IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v20y2018i3d10.1007_s10668-017-9934-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysis of observed and perceived climate change and variability in Arsi Negele District, Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Zenebe Mekonnen

    (Hawassa University)

  • Habtemariam Kassa

    (Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR))

  • Teshale Woldeamanuel

    (Hawassa University)

  • Zebene Asfaw

    (Hawassa University)

Abstract

Climate change and variability has been detected in Ethiopia. Smallholder and subsistence farmers, pastoralists and forest-dependent households are the most hit by climate-related hazards. They have to have perception of climate change in order to respond it through making coping and/or adaptation strategies. Local perceptions and coping strategies provide a crucial foundation for community-based climate change adaptation measures. This study was specifically designed to (1) assess households’ perception and knowledge in climate change and/or variability, and (2) establish the observed changes in climate parameters with community perceptions and climate anomalies. Purposive stratified random sampling method has been used to gather information from 355 sample households for individual interviews supplemented by group discussion and key informants interviews. The analysis of observed and satellite climate data for the study district showed that mean maximum and minimum temperature for the period 1983–2014 has increased by 0.047 and 0.028 °C/year, respectively. However, the total rainfall has declined by 10.16 mm per annum. Seasonally, the rainfall has declined by 2.198, 4.541, 1.814 and 1.608 mm per annum for Ethiopian summer, spring, autumn and winter seasons, respectively. Similarly, the mean maximum temperature of the study area had showed an increment of 0.035, 0.049, 0.044 and 0.065 °C per year for spring, winter, autumn and summer seasons, respectively. The observed climate variation has been confirmed by people’s perception. Considering what had been the existed situations before 30 years ago as normal, an increase in temperature, an increase in drought frequency, a decrease in total rainfall, erratic nature of its distribution and the tardiness of its onset had been perceived by 88, 70, 97, 80 and 94% of the respondents, respectively, at current time—2015. Deforestation as a casual factor of climate change and variability had been perceived by 99.7% of the respondents. This had been also confirmed by scientific studies as it emits carbon dioxide and is the main driver of climate change and variability. Indigenous knowledge, including climate predictions, has been used by people to implement their day-to-day agricultural activities. Therefore, science should be integrated with the perception and indigenous knowledge of people to come up with concrete solution for climate change and variability impacts on human livelihoods.

Suggested Citation

  • Zenebe Mekonnen & Habtemariam Kassa & Teshale Woldeamanuel & Zebene Asfaw, 2018. "Analysis of observed and perceived climate change and variability in Arsi Negele District, Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1191-1212, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:20:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s10668-017-9934-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-017-9934-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-017-9934-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-017-9934-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. World Bank, 2005. "Ethiopia : Risk and Vulnerability Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 8693, The World Bank Group.
    2. James D. Ford & Laura Cameron & Jennifer Rubis & Michelle Maillet & Douglas Nakashima & Ashlee Cunsolo Willox & Tristan Pearce, 2016. "Including indigenous knowledge and experience in IPCC assessment reports," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(4), pages 349-353, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tao Wang & Jianzhong Yan & Xian Cheng & Yi Yu, 2020. "Irrigation Influencing Farmers’ Perceptions of Temperature and Precipitation: A Comparative Study of Two Regions of the Tibetan Plateau," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Samane Ghazali & Hossein Azadi & Kristina Janečková & Petr Sklenička & Alishir Kurban & Sedef Cakir, 2021. "Indigenous knowledge about climate change and sustainability of nomadic livelihoods: understanding adaptability coping strategies," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(11), pages 16744-16768, November.
    3. Debashis Roy & Avishek Datta & John K. M. Kuwornu & Farhad Zulfiqar, 2021. "Comparing farmers’ perceptions of climate change with meteorological trends and examining farm adaptation measures in hazard-prone districts of northwest Bangladesh," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8699-8721, June.
    4. Rahmat Aris Pratomo & D. Ary A. Samsura & Erwin van der Krabben, 2020. "Transformation of Local People’s Property Rights Induced by New Town Development (Case Studies in Peri-Urban Areas in Indonesia)," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-24, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kaiza R. Kaganzi & Aida Cuni-Sanchez & Fatuma Mcharazo & Emanuel H. Martin & Robert A. Marchant & Jessica P. R. Thorn, 2021. "Local Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Responses from Two Mountain Regions in Tanzania," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-22, September.
    2. Chandni Singh & James Ford & Debora Ley & Amir Bazaz & Aromar Revi, 2020. "Assessing the feasibility of adaptation options: methodological advancements and directions for climate adaptation research and practice," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 255-277, September.
    3. Nicole Klenk & Anna Fiume & Katie Meehan & Cerian Gibbes, 2017. "Local knowledge in climate adaptation research: moving knowledge frameworks from extraction to co‐production," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(5), September.
    4. E. Lisa F. Schipper & Navroz K. Dubash & Yacob Mulugetta, 2021. "Climate change research and the search for solutions: rethinking interdisciplinarity," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Paola A. Torres-Slimming & Carlee Wright & Cesar P. Carcamo & Patricia J. Garcia & IHACC Research Team & Sherilee L. Harper, 2019. "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: A Mixed Methods Study of Health-Related Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) for Indigenous Shawi in the Peruvian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Isabell Haag & Karim-Aly Kassam & Thomas Senftl & Harald Zandler & Cyrus Samimi, 2021. "Measurements meet human observations: integrating distinctive ways of knowing in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan to assess local climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-22, March.
    7. Claudia Matus & Pascale Bussenius & Pablo Herraz & Valentina Riberi & Manuel Prieto, 2021. "Nature Is for Trees, Culture Is for Humans: A Critical Reading of the IPCC Report," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-9, October.
    8. Rodriguez Kakule Amani & Bernard Riera & Gerard Imani & Rodrigue Batumike & Noelia Zafra-Calvo & Aida Cuni-Sanchez, 2022. "Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptations among Smallholder Farmers in the Mountains of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, April.
    9. Independent Evaluation Group, 2016. "Growing the Rural Nonfarm Economy to Alleviate Poverty," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28971.
    10. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 0. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    11. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 2020. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 271-286, June.
    12. Devendraraj Madhanagopal & Sarmistha Pattanaik, 2020. "Exploring fishermen’s local knowledge and perceptions in the face of climate change: the case of coastal Tamil Nadu, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3461-3489, April.
    13. Van Assche, Kristof & Birchall, Jeff & Gruezmacher, Monica, 2022. "Arctic and northern community governance: The need for local planning and design as resilience strategy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    14. Paola A. Torres-Slimming & Carlee J. Wright & Guillermo Lancha & Cesar P. Carcamo & Patricia J. Garcia & James D. Ford & IHACC Research Team & Sherilee L. Harper, 2020. "Climatic Changes, Water Systems, and Adaptation Challenges in Shawi Communities in the Peruvian Amazon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    15. Walter Leal Filho & Franziska Wolf & Edmond Totin & Luckson Zvobgo & Nicholas Philip Simpson & Kumbirai Musiyiwa & Jokastah W. Kalangu & Maruf Sanni & Ibidun Adelekan & Jackson Efitre & Felix Kwabena , 2023. "Is indigenous knowledge serving climate adaptation? Evidence from various African regions," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(2), March.
    16. Joy R. Petway & Yu-Pin Lin & Rainer F. Wunderlich, 2020. "A Place-Based Approach to Agricultural Nonmaterial Intangible Cultural Ecosystem Service Values," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, January.
    17. Nina Lansbury & Andrew M. Redmond & Francis Nona, 2022. "Community-Led Health Initiatives for Torres Straits Island Communities in a Changing Climate: Implementing Core Values for Mitigation and Adaptation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Elsa Valli, 2017. "Essays on social protection," Economics PhD Theses 1017, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    19. Peter Scheren & Peter Tyrrell & Peadar Brehony & James R. Allan & Jessica P. R. Thorn & Tendai Chinho & Yemi Katerere & Vanessa Ushie & Jeffrey S. Worden, 2021. "Defining Pathways towards African Ecological Futures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    20. Nelson Chanza & Walter Musakwa, 2022. "Indigenous local observations and experiences can give useful indicators of climate change in data-deficient regions," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(3), pages 534-546, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:20:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s10668-017-9934-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.