Farmers’ perception of climate change and adaptation strategies in the Dabus watershed, North-West Ethiopia

This study is aimed at analyzing farmers’ perception and adaptation to climate change in the Dabus watershed. It is based on analysis of data collected from 734 randomly selected farm household heads substantiated with Focus Group Discussions and field observations. The study employed descriptive methods to assess farmers’ perception of climate change, local indicators of climate change and types of adaptation measures exercised to cope up with the risk of the change in climate. The study also employed the Heckman sample selection model to analyze the two-step process of adaptation to climate change which initially requires farmers’ perception that climate is changing prior to responding to the changes through adaptation measures. Based on the model result educational attainment, the age of the head of the household, the number of crop failures in the past, changes in temperature and precipitation significantly influenced farmers’ perception of climate change in wet lowland parts of the study area. In dry lowland condition, farming experience, climate information, duration of food shortage, and the number of crop failures experienced determined farmers’ perception of climate change. Farmers’ adaptation decision in both the wet and dry lowland conditions is influenced by household size, the gender of household head, cultivated land size, education, farm experience, non-farm income, income from livestock, climate information, extension advice, farm-home distance and number of parcels. However, the direction of influence and significance level of most of the explanatory variables vary between the two parts of the study area. In line with the results, any intervention that promotes the use of adaptation measures to climate change may account for location-specific factors that determine farmers' perception of climate change and adaptive responses thereof.