Determinants of adaptation choices to climate change in agro-pastoral dry lands of Northeastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Abstract Climate change exacerbates the daunting defy on agriculture in general and the livestock sector in particular. The aim of this study was to assess the determinant factors of climate change adaptation choices in the agro-pastoral dry lands of northeastern Ethiopia. Data on the household characteristics and adaptation choices were collected using interview schedule from a sample of 260 household heads. Multivariate probit regression and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The results indicated that 63.5% of farmers were applying portfolio diversification, enhancing livestock productivity, agro-ecological practices, and diversifying non-agricultural income choices to acclimatize the climate change. The model revealed that many explanatory variables, such as educational level, gender, farming experience, family size, farmland size, goat flock size, farm and non-farm income, frequency of extension contact, access to credit and climate information were significant factors for adaption choice decisions. The marginal success probability of adapting non-agricultural income diversification was the lowest compared to the agro-ecological practices, portfolio diversification and enhancing livestock productivity. The marginal success probability of jointly adapting agro-ecological practices, portfolio diversification, non-agricultural income diversification and enhancing livestock productivity choices was also lower comparing to their failure. Therefore, any effort projected to relax climate change effects should gear towards the provision of services resembling to eminence extension, vocational trainings, affordable credit, empowering vulnerable groups, community radios as well as local meteorology. Moreover, non-farm income generating initiatives on top of agricultural intensification through input supply would expedite context specific adaptation to the changing climatic status quo.