Determinants of smallholder female-headed households’ participation in climate change adaptation practices in Meket district, Amhara region of Ethiopia

There is lack of evidence on determinants of smallholder female-headed households’ participation in climate change adaptation practices (CCAPs) in Meket district, Ethiopia. To fulfill this gap, it is important to conduct study on determinants of smallholder female-headed households’ participation in CCAPs in the study area. Both primary and secondary data were utilized. Primary data was gathered from respondents’ interview, focus group discussion (FGD), key informants’ interview (KII) and observation. Secondary data was gathered from articles, books, thesis, dissertation and report documents. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 151 sample respondents from the total of 243 smallholder female-headed households. The collected data was analyzed by the help of both simple descriptive and Multivariate probit regression model. The result indicates that soil and water conservation (SWC), mixed farming (MIXFARM), short-season seed variety (SHSEED), intercropping (INTCROP) and underground water (GWATER) were CCAPs practiced by the sample respondents. The participation of smallholder female-headed households in various CCAPs was constrained by lack of labor, cultural related challenges, lack of capital, lack of training and technical support, lack of oxen and limited access to land. Multivariate probit regression model results reveal that the participation of female-headed households to SWC was positively influenced by education status and access to extension service at 5% significance level, and negatively influenced by market distance at 1% significance level. Their participation to MIXFARM was influenced negatively and positively by land size and access to climate information at 1% significance level, respectively. Moreover, their participation to SHSEED and INTCROP was determined by perception to climate change and education status positively at 1% and 5% significance level, respectively. The participation of smallholder female-headed households to GWATER was positively influenced by access to credit and access to climate information positively at 5% and 1% significance level, respectively. This study concludes that government organizations and other responsible bodies should promote smallholder female-headed households to implement various CCAPs in the study area.