COLLEGE OF FINANCE, MANAGEMENT AND

DEVELOPMENT

Department of Public Management

Course: - - Development Theories and Strategies
(MAPM 522) - Section 1

Assignment #1

Article Review on

Climate Change Adaptation: Opportunities and Challenges from

Two Communities in Ethiopia

Brief Article Review By:

Elzabet Tesfaye Id no: - ECSU1801795

Submitted to: Instructor Zijgu Samuel

12 June 2020

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  Introduction

Climate change drives climate extremes which manifest in the form of extreme droughts in some
areas and excessive precipitations in others. The nature of impacts from climate extremes
depends not only on the intensities of the extremes themselves but also on exposure and
vulnerability of communities. Communities in poor countries are the most exposed to such
extremities and are forced to bear a huge burden to adapt to these extremes. Ethiopia is seen as
one of the African countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with limited
capacity to cope with short-term climatic shocks or adapt to longer-term trends.

Adaptation refers to “the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects,
inorder to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities”.

A survey carried out in communities with varying socio-cultural and environmental conditions in
two different parts of Ethiopia found in Tigray (Eastern zone) and Wolaita zone of Ethiopia
to understand their perceptions on climate change and variability, and their capacity to adapt...
toward essential to know about the opportunities and challenges around adaptation.

Actually what expected from this paper is that understanding and indicate the methodology in
which the study used, discusses the main body and critical issue of the article, findings and
criticize the methodology, arguments, findings of the article, then finally giving conclusions,
recommendation and suggestions for the study so far.

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  Methodology

The study conducted in Tigray (Eastern zone) and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’
region (SNNP), Wolaita zone of Ethiopia. The researches stated that this country characterized
by sparse and irregular rainfall, and is highly drought prone. They suggest that the two zones
selected for the research due to their relevance--- the people of the two study areas experience
years of declining environmental quality (forestry, soil, water resources).The data collection and
analysis method in A focus group discussion in eastern Tigray and Wolita zones between July
and October 2010. The groups made up of farmers, traders, local administrators as well as
experts in natural resources management In addition the study used questionnaire and interview
through participating farmer groups, experts from the ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture
research institutes, universities, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs)….

The main idea inside the article

 Based on the reviewed literatures
The objectives of this specific paper summarized as to find out Community’s level of perception
on climate change impacts Risks and opportunities ; to study Community capacity to adapt to the
ever increasing disaster threats driven by climate change and what constraints and challenges
retard adaptation in these communities as well as to determine the roles of various local and
international institutions, resource support mechanisms and technological transfer mechanisms
received by poor communities. The researchers indicated that most of the drought events were
concentrated in two broader zones of the country. The first covers the central and north-eastern
highlands, while the second area is comprised of the crescent of low-lying agro-pastoral lands.
These areas cover a major part of the Ethiopian highlands. With climate change impacts
projected to worsen, people living in this part of the country might face an insurmountable
challenge. More frequent droughts, increasing variability, and areal expansion of drought
coverage continue to create an uphill struggle to these subsistence farmers.

Adaptation is one of the preoccupations in the field of climate change and disaster risk reduction.
As such humanity has been adapting for generations to changing circumstance forced by natural
or human beings, though such forced human adjustments were not necessarily called adaptation.
What may be new these days is that the frequency and intensity of the risks has increased and
that vulnerable communities are faced with increasing pressure to do more.

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Currently Ethiopia remains an agrarian economy with about 85% of the employment dependent
on agriculture likewise agriculture is dependent mainly on traditional systems and is largely rain-
fed, which itself is highly variable and unpredictable due to climate change. Farmer-level
adaptation to drought and other climatic changes can be seen as comprising two important
elements. First, adaptation depends on farmer’s perception of the risk factor and the level of
conviction that business as usual is not an option. Secondly, adaptation depends on the options
available, which in turn may be a function of several factors including economic status,
education level, and other environmental endowments. Effective adaptation and Disaster risk
management strategies and practices also depend on a rigorous understanding of the dimensions
of exposure and vulnerability. This study provides some adaptation options and barriers inter alia
lack of information, financial limitations, inadequate size of land, shortage of labor and limited
potential for irrigation.

 Finding of the article

The researchers examine the study a focus group discussion method focuses on four relevant
questions 1. Community awareness of disasters, behaviors and coping mechanisms 2.
Institutional support to drought-prone communities 3. Adaptation speed Vis –a –Vis drought
recurrence 4. Major challenges facing adaptation

According to respondent groups, 80-95% of the farmers residing in the research areas had
adequate understandings of drought risks, their exposure and vulnerability as well as their roles.
Respondent groups highlighted the relationships between drought (or inadequate rainfall) and
pest infestation. Years of less rainfall are also characterized by pest infestation which affects the
little left in the field. The researchers stated that As climate challenge adaptation efforts, farmers
accept new farming techniques and soil and water conservation measures, practice water
harvesting for small-scale irrigation, use of drought resistant crops, expansion of agro-forestry,
vegetable gardening, off-farm activities, and small businesses and respondents and experts in the
field have identified several challenges. Perhaps the single most important shortcoming in the
Early warning system (EWS) is the lack of information management systems (each agency keeps
respective data, but there is no centralized information desk that gathers, analyses and
disseminates information).

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other challenges include lack of institutional capacity to analyze the realities at district level,
poor infrastructure and communications systems for real-time information sharing and lack of
coordination of the various bodies and mentioned that the major challenges for adaptation are:
lack of alternative livelihoods that emanate from overall poverty, socio-cultural barriers, lack of
proper and timely information, lack of adequate sensitization and demonstration, and fear of
failure and the risk that accompanies it. In adaptation speed with drought recurrence the
researchers analyzed that the speed of adaptation is fear of failure (as poor farmers do not want
to take too much of risk). The amount of financial return that farmers anticipate determines the
level of acceptance of any new technology although the researchers indicated that Systematic
studies and documentations lack in almost all ministries including the agricultural research
institutions. The systematic data about important inventories or indicative trends towards
achieving goals, almost all line ministries asserted lack of them. Such institutions are packed
with operational activities leaving little or no room for long-term investment in research and
documentation of from the lessons learned.

 Reviewer’s Analysis of the paper

The study showed only observe the most drought event Tigray (Eastern zone) and Southern
Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ region (SNNP), Wolaita zone of Ethiopia but not only these
two countries is not enough to understand and hold information in terms of being broad, Ethiopia
showed the drought event, climate change variability also the Amhara region and Oroima zone
are exposed to different climate variability including highly drought and the study used in data
collection method a focus group discussion; In fact the focus group discussion is challenging to
data analysis and control over the data are generated furthermore there is no way to make sure
that the findings, results either group or the individual behavior. Besides the researchers
announced that the study have A questionnaire (comprising 36 questions) but the data does not
cover all the questions and analyzed only focuses on 4 major questions it is difficult to generalize
in the expected way depending on only the four questions in addition to this the researchers in
data collection method assumed that the study have a questionnaire and interview but it is not
specified the questionnaire and interview in a whole study. The general objective of the paper to
examine the opportunities and challenges of Tigray zone and Wolaita zone of the countries but
the data analysis and finding results is not clearly showing that either the Tigray zone or Wolaita
zone so it is difficult to provide information and recommendations for the communities.

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furthermore the researches interpreted the results is not clear and easily understandable way and
mostly not showing the respondents are communities attitude, experts from Ministry of Agriculture and
Natural resources, Agriculture research institutes, ---- the results put in generalized. although the
research does not intend to be exhaustive in its policy analysis both at country and global level,
it is would be given more discussion on the progress made to support community level
adaptation efforts by national governments and international institutions although the researchers
in study show that systematic studies and documentations lack in almost all ministries including
the agricultural research institutions but they did not provide or indicated enough data or study;
to conclude this and last but not the least the paper focuses on drought impacts forgot about other
vulnerability impacts.

 Conclusions and Recommendations for the future

The study highlighted many facts: community awareness on climate change effects, the progress
made by the government to mainstream climate change issues in the overall development
planning. Adaptation is one of the preoccupations in the field of climate change and disaster risk
reduction. As such humanity has been adapting for generations to changing circumstance forced
by natural or human beings, though such forced human adjustments were not necessarily called
adaptation. What may be new these days is that the frequency and intensity of the risks has
increased and that vulnerable communities are faced with increasing pressure to do more.

As a country exposed to potential manmade and natural disasters, Ethiopia needs to have a sound
and stable institution that can coordinate not only response to disasters, but also to organize
disaster prevention and mitigation programs. With the potential threats of climate change and
variability, such a strong institution equipped with technical capacity based on the country’s past
history, is indispensable. To this end, the researchers set some recommendations have been
identified for the future :- Awareness creation; recognized Alternative livelihood activities off-
farm activities such as beekeeping, livestock fattening, and vegetable growing: Carbon
Sequestration programs; Local leadership to bring changes in their communities: New
technology need to be appropriate, timely and cost implications; Coordination of government
efforts various institutions of the government work in a well –coordinated and also
recommended different approach to disaster risk management in addition to mentioned that
International support to combat climate change are needed for the best adaptation mechanism .