Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies & Management 7 Suppl.: 832 – 839, 2014. ISSN:1998-0507 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v7i2.3S Submitted: September 17, 2014 Accepted: November 17, 2014 FARMERS’ PERCEPTION AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: HECKMAN’S TWO STAGE SAMPLE SELECTION MODEL *URGESSA TILAHUN 1 AND AMSALU BEDEMO 2 1Haro Sabu Agricultural Research Center, P.O.Box 10, Dale Sadi, Kellem Wollega, Ethiopia 2 Assosa University, P.O.Box 018, Asossa, Ethiopia Abstract This study examines farmers’ perception and adaptation to climate change in Guto Gidda and Sasigga districts of Oromia Regional National State in Ethiopia. Primary data for the study were collected from 142 farm household heads drawn from five kebeles of Sasiga district and four kebeles of Guto Gida district through structured questionnaire. Heckman two stage sample selection model was employed to examine farmers’ perception and adaptation strategies to climate change. Estimation result shows that farmers level of education (p=0.040), household nonfarm income (p=0.030), livestock ownership (0.001), extension on crop and livestock (p=0.000), household’s credit accessibility (p=0.001), perception of increase in temperature (p=0.000) and perception of decrease in precipitation (p=0.000) significantly affect the adaptation to climate change. Similarly, farmers’ perception of climate change was affected significantly by information on climate (p=0.000), farmer to farmer extension (p=0.009), local agro \–ecology (p=0.002), number of relatives in development group (p=0.015) and perception of change in duration of season (p=0.002). Key Words: Climate Change, East Wollega, Western Ethiopia Introduction steep slopes and erodible soils, low Ethiopia, one of the developing countries, vegetation cover of the soil, burning of dung is facing serious natural resource degradation and crop residues, declining fallow periods, problems (Anemut, 2006). The diversity in and limited application of organic or altitude accompanied with climatic and inorganic fertilizers. ecological variations which affect production Climate is a primary determinant of is among the features of the country (Shibru agricultural productivity (Apata et al ., 2009). and Kifle, 1998). One of Ethiopia's principal The rate and magnitude of change in climate natural resources is its rich endowment of characteristics determines agronomic and agricultural land. Agriculture is the backbone economic impacts from climate change of the Ethiopian economy and is given (Bruce et al ., 2001). Though climate change special attention by the government to is a threat to agriculture and non-agricultural spearhead the economic transformation of the socio-economic development, agricultural country. However, land degradation, production activities are generally more especially soil erosion, soil nutrient depletion vulnerable to climate change than other and soil moisture stress, is a major problem sectors (Ayanwuyi et al ., 2010). The purpose confronting Ethiopia. The proximate causes of this study is therefore, to examine the of land degradation include cultivation of farmers’ perceptions and adaptation to *Corresponding Author: Urgessa Tilahun 832 Email: [email protected] Farmers’ Perception and Adaptation to Climate Change ................ URGESSA & AMSALU climate change, measures taken by farmers in to 2,450 meters above sea level which adapting climate change and causes of non reflects the existence of three agro-ecological adaptation in climate change. zones i.e. Kolla, Woina Dega and Dega. As a Description of the Study Area result this area is experienced mean annual Guto Gida is among the 17 districts of temperature of slightly greater than 15 0c and East Wollega Zone that has 21 farmers mean annual rainfall of 1,600 mm to 2,000 associations and 1 urban center possessing a mm (GGDFEDO, 2011). Most part of the total area of 901.80 km 2. It is contiguous with land of Sasiga district has an elevation above Gidda Ayyana, Abe Dongoro and Gudaya 1000 meters and characterized by sub Bila through the North, Sibu Sire and Wayyu tropical climatic condition with a mean Tuka through the East, Leka Dulecha through annual temperature between 26.5°C and 27°C the south and Digga, Sasiga and Benshengul and mean annual rainfall of 800 mm to 1,200 Gumuz Regional State through the west mm (SDFEDO, 2011). (GGDFEDO, 2011). Sasiga district is also found in East Methodology Wollega Zone. It is located at about 18 Sampling Procedure kilometers west of Nekemte town, zonal This paper used both primary and town, possessing a total area of 980.70 km 2. secondary data. Primary data was collected This district is contiguous with Benshengul by structured questionnaire. Detailed Gumuz Regional State in the North and information on household and farm West, Digga district in the south, and Guto characteristics, household socio-economic Gida district in the east. It is divided in to 27 and demographic characteristics, location farmers associations and one urban center characteristics and farm management having the capital town named Gallo practices and other related information were (SDFEDO, 2011). collected through interview of sample Climate household heads. Climate is the long-term effect of the sun's The study was conducted in Guto Gida radiation on the rotating earth's varied surface and Sasiga districts, East Wollega Zone of and atmosphere. Agroecological zones are Oromia Regional State. These districts were areas where predominant physical conditions purposefully selected due to the fact that in guide relatively homogeneous agricultural these areas the environment has been land use options. Because of Ethiopia’s degraded largely and the occurrence of location near the equator, elevation has very climate change that affect agricultural strong influence on temperature and, to lesser production during the year 2010 and 2011 in extent, on rainfall. Elevation is the basis for three kebeles of Guto Gida district. traditional agroecological divisions, which Systematic random sampling technique have long been used to characterize different was employed to draw sample of household environments in Ethiopia (CSA and IFPRI, heads. From a total of 50 peasant 2011). Climate can be understood most easily associations in these districts nine peasant in terms of annual or seasonal averages of associations were selected randomly. From temperature and precipitation. Guto Gida these sampled peasant associations based on district is situated between altitude of 1,350 formula by Kothari (2004) 142 households were selected proportionally. 833 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 7 Suppl. 2014 East Wollega Zone Ü Ebantu Kiremu Gida Ayana Haro Limu Sasiga District Guto Gida District Legend East Wellega_District W_NAME Gudeyabila Kiremu Wama Hagelo Boneya Bushe Sasiga Guto Gida Diga Sibu Sire Gobu Seyo Ebantu Gida Ayana Nekemte Town Diga Gobu Seyo Gudeyabila Wayu Tuqa Guto Gida Leqa Dulecha Boneya Bushe Haro Jimma Arjo Leqa Dulecha Wama Hagelo Limu Jimma Arjo Nunu Qumba Nekemte Town Nunu Qumba km Sasiga 010,000 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 Sibu Sire Wayu Tuqa Source: East Wollega Zone Finance and Economic Development Office (2013) Figure 1: Map of the study area Econometric Model (Maddison, 2006). The model for sample Adaptation to climate change involves a selection assumes that an underlying two-stage process: first, perceiving change relationship exists, the latent equation given and, second, deciding whether or not to adapt by by taking a particular measure. This leads to * y j = x j β + u j ---------------------- (1) a sample selectivity problem, since only 1 those who perceive climate change will such that we observe only the binary outcome adapt, whereas we need to make an inference given by the probit model as probit * about adaptation by the agricultural y j = (y j > 0) ----------------------- (2) population in general, which implies the use of Heckman’s sample selectivity model 834 Farmers’ Perception and Adaptation to Climate Change ................ URGESSA & AMSALU The dependent variable is observed only if j awareness of farmers to climate change or is observed in the selection equation their risk perceptions. The variables included select in the analysis are level of education, farmers y j = (z jδ + u2 j > 0)-------------------- (3) information on climate change, farmer to u ~ N ( 1,0 ) 1 farmer extension, household’s number of u ~ N ( 1,0 ) 2 relatives in development group, household corr u , u = ρ ( 1 2 ) farm income, total family size, sex of Where x is a k-vector of regressors or household, household non-farm income, independent variables that is affect farmers household’s livestock ownership, extension perception and adaptation to climate change, on crop and livestock, household’s credit z is an m vector of regressors, u 1and u 2 are availability, farm size in hectares, distance to error terms. When ρ≠ 0, the standard probit input market, distance to output market, local techniques applied to equation (1) yield agro ecology, increase in temperature, biased results (Deressa et al ., 2008). Thus, decrease in temperature, no change in the Heckman probit provides consistent, temperature, increase in precipitation, asymptotically efficient estimates for all decrease in precipitation, and no change in parameters in such models. Thus, the precipitation. Heckman two stage selection model was employed to analyze the perception and Results and Discussions adaptation to climate change in the Guto Farmers’ Perception and Adaptation to Gida and Sasiga districts. Climate Change For this study, the first stage of the Adaptation to climate change is a two- Heckman probit model considers whether the step process which requires that farmers farmer perceived a climate change; this is the perceive climate change in the first step and selection model. The second-stage model respond to changes in the second step looks at whether the farmer tried to adapt to through adaptation. The analysis of farmers’ climate change, and it is conditional on the perceptions of climate change indicates that first stage, that is, a perceived change in most of the farmers in this study are aware of climate.