ppt farmers and policy makers' preceptions of climate change

Explorat ion of farmers’ and pol icy makers’ perceptions of cl imate change

in Sidama, Ethiopia !

PhD$conference$in$Interna/onal$Development$$

Ruhr6University$Bochum$

S e y o u m H a m e s o U n i v e r s i t y o f E a s t L o n d o n

s . h a m e s o @ u e l . a c . u k

h a m e s o @ g m a i l . c o m

Paper&outline&

25/09/2015'Percep-ons'of'climate'change'

!  Introduc-on'!  Background:'Ethiopia,'Sidama'

! Methodology'

!  Findings'and'discussion'!  Percep-ons'of'climate'change'by'farmers'

!  Percep-ons'of'climate'change'by'policy'makers'

!  Conclusions''

Introduction&


!  The$PhD$study$!  PhD'study'started'in'Feb.'2011'and'completed'in'July'

2015.'

!  Study'into'smallholder'farmers'percep/ons,$vulnerability$and$adapta/on'to'climate'change.'

!  This'paper'reports'on'farmers’'and'policy'makers’'

percep-ons'of'climate'change.'

! Why$study$climate$change$and$smallholder$farmers?$

Introduction&…&rationale&


!  Climate'change''is'urgent'and'complex.''

!  Complicates'exis-ng'challenges'of'poverty'

reduc-on'and'the'realiza-on'of'MDGs.''

!  Ethiopia''and'Sidama’s'smallholder'farmers'

!  Yet'farmers’'understanding'and'responses'to'

climate'change'have'neither'been'seriously'

acknowledged'nor'empirically'studied,'especially'

in'the'case'of'Sidama.'

Ethiopia&and&Sidama&


Loca/on$of$Sidama$in$Ethiopia$ Ethiopia:$$•  Total'popula-on'

94'million'

•  Agriculture'

42T45%'of'GDP,''

•  80%'employment,''

•  90%''foreign'

exchange'

earnings.''

•  Coffee'35%'export'

earnings,'25%'

popula-on,'95%'

smallholder'

farmers'

Sidama:$•  Total'popula-on'

of'over'3.6'mn''

•  Density'of'506'

people'per'sq.'km'

•  Agriculture'is'

dominant,'largely'

rainfed'

•  Main'products:'

coffee,'maize,'

cereals,'

vegetables,'Enset,'

livestock''

Enset/Weese'

Dr'Meera'Tiwari'and'Seyoum'Hameso'

Roadside'coffee'plants'near'highland'

Coffee'

Methodology&


!  Compara-ve'

case'study'

research'design''

!  Explore'climate'

change'in'three'

agroecological'

zones'–'

highlands,$midlands$and$lowlands.$$

Methodology&…&


!  Used'both'qualita-ve'and'quan-ta-ve'research'methods'

for'data'collec-on'and'analysis.'

!  Undertook'fieldwork'research'from'January'2012'T'May'

2012.'

!  Data'collec-on'involved'a'survey'with'120'farmers,'focus'

group'discussion'with'30'farmers,'semiTstructured'

interviews'with'15'farmers'and'17'policy'makers.'

!  'A'modified'form'of'sustainable$livelihoods$framework$is'deployed'as'analy-cal'tool'to'inves-gate'vulnerability'

context,'livelihood'assets,'and'ins-tu-ons.''

Sustainable&livelihood&framework&


Findings&and&discussion&


Percep-ons'of'climate'change'by'farmers'

Overall'perception'of'climate'change!

''[Source:'Survey'data,'March'2012]'

Risks/Indicators'Higher'temperature,''

erra$c&rainfall,&&disappearance&of&plant&(crop&and&tree)&species,&&growing&new&crops&such&as&maize&and&coffee&in&new&areas,&&change&in&wind&direc$on,&&emergence&of&parasites/insects&emergence&of&diseases&(malaria)&

Causes$Destruc$on&of&indigenous&trees&and&expansion&of&eucalyptus&trees,"God’s"wrath,"weakened"indigenous"prac5ces"and"values"'

Quote&


‘We'entered'a'new'era…'While'the'habitual'calendar'of'months'

remains'the'same,'the'weather'is'changing'and'we'don’t'know'

why'it'is'so.'…'there'is'climate'change'[at'different'levels].'What'

we'know'to'happen'in'the'past'and'what'is'happening'now'are'

different.'In'the'past,'people'knew'what'to'expect.'They'knew'

what'happens'during'the'autumn….'People'knew'what'happens'

in'those'months.'Then'they'prepare'for'farming'ac-vi-es.'With'

full'knowledge'of'the'events,'people'organise'their'life'and'

prepare'for'work…''

In'recent'-mes,'however,'an'unexpected'event'emerged.'While'

changes'in'the'past'were'imposed'on'people,'such'as'

revolu-onary'change'in'poli-cs,'now'there'is'a'change'in'

climate.'It'has'unexpectedly'engulfed'people'without'their'

knowledge'…’''Focus'Group'Discussion'par-cipant'from'highland'

Findings&and&discussion&…&


Percep-ons'of'climate'change'by'policy'makers'

Indicators/risks:'erra$c&rainfall,&rising&temperature,&decline&in&water&availability,&and&emergence&of&disease&

Causes:'deforesta$on,&CO2&emissions&and&global&warming''

Quote&


‘Our'district'is'a'vic-m'of'the'problem'of'climate'change'

(…)'This'district'is'known'to'produce'coffee.'The'only'

way'produc-on'and'produc-vity'of'coffee'can'be'

increased'is'by'having'stable'weather'condi-ons.'

Problems'associated'with'global'climate'change'affect'

our'district'(…)'The'source'of'global&warming&is'manT

made'pollu-on'…'[which]'results'from'gases'released'by'

factories'of'wealthy'countries.'…'Most'vulnerable'

countries'are'vic-ms'especially'African'countries'and'

developing'countries.’''

Par-cipant'from'midland'district'

Conclusions&


!  Results'showed'that'the'majority'of'farmers'perceived''

changing'clima-c'condi-ons.'

!  Varied'percep-ons'about'causes'of'climate'change'

! What$can$be$done$to$bridge$the$gap$in$percep/ons?$

I&thank&you&


ppt farmers and policy makers' preceptions of climate change

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