19. Perceptions About Climate Change in Sidama, Ethiopia

This research reports on how farmers perceive and adapt to climate change in three agro-ecological zones of Sidama, South Ethiopia. The main aim is to increase understanding about smallholder farmers’ perspectives by documenting and analysing local people’s perception of climate change. The research was held as part of a large project investigating vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. The researcher spent six months (from January to May 2012) in the field undertaking, among other things, focus group discussion (FGD) meetings from March to May 2012. Findings revealed that farmers clearly perceive climate change based on their lived experience and knowledge of their local environment. They identify shifting seasons, increased aridity, drought, erratic rainfall, floods, extreme heat and the emergence/spread of diseases such as malaria as indicators of change. Yet their perception of the causes of climate change varied: deforestation, God’s wrath, abandonment of past traditions/practices, and overpopulation. They also assigned important role to religious beliefs and government authority to address the problems engendered by what they refer to as “changed times.” Since the problem is rightly recognised, government policy needs to focus on aligning local knowledge and values with scientific information for adaptation to climate change.