Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Adaption Under the Small Farming Households of Konso Community, Southern Ethiopia

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Climate Change Resilience

Abstract

The overall aim of this case study is to understand climate change, vulnerability, and adaptation at small farming household scale. A total of 244 household heads were randomly selected from the clusters of wealth rank groups in the two farming practices of ox-plough and hoe cultivation. The findings indicate that both the community perceptions and meteorological evidences imply an increasing trend of drought occurrence and rainfall intensity accounting for the continuous vulnerability of the agrarian community with climate change. Moreover, the root causes of the vulnerability of the community to the impacts of climate change are attributed to the combined effects of environmental and socioeconomic and political factors, where the poor and the landless youth are affected the hardest. The study also found that the communities are practicing a wide range of ingenious land husbandry practices, innovations, and early warning systems as strategy of adaption to climate change. Finally, it concludes with the need of supporting local experimentation and innovation in developing resilience to the impact of climate change and food insecurity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 849.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 999.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adger N, Agrawala S, Mirza MMQ, Conde C, O’Brien K, Pulhin J, Pulwarty R, Smit B, Takahashi T (2007) Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, van der Linden PJ, Hanson CE (eds) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 717–743

    Google Scholar 

  • Agrawal A (1995) Dismantling the divide between indigenous and scientific knowledge. Dev Chang 26:413–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aragie EA (2013) Climate change, growth and poverty in Ethiopia. Working paper no.3, June 2013, The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkes F (2012) Sacred ecology, 3rd edn. Routledge, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Beshah T (2003) Understanding farmers: explaining soil and water conservation in Konso, Wolaita and Wello. Ethiopia tropical resource management paper no. 41, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs J (2005) The use of indigenous knowledge in development: problems and challenges. Prog Dev Stud 5: 99, SAGE Publisher, http://pdj.sagepub.com/content/5/2/99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chossudovsky M (2000) Genetically modified seeds imposed on farmers in developing countries triggered famine and social devastation, sowing the seed of famine in Ethiopia, The Ecologist, September 2000, Centre for Research on Globalization, Montreal

    Google Scholar 

  • Department for International Development (DFID) (2010) Concept note: reducing hunger in Ethiopia: support to the government’s food security programme – DFID’s approach to environment. Department for International Development, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Elizabeth B, Temesgen TD, Glwadys AG, Claudia R (2009) Adaptation to climate change in Ethiopia and South Africa: options and constraints. Environ Sci Pol 12(4):413–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ethiopian Economic Association (EEA) (2008) Climate change and development adaptation measures. Econ Focus 11(1). Addis Ababa

    Google Scholar 

  • Finucane ML (2009) Why science alone won’t solve the climate crisis: managing climate risks in the Pacific. Asia Pacific issues no. 89. East-West Centre, Honolulu

    Google Scholar 

  • Foerch W (2003) Case study: the agricultural system of the Konso in South-Western Ethiopia. Published 2003 online: FWU Water Resources Publications 2003:1, University of Siegen, http://fwu.fb10.uni-siegen.de/bkd/FWU_WRP.htm

  • Fosu-Mensah BY, Vlek PLG, Manschadi AM (2010) Farmers’ perception and adaptation to climate change; a case study of Sekyedumase district in Ghana. Paper presented at Tropentag 2010 “world food system-a contribution from Europe”, 14–16 September, 2010, Zürich

    Google Scholar 

  • Green Forum (2008) Climate change – a burning issue for Ethiopia: proceedings of the 2nd green forum conference held in Addis Ababa, 31 October–2 November 2007, Green Forum, Addis Ababa, 145pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Haile M (2005) Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in sub-Saharan Africa. Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 360:2169–2182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007) Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability working group II contribution to the intergovernmental panel on climate change fourth assessment report. Summary for policymakers, IPCC, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2014) Summary for policymakers. In: Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kruger HJ, Berhanu F, Yohannes GM, Kefeni K (1997) Inventory of indigenous soil and water conservation measures on selected sites in the Ethiopian highlands. SCRP Research Report 34. University of Berne, Berne

    Google Scholar 

  • McKee J (2008) Deconstructing some myths about climate change adaptation and mitigation. In: Green Forum (ed) Climate change – a burning issue for Ethiopia: proceedings of the 2nd Green Forum conference held in Addis Ababa, 31 October–2 November 2007. Green Forum, Addis Ababa, pp 111–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Meron A (2012) The impact of climate change and adaptation through agro ecological farming practices: a case study of the Konso area in Ethiopia. Master’s thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala

    Google Scholar 

  • Mertz O, Cheikh M, Reenberg A, Diouf A (2009) Farmers perceptions of climate change and agricultural adaptation strategies in rural Sahel. Environ Manag 43(5):804–816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakashima DJ, Galloway McLean K, Thulstrup HD, Ramos Castillo A, Rubis JT (2012) Weathering uncertainty: traditional knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation. UNESCO/United Nations University, Paris/Darwin

    Google Scholar 

  • National Meteorological Agency (NMA) (2007) Climate change national adaptation program of action (NAPA) of Ethiopia. NMA, Addis Ababa

    Google Scholar 

  • Okonya JS, Syndikus K, Jürgen Kroschel J (2013) Farmers perception of and coping strategies to climate change: evidence from six agro-ecological zones of Uganda. J Agric Sci 5(8). https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v5n8p252

  • Otto S (2004) Traditional Konso culture and the missionary impact. Annales d’Éthiopie 20:149–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Pankhurst R (1985) The history of famine and epidemics in Ethiopia prior to the twentieth century. Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, Addis Ababa

    Google Scholar 

  • Ringer C (2008) Food and water under global change: developing adaptive capacity with a focus on rural Africa. Paper presented in the workshop “How can African agriculture adapt to climate change? 11–13 December, Nazareth

    Google Scholar 

  • Senanayake SGJN (2006) Indigenous knowledge as a key to sustainable development. J Agric Sci 2(1):87–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Tadesse M (2010) Living with adversity and vulnerability: adaptive strategies and the role of trees in Konso, Southern Ethiopia. PhD thesis, SLU, Uppsala

    Google Scholar 

  • Tadesse M, Kassa H, Sriskandarajah N, Powell N (2008) Do conservation and intensification have their limits? The challenges of food security and vulnerability amongst the Konso people of southern Ethiopia. Proceedings, meeting global challenges in research cooperation, 27–29 May, SLU, Uppsala, pp 229–239

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters-Bayer A, van Veldhuizen L, Wongtschowski M, Wettasinha C (2006) Recognising and enhancing local innovation processes. Prolinnova working paper 13, Prolinnova International Secretariat, ETC Foundation, Leusden

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2008) Ethiopia: a country study on the economic impacts of climate change. World Bank, Addis Ababa

    Google Scholar 

  • Yohannes GM (2001) Community assessment of local innovators in northern Ethiopia. In: Reij C, Waters-Bayer A (eds) Farmer innovation in Africa: source of inspiration for agricultural development. Earthscan, London, pp 171–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Yohannes GM, Waters-Bayer A (2007) Trees are our backbone: integrating environment and local development in Tigray region of Ethiopia. IIED issue paper 145, IIED, London

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Yohannes GebreMichael

Authors
  1. Yohannes GebreMichael
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yohannes GebreMichael .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. International Climate Change Information and Research Programme (ICCIRP), Faculty of Life Sciences, Research and Transfer Centre Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

GebreMichael, Y. (2020). Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Adaption Under the Small Farming Households of Konso Community, Southern Ethiopia. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Resilience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93336-8_71

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation