Gendered perceptions on spatiotemporal rainfall and temperature variability among pastoral and agropastoral communities of west Guji and Borana zones, southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The link between gender perceptions of climate variability and meteorological evidence was highly unnoticed in Ethiopia. This study analyzed gendered perceptions of spatiotemporal rainfall and temperature variability and trends in the west Guji and Borana zones of southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 364 men- and women-headed households through survey, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs). Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze household survey data, which were compared with 35 years (1984–2018) of gridded rainfall and temperature data (4 × 4-km resolution) from the Ethiopian Meteorology Institute. Spatial-temporal climate variability was assessed using different indices, and trends were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator. The results revealed that both men- and women-headed differently perceived temperature, rainfall, and other climate variability indicators. Gender-specific perceptions were influenced by access to community affairs, cultural norms, extension services, farmland size, livestock holdings (TLU), education, and local climate knowledge. Annual rainfall variability was high Coefficient of Variation (CV) > 30%, with severe to extreme droughts confirmed by the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The Precipitation Concentration Index (PCI) exceeded 20% in lowland and midland areas, indicating strong irregular rainfall distribution. The highest change in annual rainfall was observed, 0.70, 0.27, and 0.19 mm/year in lowland, midland and highland, respectively at a significance level of 5%. Temperature trends showed a significant increase in minimum temperature, contributing to nighttime warming and frequent droughts. The findings concluded that the perceptions of climate change in the study area varied by gender, causing heavily burden on women. Intersecting gender-specific perceptions in climate policy design is a pathway for sustainable climate responses, including culturally appropriate climate change communication, given the repeated Borana and Guji climate crisis due to variability and change.