Smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate extremes in west and southwest Showa zones, Ethiopia

This study assessed smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate extremes in west and southwest Showa zones, central Ethiopia. The study used 1981–2020 rainfall and temperature data obtained from the Ethiopian Meteorology Institute and employed RClimDex1 for data quality control and extreme climate indices analysis. The selected ten (10) major components of Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LV I) were used to assess farmers’ vulnerability, categorized into exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity based on the livelihood vulnerability indicator intergovernmental panel for climate change (LVI-IPCC) framework. Primary data gathered through household surveys conducted across 626 selected peasant associations representing different agro ecological zones (lowland, midland, and highland). The primary data analysis performed via statistical package for social sciences (IBM SPSS) Statistics Version 26 and R software. The study finding indicated that lowland agroecology (0.47) is more vulnerable to climate extremes than highlands (0.38) and midlands (0.40) agro-ecologies In terms of smallholder farmers’ sensitivity to extreme climate events, lowland agro-ecology suggested a higher sensitivity index than the other two ecologies. The smallholder farmers’ sensitivity to extreme climate events was 0.70, 0.57, and 0.67 LVI values on lowland, midland, and highland agro-ecosystems, respectively. Midland agroecology has strong adaptive capacity (0.560) and is the least vulnerable. In lowland agroecology, smallholder farmers are more vulnerable to extreme weather because of their limited adaptive capacity and higher exposure. The study’s findings will guide policymakers in addressing the negative effects of climate extreme indices on smallholder farmers. Providing improved seeds, irrigation, credit access, and real-time weather information updates can reduce vulnerability in lowland areas.