Impact of Climate Change Vulnerabilities on Household Assets and Livelihood Capabilities in East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/star.V14.i1.08Keywords:
Climate Variability, Livelihood Vulnerability, Diversification, Shocks, East Wollega Zone, EthiopiaAbstract
Ethiopia's East Wollega Zone is faced with climate change effects on rural livelihoods. This research assessed the effects on smallholder farmers' resources, adaptability, and resilience, and constraints to sustainable livelihoods, and proposed resilience strategies. In a mixed-method design, we surveyed 400 households in eight kebeles in four districts (Jimma Arjo, Diga, Kiremu, Gobu Sayo) using multistage sampling, covering lowland, midland, and highland districts. Survey information, focus group interviews, interviews, observations, and climate data were analyzed using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), LVI-IPCC, ANOVA, PCA using STATA version 17, and thematic analysis. Results showed midlands with the highest exposure (0.38, LVI-IPCC: -0.142), lowlands with the highest sensitivity (0.71) and lowest adaptive capacity (0.56, LVI-IPCC: -0.229), and highlands with enhanced resilience (0.62, LVI-IPCC: -0.124). Climate variations, including a 0.2°C rise in temperature per decade and a 30% fluctuation in rainfall, lowered food security and production. Education, farm scale, and cattle ownership enhanced resilience (p < 0.01), while poor infrastructure and market access enhanced lowland vulnerability. The study highlights the role of adaptive capacity in diminishing climate impacts, enabling integrated adaptation policies, better infrastructure, and economic diversification to enhance East Wollega's rural resilience.
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Accepted 2025-03-30
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