* 1Gutu Tesso, 2Bezabih Emana
Abstract
This study was conducted to analyse the determinants of perception and adaptation to climate change. The study also examines the coping mechanisms followed by farmers in the aftermath of climate change induced shocks using a survey of 452 households in north Shewa Zone. A two steps process of Heckman model was used to analyze adaptation to climate change, which initially requires farmer’s perception that climate is changing and then responding to changes through adaptation. The analyses of determinants of perception to climate change revealed that number of factors ranging from socioeconomic to natural have contributed to the increase in perception level of farmers to climate change. Moreover, the determinants of adaptation conditioned on perception have shown that several programmatically important variables have affected the adaptation level of farmers to climate change. The result indicates that perception to climate change was the prime determinant for adaptation. on the other hand, farmers follow different coping mechanisms; where some of the coping mechanisms negatively affect the future development of the community and immediate recovery from climate change impacts. Thus carefully targeted programming should be made to enable farmers take those positive coping mechanisms and exercise those strategies that can boost their adaptation to the changing climate condition. In conclusion, awareness creation on climate change, facilitation of credit availability, investment on non-farm engagement, improve good mix of livestock holding, encourage adult education, dissemination of indigenous early warning information, diversifying crops to perennial trees, and improved frequencies of agricultural extension contact be made so as to ensure farmers well perceive climate change and then adapt to the changes.