Girmay Tesfay

Effect of integrated soil bunds on key soil properties and soil carbon stock in semi-arid areas of northern Ethiopia

Land degradation is a serious global problem. To reclaim degraded land, many soil bunds have been implemented. However, their effectiveness has not been studied in all regions of Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of soil bunds integrated with tree fodder species on selected soil properties and carbon stock in semi-arid areas of northern Ethiopia. Twenty-seven composite soil samples were collected from 20 cm depth. The soil parameters texture, soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), available phosphorus (Av.P) and available potassium (Av.K) were analysed. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and mean comparisons were made using Tukey’s honestly significant difference test. Mean values of SOM (2.13%, 1.47% and 0.85%), CEC (150.42, 100.58 and 80.68 cmol kg−1 soil), TN (0.2, 0.14 and 0.08%), Av.P (7.08, 6.03 and 4.36 ppm), Av.K (1.52, 1.34 and 1.27 cmol kg−1 soil), soil carbon stock (SCS; 12.48, 10.47 and 4.7 t ha−1) and soil bulk density (BD; 1.35, 1.43 and 1.44 g m−3) were recorded in soil bunds integrated with forage species (ISB), soil bunds alone (SB) and non-conserved cultivated land (NC), respectively. The BD, SOM, CEC, TN and SCS showed a significant difference among the three cropland treatments and Av.P showed a significant difference only between (ISB and SB) and NC. The pH showed no significant differences and Av.K showed no significant difference between SB and NC. The findings indicate that integrating soil bunds with forage species was a better option to improve soil properties than soil bunds alone.

Traditional gender inequalities limit pastoral women’s opportunities for adaptation to climate change: Evidence from the Afar pastoralists of Ethiopia

Climate change affects different demographic groups differently. Pastoral women, being among the poorest of the poor, are expected to be highly vulnerable to climate change. However, empirical evidence on gender-differentiated vulnerability and adaptive capacity is limited. A triangulation of different techniques including focused group discussions, individual interviews, case studies and structured observations was used to see if there is a difference in factors that determine the level of vulnerability and adaptive capacity between Afar men and women. Gender inequality inherent in the Afar customary tradition (Adda) acts as a risk multiplying factor, resulting in women being more vulnerable than men to climate change-induced food insecurity and related risks. Moreover, men have better scores in different variables determining vulnerability and adaptive capacity, including wealth ownership, wealth inheritance, household-level decision power, opportunities for community-level participation, household burdens and health or body mass index (BMI). Despite their limited scores in many of these factors, Afar pastoral women make higher contributions to household-level adaptation to recurrent drought and weather variability. A gendered approach that recognizes the difference in potentials, limitations and vulnerabilities of pastoral women and men is required for successful implementation of adaptation measures.

The effects of adaptation to climate change on income of households in rural Ethiopia

Climate change is one of the most serious impediments to agricultural prosperity in Ethiopia, especially where livestock is concerned. In particular, rural farming communities in the drylands of the Afar region are severely exposed to the impacts of climate change, with stark reminders from repeating droughts followed by crop failure and livestock decimation. Locals have a long history of applying adaptation measures to maintain their sustenance. However, a growing literature challenges whether these traditional methods can continue to sustain local livelihoods. This study identifies how pastoral, semi-pastoral, agro-pastoral and mixed-farming communities in Afar perceive and adapt to climate change and whether these practices have brought about any improvement in farm income. A panel data set of five years was gathered using structured questionnaires from a sample of 313 households. Household heads pointed out indicators to identify climate-related stress such as erratic rainfall, drought, temperature change, drying of water sources, prevalence of diseases and lack of human and livestock feed. A fixed effects quantitative model on the panel data was estimated to verify the effect of adaptation strategies on income of household heads. We found that the main adaptation strategies that significantly influenced household income levels were forage production (hay and straw), access to water sources, livestock diversification and migration. The implication is that people severely affected by climate change and living in a situation demanding urgent solutions can actively apply various adaptation strategies if the strategies are linked to the creation of sustainable income benefits. Thus, integrated approaches comprising adaptation methods and expected benefits are an important way to induce farming communities to address challenges related to climatic change.