Report | Climate change, youth and human mobility in the Arsi zone

Climate change is a push factor for the people of Arsi (Ethiopia) to decide on their future. Specifically, to decide whether or not to migrate. The economy of this area, which is home to 3.2 million people, depends mainly on small-scale agriculture and livestock farming. This makes its inhabitants extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

This context has been analyzed in the report ”Climate change, youth and human mobility in the Arsi zone”, prepared by Ayuda en Acción and the Institute for Studies on Conflict and Humanitarian Action (IECAH). The research leads to affirm that food insecurity caused by climate change, coupled with the lack of job opportunities, causes both internal displacement and internal migration, especially among the youth.

According to the data collected, rainfall patterns show an increase in the average number of droughts in the Arsi area over the last decade. The results also confirm more erratic rainfall and a more significant lack of land productivity than five years ago. The rainy season has been reduced to two and a half months and the spring mini-season has almost disappeared. As a consequence, land productivity is declining and livestock are suffering from more diseases and the absence of grass.