Impact of Climate Change and Variability on Smallholder Farmers' Livelihood: the Case of Mareko Woreda, Gurage Zone, SNNPR

ABSTRACT Climate change and variability is an emerging serious global environmental problem affecting many sectors in the world. This study was conducted to assess impacts of climate change and variability on smallholder farmers’ livelihood, the case of Mareko woreda, Gurage zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Primary data was collected using household questionnaire (from 141 households), focus group discussions, and key informants interviews. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS V.20 and Excel. The results showed that the major livelihood activities are mixed farming, being rainfall dependent. From the survey, it was noted that most of the respondents were not food self sufficient and safety net program was the source of additional food requirement. Finding showed that both of smallholder farmers and analysis of climate data indicated a change in temperature, rainfall amount, rainfall timing, and increase in frequency of drought. The empirical analysis of rainfall suggested declining rainfall trends. The result showed that there was a reduction of rainfall with the variability on set and off set of rainy seasons. The average maximum and minimum temperatures were increasing by 0.01560c and 0.03020c per year respectively. The changes have resulted in depleting of water resources and declining agriculture productions and, thereby, having negative effects on food security. And the main source of income in the study area is rain fed agriculture which is being adversely affected by unpredictable and decreasing rainfall, hailstorms and flooding, high temperature etc. To adapt to the changing climate of the area, farmers are already practicing coping mechanisms and adaptation strategies along with some government interventions in response to the climate change and variability, but it is not adequate. Depending on the finding of the study, the following recommendations are forwarded: increasing farmers’ awareness on how to use agricultural technologies, restoring the degraded environment, facilitating access to credit services, diversifying crop varieties (legumes with cereals, vegetables etc), agro forestry, improved forage production, drought tolerant and early mature crop varieties, strengthen forest low, building the capacity of farmers & encouraging community based adaptation strategies as the main sustainable growth and poverty reduction approach.