COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON ROLE OF FRUIT TREE-BASED AGROFORESTRY AND MONOCULTURE IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN SOFI DISTRICT, HARARI REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

The effects of climate change have hit the agriculture sector in Africa hard. Making adjustments to adapt to the changing environment is critical for countries like Ethiopia, whose primary source of income is subsistence agriculture, which is heavily reliant on rainfall. As a result, establishing context-specific adaptation approaches is crucial for reducing the adverse effects of climate change. This study was conducted at Sofi district, Harari Regional State, Ethiopia, to compare the contribution of fruit tree-based agroforestry and monoculture in tackling climate change challenges. To choose 2 kebeles and 102 household heads, multistage random sampling was used. Measurements, questionnaires, and interviews were used to collect soil samples, biomass samples, and respondent perceptions. According to the findings of the study, smallholder farmers in the Sofi District well aware about climate change. There are significant differences in how agroforestry and monoculture smallholder farmers deal with climate change challenges in terms of livelihood strategies, with agroforestry smallholders being more resilient. Carbon stock accumulation estimated in agroforestry 453.32 Mg C ha−1 and (124.7 Mg Cha−1 ) in monoculture, where no trees were found on monoculture land. The findings of the study demonstrated that carbon stock accumulation was statistically significant between the mean of soil organic carbon agroforestry land use. Agroforestry systems, in general, contribute significantly more to smallholder livelihoods, as well as the socio-economic system, in the face of climate change concerns. Incorporating smallholders into an agroforestry system for long-term livelihood sustainability requires support in the form of resources, training, and research. In the face of climate change threats, local, regional, and national governments, as well as financial institutions and other agricultural credit providers, must support smallholders