Factors Affecting Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Existing Barriers among Stallholder Farmers in Southern Ethiopia

Climate change creates enormous hardship, particularly for rural farmers whose livelihoods rely on rain-based agriculture. To assist farmers in dealing with climate change, it is critical to understand what factors influence their decision-making on how to adapt. Thus, the main aim of this study was to identify factors influencing farm households' adaptation choices in southern Ethiopia. To acquire quantitative data, a cross-sectional survey design was utilized with 371 randomly selected households. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations were employed to gather qualitative data, complemented by a thorough review of relevant academic publications, and reports. This study employed descriptive statistics and the MVP model to investigate the factors driving adaptation attempts and the barriers impeding them. Among several climate change adaptation choices, seasonal migration was the most common among households, accounting for 52.6%. Other strategies, such as conservation tillage (51.5%) and drought-resistant crops (49.3%), were also commonly utilized, with shifting planting dates and irrigation following closely behind (48.2% and 38.3%). However, socioeconomic, environmental, and institutional factors play major roles in influencing the adoption of different climate change adaptation approaches. Thus, policies and programs aimed at reducing the effects of climate change should consider the important roles of these factors.