Vulnerability of Rural Households to Climate-Induced Shocks: the Case of the Chiro District, Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to climate change and variability, including climate-induced shocks. The adverse impacts of climate change and variability have put increased pressure on the livelihoods of rural households, which depend on natural resources. The households’ vulnerability level varied depending on their adaptive capacity, exposure, and susceptibility. Nevertheless, local and context-specific vulnerability assessments were scarce and insufficient for planning and action in the West Hararghe zone in general and in the Chiro district in particular. Therefore, this study assessed the vulnerability of rural households to climate change and climate-induced shocks in Chiro district, Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia. The study applied a descriptive research design in combination with mixed research methods (quantitative and qualitative). The study was conducted by participating 300 households in four kebeles of the district that were selected using simple random sampling techniques, and the data were collected using instruments such as household surveys, interviews with key informants and focus group discussions and observations. Household vulnerability level was determined using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) functions of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity by applying the principal component analysis method. Finally, the results of the study showed that households in the Productive Safety Net Program were more vulnerable than nonparticipant households were (4.15%). This is because the households in the program had a lower aggregate of adaptive capacity for livelihood assets than did the nonprogram households. In addition, the participants were relatively more exposed and susceptible to climate change-induced shocks and biophysical elements, respectively, than were the nonparticipants. Therefore, livelihood enhancement interventions that encourage off-farm and nonfarm activities and create access to credit are important. Furthermore, interventions that ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment will be crucial in reducing the vulnerability of poor rural households to climate change and climate-induced shocks in the future.