Contribution of irrigation practices for reducing farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability

Borku, Abraham Woru; Tora, Thomas Toma; Masha, Mamush

doi:10.22098/mmws.2025.18303.1675

Contribution of irrigation practices for reducing farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability

نوع مقاله : Special issue on "Climate Change and Effects on Water and Soil"

نویسندگان

¹ Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Social Science and Humanities, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia

² Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Social Science and Humanities, Mettu University, Mettu, Ethiopia

10.22098/mmws.2025.18303.1675

چکیده

Climate change and variability pose major challenges to agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods in Ethiopia, where most smallholder farmers depend on rain-fed systems. This study investigates how small-scale irrigation (SSI) contributes to reducing farmers’ vulnerability and enhancing their adaptive capacity to climate variability in Southern Ethiopia. Using a multi-stage sampling approach, data were collected from 144 households (72 irrigation users and 72 non-users) through surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Climate trends were analyzed using the Mann–Kendall test, Sen’s slope estimator, coefficient of variation, and Standardized Anomaly Index (SAI) from 1987 to 2022. Results revealed a significant increase in annual maximum and minimum temperatures at rates of 0.0238°C and 0.0844°C per year, respectively, and a positive annual rainfall trend (Kendall’s Tau = 0.344, p = 0.003). Vulnerability analysis using Principal Component Analysis indicated that irrigation users were less vulnerable, with indices ranging from 0 to –0.90, compared to non-users (0 to 0.75). Irrigation users demonstrated higher adaptive capacity due to improved access to water, agricultural inputs, income diversification, and enhanced awareness of climate risks. Conversely, non-irrigators remained highly sensitive to rainfall fluctuations and resource constraints. The study concludes that SSI significantly enhances farmers’ resilience by stabilizing production and income, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of climate variability. Hence, strengthening institutional support, promoting farmer-led irrigation management, and scaling up SSI technologies are recommended to improve climate adaptation and ensure sustainable rural livelihoods.

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