Impacts of climate change on water resources and farming community adaptation strategies in southwestern Ethiopia

Water scarcity traps smallholder farmers in a vicious circle of poverty and challenges individual well-being. This study explores the impact of climate change on water resources and the factors influencing smallholder farmers to adopt various strategies to overcome water scarcity in the context of climate change. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to collect data from sampled household heads (N = 1946) from five districts in the southwestern parts of Ethiopia, namely Diga, Guto Gida, Wayu Tuka, Sasiga, and Gimbi. Household-level water scarcity adaptation strategies were explored using a multivariate probit model (MVP) and multidimensional econometric model. Results show that 58.6% of household heads reported climate change impacts on water availability. Household heads exposed to agricultural yield loss tend to have greater awareness about climate change. Results show that access to water resources has a strong negative effect on the use of the rainwater harvesting strategy. Social networks, extension services and use of mass media have a positive effect on the utilization of water harvesting, water rules, protection of the watershed, public capacity building and the improvement of water infrastructures. Variables such as age, marital status, income, and limited institutional support significantly influence smallholder farmers’ decisions to utilize different water scarcity adaptation strategies. This study generates practical policy implications of the impacts of water scarcity for rainfall-dependent smallholder farmers in developing countries.