IMPACT OF ADOPTION OF SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION ON THE LIVELIHOOD AND RESILIENCE OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE STRESSES: THE CASE OF KERSA DISTRICT, EAST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA

Small-scale irrigation is one of the most useful irrigation systems designed to increase the production and productivity of smallholder farmers and protect them against the risks of crop loss due to erratic rainfall. This study was mainly intended to evaluate the impact of small-scale irrigation practices on the livelihood and resilience of smallholder farmers toward climate change stresses in Kersa district, East Hararghe Zone, Oromia. The data were collected from a sample of 288 randomly selected households (130 were adopters and 158 were non-adopters). Both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from primary and secondary sources were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the resilience capacity index, and an econometric model called propensity score matching method. The results show that adopters were better-off in all resilience indicators, including access to food and income, assets, good agricultural practices, stability, and adaptive capacity. The logistic regression results revealed that age, dependency ratio, and distance of farmland from irrigation water sources had significant negative effects on participation in small-scale irrigation farming, while household size, extension contacts, access to credit services, livestock holding, off/non-farm activities, membership in cooperatives, access to climate information, and perception of climate change had significant positive effects. The average treatment effect on the treated analysis results revealed that adopters were better-off in crop yields by 84.72 quintals per hectare, 55641.58 birr in total income, and by a 2.02 resilience capacity index compared to non-adopters. These results show that small-scale irrigation has a significant contribution to livelihood and reduces climate change impacts by increasing farmers’ responsiveness to irregular weather patterns, which leads to enhanced resilience among farmers. Thus, policymakers should prioritize the variables mentioned above to increase the adoption of small-scale irrigation schemes and improve the livelihood and resilience of farmers.