Climate Change Vulnerability Among Pastoralists and Farmers in Ethiopia

This paper has examined the vulnerability of pastoralists and farmers using a short-term scenario (2010–2039), employing a set of 22 exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity vulnerability indicators. A combination of participatory, qualitative, and quantitative methods was used for primary and secondary data collection, so as to explore the pastoralists’ and farmers’ vulnerability. Assessment of pastoralists’ and farmers’ vulnerability to climate variability revealed the importance of comprehending exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. Differences in the trend of rainfall, temperature, and drought frequency resulted in varying adaptive responses so that the nature and magnitude of vulnerability differed according to the adaptive capacity of pastoralists and farmers to crop and livestock production hazards and agroecology differences. Given projected climate change, it is recommended that in both lowland and highland areas, future adaptation strategies should capitalize on building the adaptive capacity of pastoralists and farmers to excess rainfall, flooding, and severe drought.