Tragedy of Drought on Incentivizing Adoption of Multiple Climate‐Smart‐Agricultural Practice in Moisture Stress Area of Eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia

The prevailing drought and erratic rainfall due to climate change effects were challenging the agriculture and mostly resulted in reducing agricultural production and productivity in moisture‐stressed areas. This study investigated the factors affecting the adoption of multiple climate‐smart agricultural practices (CSAPrs) in the moisture stress area of East Hararghe. A multistage procedure was applied, and data were collected from 430 samples during 2023 year and from the East Hararghe zone, Goro‐gutu, Kersa, Babile, and Gursum districts were randomly selected. The analyses of variables affecting the adoption of multiple climate‐smart practices were done using the multivariate probit regression model. The 3 months scales’ standard precipitation index (SPI) was also applied to analysis the drought situation using rainfall data of 33 years. Results from drought analyses showed that drought and severe wetness have occurred at different times of the years from 1990 to 2022 years’ cropping season in the study area. The result of the model shows farm experience, drought experience, education, climate information, livestock, access to extension service, current drought, previous drought year, membership in social groups, nonfarm activities, and market distance were found to affect adoption of irrigation, intercropping, crop rotation, compost/manure, efficient fertilizer application, erosion control structure, and crop diversification. Previous and current drought year situation found to have a significant role in influencing the adoption of climate‐smart practices. Provided that numerous factors affect the uptakes of multiple CSAPrs, policymakers ought to encourage institutional services, including adult education, extension service and evidence‐based weather‐related information delivery service, so as to enhance adoption and expansion of CSAPrs. Furthermore, observing the drought trend in the area, it is imperative that stakeholders working to improve the livelihood of susceptible and poor farmers should focus more on encouraging the adoption of CSAPrs such as crop diversification activities and irrigation facilities to combat the current and future drought.