Rural households, particularly smallholder farmers, are frequently predisposed to various vulnerabilites. This paper tries to investigate causes of livelihood vulnerability that rural households face and analyze coping strategies they apply.
The analysis is done using data from household survey in Weradejo woreda of Halaba zone. The primary data was collected from 264 households, the secondary data was obtained from line office records and the review of related literature. The author then applies descriptive statistics and the econometrics model of multinomial logistic regression to identify the causes of vulnerability.
Based on the descriptive analysis, the identified causes of households’ livelihood vulnerability are drought, farmland fragmentation, crop and livestock diseases, flooding, erratic rainfall, and shortage of agricultural inputs and shortage of capital. The capacity of the households and the community to cope with and recover from shocks remains low, despite the different strategies they adopt. The result of the multinomial logistic regression indicates that sex of the household head, age of household head, family size, and educational level of the household in schooling years, land size owned, pest/diseases, distance to market, and frequency of extension contact are the main determinants influencing the choice of the coping strategies by the respondents.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background
1.2. Statement of the Problem
1.3. Objectives
1.3.1. General objective
1.3.2. Specific objectives
1.4. Research Questions
1.5. Significance of the Study
1.6. Scope of the Study
1.7. Limitation of the Study
1.8. Organization of the Thesis
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1. The Concept of Vulnerability
2.2 Vulnerability and Poverty
2.3 Rural Households Vulnerability and Poverty in Ethiopia
2.4 Households Coping Strategies
2.5 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and Vulnerability
2.5.1 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework
2.5.2 Vulnerability Context in the SLF
2.6. Conceptual Framework of the Study
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Description of the Study Area
3.2. Research design
3.3. Study Population and Sample Size
3.4. Sampling Procedure
3.5. Types of Data and Sources
3.6. Method of Data Collection
3.7. Method of Data Analysis
3.7.1. Econometrics analysis
3.8. Operational Definition of Variables
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. Summary statistics for continuous variables of the study
4.2. Summary statistics for dummy variables of the study
4.3. Causes of vulnerability in the study area
4.4. Households Coping Strategies to Vulnerability
4.5. Determinants of coping strategies of the households in response to livelihood vulnerability
4.6. The link between households’ characteristics and choice of coping strategies
4.6.1. Sex of the household head
4.6.2. Age of the household head
4.6.3. Family size of the respondents’ household
4.6.4. Educational status of the respondents and choice of coping strategies
4.6.5. Landholdings of the respondents and choices of coping strategies
4.6.6. Extension services and choices of coping strategies
4.6.7. Use of credit services by the households
4.8. Sources of information for households in warning the disasters
4.9. Sources of support for disasters
4.10. Food shortage months and its severity
4.11. Livelihood assets ownership
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1. Summary
5.2. Conclusion
5.3. Recommendations
Research Goal and Key Themes
The primary research goal of this study is to investigate the causes of livelihood vulnerability for rural households in the Weradejo woreda of the Halaba zone and to analyze the specific coping strategies these households adopt to adapt to those shocks and stresses. The research aims to expand existing knowledge on household-level vulnerability and inform policy decisions for poverty reduction and improved livelihood resilience.
- Causes and determinants of livelihood vulnerability
- Classification of rural household coping strategies
- Role of socio-economic and demographic factors in response to shocks
- Application of the Sustainable Livelihood Framework in local contexts
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. Background
Rural households are subjected to different types of shocks and stresses. And when these households are unable to cope and recover from such events, they suffer from lose of livelihood outcomes. In general, the exposure to shocks, stresses and associated risks is termed as vulnerability and the impact on people’s livelihood is often devastating and leading to poverty.
The World Bank Groupe Report (Hallegatte et al 2017) explains the impact and consequence of vulnerability on people’s livelihood. According to the report, for instance vulnerability to natural hazards such as droughts, floods, and earthquakes have socioeconomic consequences that go beyond their most obvious impacts; they can affect the lives of their victims for years. Job losses and falling incomes can have significant impacts on people’s well-being and long-term prospects especially those of the poorest who live close to subsistence levels. Assets and savings accumulated over years such as homes and livestock can be wiped out in a few minutes by a flood or an earthquake.
At global level the impact of disaster has been significantly devastating on the lives and livelihoods of people. Joseph (2007) states the impact of disaster that it affected more than 3 billion people, killed over 750,000 people, and cost more than US$600 billion in the previous ten years. According to Tabish and Nabil (2013) nearly three million people worldwide may have been killed in past 20 years due to natural disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, snow avalanches, cyclones etc. Ninety per cent of the natural disasters and ninety five percent of the total disaster related deaths worldwide occur in developing countries in which India has the second largest share. China, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines and India constitute together the top 5 countries that are most frequently hit by natural disasters.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the rural vulnerability context, defines the problem of livelihood sensitivity to natural hazards, and establishes the specific research objectives and questions for the study.
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE: This section reviews existing theoretical frameworks of vulnerability and poverty, focusing on the Sustainable Livelihood Framework and its application to rural coping mechanisms.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The chapter details the study area, sampling procedures, data collection methods including household surveys and focus group discussions, and the econometric approach used for data analysis.
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This major section provides the empirical analysis of vulnerability causes, describes the various coping strategies adopted by households, and identifies the determinants influencing these choices.
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The final chapter summarizes the research findings, offers a conclusion on the impact of natural disasters in the study area, and provides recommendations for policy-makers regarding early warning and livelihood support.
Keywords
Coping strategies, Disasters, Food insecurity, Livelihood, Multinomial model, Shocks, Poverty, Rural households, Vulnerability, Sustainability, Ethiopia, Halaba zone, Household assets, Climate change, Adaptation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on investigating the causes of livelihood vulnerability among rural smallholder farmers in the Weradejo woreda of Ethiopia and analyzing the coping mechanisms they utilize in response to these vulnerabilities.
What are the central themes discussed in the study?
The central themes include the impact of natural disasters (droughts, floods), the influence of land fragmentation and soil degradation, the role of household assets in resilience, and the effectiveness of current social safety net programs.
What is the primary research question?
The study primarily seeks to identify what makes rural households in the study area vulnerable, what strategies they commonly employ to adapt when faced with shocks, and which factors determine the choice of those specific coping mechanisms.
Which scientific methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a cross-sectional survey design, applying both descriptive statistics and a multinomial logistic regression model to identify the determinants of coping strategy choices among respondents.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers a comprehensive review of vulnerability theory, detailed household survey results, a breakdown of identified coping strategies (such as asset sales and food aid), and an analysis of how variables like extension contact and market distance influence household resilience.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include coping strategies, household vulnerability, food insecurity, livelihoods, multinomial logit models, and natural disaster resilience in the Ethiopian context.
How does family size influence the chosen coping strategies?
The study found that larger family sizes significantly and positively influenced the probability of using food aid and engaging in off-farm activities, suggesting that labor availability in larger households impacts their survival strategies.
What effect does distance to a market have on a household's reaction to disasters?
The study indicates that as the distance to the local market increases, households have less access to information regarding non-farm employment and credit, forcing them to rely heavily on the immediate sale of productive assets to cope with disasters.
Why are livestock assets considered critical in this study?
Livestock ownership is identified as a primary indicator of household wealth and natural capital; it directly determines the capabilities of households to respond to shocks, thereby influencing their chosen level of coping intervention.
- Quote paper
- Tsegaw Hirpa (Author), 2021, Rural Households in Ethiopia. Livelihood Vulnerability and Coping Strategies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1347285
