VULNERABILITY OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE IN BABILE DISTRICT OF EAST HARARGHE ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Climate variability and change have increased in recent decades thereby threatening the livelihoods of rural households in Eastern Ethiopia. This study was conducted to assess local climate, and determine livelihood vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate variability and change at household level in Babile district. In order to achieve the objective, data was acquired from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected through a household survey conducted in two agro-ecological communities on 368 households using questionnaire, and complemented by focus group discussion, key informant interviews and field observation. Secondary data (climate data 1989-2019) was obtained from the National Meteorological Institute (NMI) of Ethiopia, Jigjiga branch. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) was comprised of 37 indicators based on information acquired through household survey. The finding showed that the annual mean rainfall of the study area over the study years was 624.33 mm, with a standard deviation (SD) of 351.79 mm and CV of 56.35%. The mean annual temperature of the study area was 28.08oC with SD of 0.42% and a CV of 1.98 oC. Annual temperature showed an increasing trend by a factor of (0.021 oC per decade) while rainfall showed a decreasing trend 0.168 in mm over the study years. The amount of mean rainfall of bega, belg and kiremt seasons was 73.78mm, 275.22 mm and 281.91mm respectively. About 23.1% of the households in Rahmata Salama kebele (kola agroecology) were most vulnerable, 24.5% of HHs in Abdibuc kebele (woina dega) were moderately vulnerable, while 52.4% of HHs Ifadin kebele in (kola agro-ecology) were least vulnerable. Rahmata Salama kebele (kola agro-ecology) (0.75 LVI) was the most vulnerable kebele, followed by Abdibuc (0.61 LVI) and Ifadin kebele (0.4 LVI). The study indicates that the local climate is changing and farmers’ livelihoods in different agro-ecologies showed differential vulnerabilities to climate change and variability. Based on the findings, it is imperative to develop location-specific adaptation strategies to reduce the adverse impacts of climate variability and change on farmers’ livelihoods in the study area.