Studies on the Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Investment and Coping Strategies: The Case of Metema Woreda, North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Agriculture and food security are the most critical agendas in the world. Climate change and their related socio-economic problems are greatly affecting agricultural activities and food security in Ethiopia. The main objective of this research is to investigate the impacts of agricultural investment to climate change. The specific objectives are: explore the major agricultural investment in crop production, analyze the trend of climate change, identify the major impact of agricultural investment on climate change and identify the local and institutional coping strategies. In order to address these objectives, tow kebeles were selected purposive sampling and data was collected by using direct observation, questionnaire survey, interviews, and focus group discussion, and key informant interviews. Secondary data from published and unpublished sources were also gathered to supplement the primary data. The collected data was systematically analyzed by using both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Results confirm that most of the interviewed investors understand the changes in temperature and rainfall; the majority believed that temperature has increased (82%) and the rainfall pattern has become unpredictable and decreased (75%). But the trend analysis result refers significant increases of rainfall (2.9mm) and an increasing trend of annual mean maximum and minimum temperature was observed (1.026 -0.513 ) for the last two decades. As a results of this investors were took remedial actions to counteract the impacts. The most common coping strategies are using fertilizers and shifting cultivation or croup rotation. The Government could contribute to mitigating the impacts agricultural investment to climate change by investing in research (drought resistant and short maturing varieties), soil and water conservation measures, and irrigation and water harvesting development, expanding agricultural inputs, accessing education reforming land policy establishing local meteorology stations, monitoring and publishing climate data,