Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2015 in Berlin, Germany "Management of land use systems for enhanced food security – conflicts, controversies and resolutions"

Climate Change Adaptation, Local Level Institutions and Livelihood Dynamics in Rural Ethiopia

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Dept. of Agricultural Economics - Environmental Governance Group, Germany

Abstract

Climate change is suspected to affect the livelihoods of rural households in Ethiopia, especially through increased likelihoods of extended droughts, and unpredictable rainfall variability. Specifically, its impact is much more exacerbated on those households who predominantly depend on rain"=fed agriculture for their livelihoods. Projection of future climate also reports the increase in the mean annual temperature and increase in precipitation variability which make the livelihoods of rural households more vulnerable. These scenarios are most likely to further exacerbate the current underdevelopment, poverty and food insecurity in the country and in particular to the poor rural households. Adaptation is a vital part of a response to the challenge of climate change for local households in rural community. This research aimed to understand the role of local level institutions in the climate change adaptation process using two communities in the Northern Ethiopia; Harresaw community in Tigray region and Shumsheha in Amhara region.

The presentation offers empirical results from two communities in the northern part of Ethiopia. The analytical results of the two communities indicated that rural households in the two communities have different adaptation strategies to climate change. However the two communities have different forms of adaptation strategies. Especially the importance of these strategies differs significantly among the two communities and different household groups. These strategies are shaped and facilitated in the two communities by the local institutions differently. The study also found out that local institutions in two communities, differently, enhanced and at the same time undermined the adaptive capacity of the rural households.

Keywords: Climate change adaptation, institutions, livelihoods

Contact Address: Muluken Elias Adamseged, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Dept. of Agricultural Economics - Environmental Governance Group, Luisenstr. 50, Berlin, Germany, e-mail: muluken.adamsegedagrar.hu-berlin.de