Adaptation Practices Of Smallholder Farmers To Climate Change In Ankober Woreda North Shewa Ethiopia

Climate change is rapidly emerging as a global critical development issue affecting manyrnsectors in the world and considered to be one of the most serious threat to sustainablerndevelopment. Adaptation to climate change involves changes in agricultural managementrnpractices in response to changes in climate conditions. This study was done to investigate therncontributions of different climate change adaptation strategies to increase food production byrnevaluating indigenous knowledge and emerging climate change adaptation strategies amongrnsmallholder farmers in Ankober woreda. Random sampling method was used to select a samplernof 150 smallholder farmers. Structured questionnaires and participatory rural appraisalrnapproach were the techniques used to collect data.rnThe method of data analysis was both qualitative and quantitative where descriptive statisticsrnwas used to analyses the objectives. The study identified various indigenous knowledge andrnemerging adaptation strategies and evaluated institutional and socio-economic and factorsrninfluencing the choice of these strategies. Terracing and mulching were the most commonrnindigenous and emerging strategies respectively. Farmer’s organization, extension services,rnand access to information were dynamic in assisting adaptation of reasonable handlingrnstrategies which improves small holder’s food production and consequently food security. Therncommon farmer’s adaptation strategies in the study area were growing a variety of crops, feedrnpreservation, time of planting, rearing different breeds of cattle and soil fertility management.rnDifferent adaptation strategies have been practiced both at individual and group level.rnCommunities in the study area have developed indigenous knowledge of agricultural adaptationrnstrategies to cope with climate variability and extreme events. Adaptations outside ofrnagriculture are also important for livelihood diversification and increasing resilience to climaternvariability in study area. Government, research institutions and stakeholder need to providernclimate change information to farmers through training and extension services. Research,rntrainings and extension on climate change issues should be provided by both the public andrnprivate sectors as they are crucial in ensuring farmers adapt to climate change. Investments inrninfrastructure such as roads and irrigation systems, affordable credit schemes, and climaterninformation systems would help create the enabling conditions for adaptation to climaternchange. Experience with these strategies needs to be shared among communities to assurernadaptation practices.

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