Bespoke Adaptation in Rural Africa? An Asset-Based Approach from Southern Ethiopia

Rahwa Kidane, Martin Prowse*, Andreas de Neergaard

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    5 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Debates on adaptation in rural Africa rarely consider how responses to climate variability vary by wealth group. This study examines differences across wealth groups based on principal component analysis and cluster analysis triangulated with participatory methods. Results indicate that perceptions of weather variability and extreme events are detected by most households regardless of wealth status. The most common responses—using drought-resistant crops and changing planting dates—are also similar across groups. However, there are significant differences in the type of adaptation options adopted by wealthier and poorer farmers: the former intensify agriculture through improved seed varieties, fertiliser and manure; the latter depend on craft activities, seasonal migration and support from relatives and neighbours. Overall, our findings suggest that measuring asset holdings could allow a differentiated approach to supporting adaptation across socio-economic groups in rural regions in Ethiopia and Africa more broadly.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalEuropean Journal of Development Research
    Volume31
    Issue number3
    Pages (from-to)413-432
    ISSN0957-8811
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2019

    Keywords

    • Adaptation
    • Africa
    • Ethiopia
    • Smallholders
    • Wealth groups

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