VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION PRACTICES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CASE OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AT GUBA LAFTO WOREDA, AMHARA NATIONAL REGION STATE, ETHIOPIA M.Sc. THESIS TSEGAYE TEMESGEN WONDO GENET COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, HAWASSA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA JUNE, 2018 VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION PRACTICES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CASE OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AT GUBA LAFTO WOREDA, AMHARA NATIONAL REGION STATE, ETHIOPIA TSEGAYE TEMESGEN A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE ASSESMENT, WONDO GENET COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES WONDO GENET COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES WONDO GENET, ETHIOPIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT (SPECIALIZATION: CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE ASSESMENT) JUNE, 2018 II Approval sheet1 This is to certify that the thesis entitled “vulnerability and adaptation practices to climate change: the case of smallholder farmers at Guba Lafto woreda, Amhara national region state, Ethiopia” is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Sciences with specialization in climate smart agricultural landscape assessment. It is a record of original research carried out by Tsegaye Temesgen Id. No Msc/CSAL/R0012/09, under my supervision; and no part of the thesis has been submitted for any other degree or diploma. The assistance and help received during the courses of this investigation have been duly acknowledged. Therefore, I recommended it to be accepted as fulfilling the thesis requirements. _______________________ _______________ ____________ Name of major advisor Signature Date ______________________ _______________ ____________ Name of Co-Supervisor Signature Date III Approval sheet 2 We, the undersigned, members of the Board of Examiners of the final open defense by Tsegaye Temesgen have read and evaluated his thesis entitled “vulnerability and adaptation practices to climate change: the case of smallholder farmers at Guba Lafto woreda” and examined the candidate. This is therefore to certify that the thesis has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. ______________________________ __________________ _______________ Name of the Chairperson Signature Date ______________________________ __________________ _______________ Name of Major Advisor Signature Date ______________________________ __________________ _______________ Name of Internal Examiner Signature Date ______________________________ __________________ _______________ Name of External Examiner Signature Date _______________________________ ____________________ ______________ SGS approval Signature Date IV Acknowledgement First I would like to praise the Almighty God, for his overall gifts to me and help in every walk of my life to begin and to accomplish my thesis work. Also I wishes to thank MRV project for supporting financial and providing me M.Sc. scholarship to study in Wondo Genet college of Forestry and Natural resources, Hawassa university, Ethiopia. Next I would like to express my genuine and heartfelt gratitude to my major advisor and co advisor Yimeru Tesfaye (PhD) and Girma Eshete (PhD) respectively for their unreserved professional guidance, supervision and assistance starting from proposal writing to the end of my thesis work. I am also thank you to my friends and other participant people (farmers, extension workers, and the employee from different sectors) for their interview, positive comments, suggestion, constructive advice and scientific guidance throughout my research work. Finally, my appreciation goes to my family to their endless support. Declaration I declare and affirm that this thesis with the title “vulnerability and adaptation practices to climate change: the case of smallholder farmers at Guba Lafto woreda” is my own work. I have followed all ethical and technical principle of scholarship in the preparation, data collection, data analysis and compilation of this thesis. Any scholarly matter that is included in the thesis has been given recognition through citation. This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for M.sc. degree in climate smart agricultural landscape assessment department at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural resources. The thesis is deposited in Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural resources Library and is made available to borrowers under the rules of the Library. I solemnly declare that this thesis has not been submitted to any other institution anywhere for the award of any academic degree, diploma or certificate. Tsegaye Temesgen ___ ______________ June, 2018_________ Name of student Signature Date . VI Table of Contents Acknowledgment...................................................................................................V Declaration.............................................................................................................VI Table of contents.....................................................................................................VII List of abbreviations and acronyms........................................................................X List of tables...........................................................................................................XII List of figures.........................................................................................................XIII Abstract..................................................................................................................XIV 1. Introduction........................................................................................................1 1.1. Background......................................................................................................1 1.2. Statement of problems......................................................................................3 1.3. Objectives.........................................................................................................5 1.3.1. General objectives..........................................................................................5 1.3.2. Specific objectives..........................................................................................6 1.4. Research questions............................................................................................6 1.5. The significance of the study............................................................................6 1.6. The scope and limitation of the study...............................................................7 1.7. Organization of the thesis..................................................................................8 2. Literature Review.................................................................................................9 2.1. Effect of climate change on social, economic and environmental condition......9 2.2. Vulnerability to climate change..........................................................................11 2.2.1. Conceptual approaches to vulnerability...........................................................12 2.2.1.1. Socio economic approaches..........................................................................13 2.2.1.2. Biophysical approaches.................................................................................13 2.2.1.3. Integrated assessment approaches.................................................................14 VII 2.2.2. Vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate changes.....................15 2.3. Adaptation to climate changes.........................................................................15 2.4. Impact of climate change on agricultural communities....................................18 2.5. Adaptation of agricultural communities to climate change.............................19 2.6. Agro ecological features of Ethiopia...............................................................19 2.7. Livelihood framework as analytical tool.........................................................20. 2.8. Conceptual framework of the study................................................................23 3. Material and methods........................................................................................24 3.1. Site description...............................................................................................24 3.1.1. Geographical location..................................................................................24 3.1.2. Climate.........................................................................................................25 3.1.3. Soils..............................................................................................................25 3.1.4. Population.....................................................................................................25 3.1.5. Area coverage and land use.........................................................................26 3.1.6. Vegetation...................................................................................................26 3.2. Methods..........................................................................................................26 3.2.1. Site selection and sampling procedures.......................................................26 3.2.2. Data sources and type..................................................................................27