Gender based impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies in Raya Azebo District, Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Climate change is a global phenomenon whose negative impacts are more severely felt by poor people in developing countries who rely heavily on the natural resource base for their livelihoods. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of climate change on gender assets and adaptation strategies in Tigray region, Ethiopia. Data were collected from 75 male and 75 female headed households. Content analysis was used to analyze the impact of climate change on gender asset and their choice of adaptation strategies whilst separate probit model was used to analyze the determinant factors that influence farmers’ adoption of adaptation strategies to climate change. Results show that climate change affects both households’ types, but poses more threat to female headed households. This is due to lack of access and control over resources by these households. The choice of adaptation strategies was also different between female and male headed households. As compared to female headed households, male headed households adopted more adaptation strategies. Those strategies include livelihood diversification, crop diversification and use of drought resistant and short growing crop varieties, adjusting and shifting of planting dates, temporary migration and planting trees. In addition, probit model results showed age, sex, education, family size, farm size, access extension service, participation in social organization, participation in off farm activity, livestock holding, farming experience and distance to the nearest market as major determinants that significantly affect farmers’ choice of adaptation of different strategies to climate change.