Hydrology: Current Research

Evidences of Spatiotemporal Climate Change and its Mitigation in Ethiopia

Abstract

Abbadi Girmay Reda

The change detection at country level was unidirectional trend analysis between two time periods of 1946 and 2006. Temperature shows increasing trend but rainfall shows fluctuation. Point analysis of climate data at local level (1980-2010), Mekelle town, Northern Ethiopia, one of the semi-arid areas, showed that minimum temperature for the months of October through January had an increasing trend while maximum temperature for the hot season (April- June) and annual rainfall had no significant trend and were inconsistent. Region-specific detailed and seasonal climate studies are needed and to be integrated with local context of agriculture, livelihoods, forecasts and development plans for effective Early Warning Systems to utilize climate potentials and minimize natural disasters. This study serves as a milestone for further detailed agroclimatic and sector based analysis of spatio-temporal climate change patterns, impact assessment and adaptation and mitigation strategies. Massive sustainable local community based natural resource management efforts have been undertaken and there had been lots of success stories in the last 25 years. SLM practices constitute key adaptation and mitigation measures by resulting in reduced soil erosion, improved water retention, and improved land productivity. Rainfall generally shows declining trend with exception to Northern Region for the period of 1946 to 2006. Moist areas of Western and South Western Ethiopia are showing negative trend of rainfall which indicates that their forest covers have been deteriorating through time. However, the drier Northern Ethiopia region area shows positive (upward) trends owing to massive environmental rehabilitation and restoration of degraded lands into productive lands in the last 25 years. The public investment in Northern Ethiopia region on environmental rehabilitation has resulted in rehabilitated environment and contributed to reversing adverse effects of climate change. These local actions taken as adaptation and mitigation strategies against global warming should be encouraged, globally recognized, and rewarded.