Climate Change and Agricultural Input Use in last Africa with Special Emphasis on Drought Tolerant Uarieties: Case Study of Ethiopia and Uganda

Abstract

The effects of climate change such as rising temperatures and changes in precipitation are undeniably clear with impacts already affecting ecosystems, biodiversity and people. In both developed and developing countries, climate impacts are reverberating through the economy. One region of the world where the effects of climate change are particularly heavy is Africa. Due to the lack of economic development, and institutional capacity, African countries are likely among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The long-term impact of climate change on food security and environmental sustainability are continuously gaining attention in Sub-Saharan Africa, because there is a strong link between climate variables and livelihoods. East Africa depends heavily on rain-fed agriculture making rural livelihoods and food security highly vulnerable to climate variability such as shifts in growing season conditions. Tne main purpose of this assessment study was to develop a better understanding of the current status of climate change impacts on one of the most vulnerable parts of Africa, East Africa, taking Ethiopia and Uganda as case study and assess how these countries are trying to cope with the problem through wider use of drought tolerant/resistant crop varieties. The specific objectives were:1. assess the impact of climate change on agricultural input use in the reg on, particularly Ethiopia and Uganda; and 2. identify and analyze the contribution of improved drought tolerant crop varieties in the context of climate change. The findings have un-equivocally shown that climate change is indeed causing considerable impact on agriculture and other economic sectors of the countries in East Africa, specially Ethiopia and Uganda. Climate predictions demonstrated the likelihood of increased temperatures (> 1°C between 2000 and 2050), greater uncertainties in the amount, duration and distribution of rainfall in Ethiopia and Uganda in the years ahead; where in most of the places, on average 5 0 -1 0 0 mm reduction in total rainfall is predicted. Evidences indicate that more than the amount, the anticipated huge variability in distribution and duration of rainfall will potentially have far reaching consequences on agricultural production and livelihoods. The study further revealed Climate change is demanding whole review of agricultural input use in the small scale, subsistence farming dominated agriculture of East Africa. Farmers are changing their farming practices in an effort to minimize the impact of the recurring frequent droughts and irregular weather patterns. On the other hand, research and development agencies are responding by developing and promoting drought tolerant crop cultivars and integrated approaches involving moisture conservation and water harvesting. As the central component of the integrated and holistic interventions being promoted in the region drought tolerant/resistant crop varieties are receiving due emphasis in the region. Over the years, the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) have developed, released and promoted outstanding cereal crop varieties including sorghum, maize, rice, wheat, barley, tef (Ethiopia); legumes - mungbean, cowpea, pigeon pea, common bean varieties; oil seeds such as sesame, safflower, groundnuts; and roots and tubers - cassava and sweet potato. There are also certain crops that are peculiar to a specific country such as the enset (false banana) in Ethiopia. The tuber is the edible part in this crop, and with limited moisture.The crop produces substantial biomass which can stay in the farm field without being spoiled to sustain families and see them through difficult times, and it is nick named “hunger averter” in parts of southern Ethiopia. During the study, it was learned that the production of the climate resilient root and tuber crops (e.g. cassava, sweet potato, enset) will trend upwards in tne coming years as a climate change mitigation strategy. Such crops coupled with appropriate cultural and agronomic practices are believed to help sustain production during the increasingly unreliable climatic conditions.As part of an integrated approach moisture harvesting and conservation measuresare also being promoted and these include - tied ridges, farm pond and Zai pits. These methods allow conserving and harvesting the occasionally occurring torrential rains to sustaincrops.