilience: A matched cohort study of the community benefits of trailbridges in rural Rwanda. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 771:145275. [PMID: 33736130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Rural isolation can limit access to basic services and income-generating opportunities. Among some communities, rainfall induced flooding can cause increased uncertainty where first-mile transportation infrastructure is limited. In Rwanda, this challenge is apparent, where 90% of the population below the poverty line live in rural areas that are typically mountainous with frequent flooding - events that may be increasing in frequency and severity as the climate changes. To reduce these transportation barriers, the non-profit organization Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) plans to construct hundreds of trailbridges in Rwanda between 2018 and 2023. This scale of rural infrastructure services presents an opportunity for experimental investigation of the effects of these new trailbridges on economic, health, agricultural and education outcomes in rural communities. In this paper, we present a cohort study evaluating the potential community benefits of rural trailbridges - including economic, health and social outcomes for Rwandan communities experiencing environmental change. We examined households living near 12 trailbridge sites and 12 comparison sites over February 2019-March 2020. We found that labor market income increased by 25% attributable to the trailbridges. We did not observe any significant effects on agricultural income, education or health outcomes, however given the small sample and short duration of this study we anticipate observing additional outcomes within the recently started 200 site, 4 year trial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan Thomas
- Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America.
| | - Abigail Bradshaw
- Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America.
| | | | - Laura MacDonald
- Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America.
| | - Wyatt Brooks
- Department of Economics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States of America.
| | - Katherine Dickinson
- Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, 80045, United States of America.
| | - Kevin Donovan
- Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sustainability of Agricultural Crop Policies in Rwanda: An Integrated Cost–Benefit Analysis. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su13010048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Rwanda has aimed to achieve food self-sufficiency but faces binding land and budgetary constraints. A set of government policies have been in force for 20 years that have controlled the major cropping decisions of farmers. A cost–benefit analysis methodology is employed to evaluate the financial and resource flow statements of the key stakeholders. The object of the analysis is to determine the sustainability of the prevailing agricultural policies from the perspectives of the farmers, the economy, and the government budget. A total of seven crops were evaluated. In all provinces, one or more of the crops were either not sustainable from the financial perspective of the farmers or are economically inefficient in the use of Rwanda’s scarce resources. The annual fiscal cost to the government of supporting the sector is substantial but overall viewed to be sustainable. A major refocusing is needed of agricultural policies, away from a monocropping strategy to one that allows the farmers to adapt to local circumstances. A more market-oriented approach is needed if the government wishes to achieve its economic development goal of having a sustainable agricultural sector that supports the policy goal of achieving food self-sufficiency.
Collapse
|