Factors influencing adaptation strategies among agro-pastoral communities in Gambella and Lare Districts, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Climate change poses a significant threat to the livelihoods of agro-pastoral communities in Ethiopia, compelling them to adopt various adaptation strategies. This study investigates the specific adaptation strategies employed by agro-pastoralists and analyzes the key socioeconomic factors influencing these choices in Gambella and Lare Districts of Southwest Ethiopia. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, data were collected from 264 household respondents through structured surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and a multinomial logit (MNL) model to identify significant predictors of adaptation. The findings revealed that a distinct variations in adaptation priorities between the districts: in Gambella, reducing livestock numbers (27%) and supplementary feeding (19%) predominated, while in Lare, income diversification (27%) and supplementary feeding (24%) were the primary strategies. The econometric analysis indicates that education level of the household head, active labor family size, livestock holdings, and farming experience significantly and positively influence the likelihood of adopting adaptation strategies, whereas farm size negatively affects the adoption of supplementary feeding. Furthermore, lack of skills, lack of information and inadequate capital were identified as critical barriers to successful adaptation. The study concludes that adaptation is a decision deeply mediated by household asset and capital. Effective policy interventions should be context-specific, focusing on alleviating human and financial capital constraints to enhance the adaptive capacity and long-term resilience of vulnerable agro-pastoral systems.