Progress Report
The impacts of climate change and adoption in Konso
communities, Southern Ethiopia
(August, 28, 2010)
1.
Introduction
After I received the fund on May/2010, I was to travel to the field immediately yet
the study area (Konso) had some rain and it was difficult to cross some of the
rivers with no bridge and will be also difficult to travel in the rural areas. I had a
contact person to call me back when the rain stops. The rainfall was extending
almost up to the end of June and with some intervals in the beginning of July. So
I had to travel mid July to the end of July. The elders told me for the past 10
years they had never such good rain and if they get additional small rain around
September they will achieve the highest crop production and fodder availability
(they use mixed farming).
Genrarlly the first round field trip had been conducted in July and Second trip will
be on September. The first draft will be ready by October, 2010.
2.
First round field trip
I.
Area selection and sampling
After arrival in the district (Konso) a discusion was conducted with the district
experts from the office of agriculture and food security, after briefing the objective
of the study two kebeles were identified on the bases of chronic food insecurity
and their accessibility. In each Kebele there are three Development Agents
dealing with agronomy, livestock and natural resource management respectively
Accordingly a brief discussion was made with the Development Agents (DAs)
and the kebele administration head. The DAs have the list of all farmers and
those targeted in the safety net program (poor, women household heads and the
landless). With the help of the kebele administrator the DAs have categorized the
list of names under better-off, medium, poor and women household heads.
Systematic random sampling was made in the proportion of the sample size to
be considered.
Three enumerators one female were identified from each kebele and given brief
trainings on the objective of the study, and the contents of the questions which
was to be supervised by the Development Agents
II.
Sample survey
The questioner survey has been clustered under different themes such as
demography, asset ownership, production, livelihood, perceptions on CC and
variability, impacts and adaptation.
Generally form the two Kebeles a total of 287 samples were taken as shown in
the table below:
Table 1 First round sample survey
Categories
Better-off
Medium
Poor
Women head
Landless
Total
III.
Location (Kebele)
Layte Gewada
20
15
38
30
50
60
28
25
16
15
152
145
Total
35
68
110
53
31
297
%
12
23
37
18
10
100
Group discussions
With the assistance of resource person from the locality and translator different
meetings were made with groups ranging from 3-7 depending on their
availability. Accordingly from each kebele a series of discussions were made with
the help of different checklists. The different groups covered in the discussions
were elders and leaders, women household members and heads, poor farmers,
better-off farmers, landless, extended family (Men and women) healers, craft
persons and development agents.
Moreover, in the town of Kart (capital of Konso) some discussions were made
with the line offices of education, health, water, transport, women affairs, culture
and sport and NGOs functional in the district. In the second round some further
discussions might be needed in some offices as the very relevant persons were
not around (vacation or workshops in other area).
IV.
Direct observations
During the field trip some observations were made in the plots owned by the
different wealth rank groups, water sources, SWC works, communal lands
different land use/cover (grazing and woodland) and market centers and crafts.
Many of them have been recorded by video and digital camera.
V.
Planning
Already the collected data are being encoded to be analyzed through the SPSS
program. In the second field trip the research is planning to have a third sample
kebele which has a complex farming system and dominated by hoe practice
unlike the other two which are having similar oxen plough. The proposed sample
to be taken is indicated below (table 2). Some of the incomplete information from
the two kebeles will be also considered in the second round. Therefore, the
schedule for the second round field trip will be from September 13-24, 2010. The
first draft of the report will be ready by mid November 2010.
Table 2 third sample keble (Dekotu)
Categories
Better-off
Medium
Poor
Women
head
Landless
Total
Dekotu
15
20
45
25
%
13
17
39
22
10
115
9
100
Any comment to my progress is welcome
With best regards
Yohannes G/Michael