NWPStaging

The study examines the trends of climate parameters, assess farmers’ perception of climate change, and identify the strategies of adaptation measures in central Ethiopia. The results of the study indicate that, in most of the cases, farmers’ perceptions were in accordance with climate trend analyses. Farmers used crop diversification, adjustments of planting dates, destocking of livestock, seasonal migration, crop rotation, and climate information services to adapt to climate related shocks. Empirical results showed that the age and education of the household heads, family size, access to extension services, and farm and nonfarm incomes had a significant association with the adaptation practices farmers took. The existence of strong correlations between the demographic, socio-institutional variables, and the choice of adaptation strategies suggests the need to strengthen local institutions to enhance the adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate change.