Coping Strategies of Rural Households to Environmental Constraints in Home Gardening in Jabi Tehnan District, Ethiopia

Abstract

Home gardening is an important activity for rural livelihoods, food security, and sustainability, although it is increasingly threatened by environmental issues. This study investigated the coping and adaptive practices used by rural households in response to the limiting effects of the environment on home gardening in Jabi Tehnan, Ethiopia. The study employed a research design comprising a combination of survey techniques involving 333 rural households, in addition to Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews. Data analysis techniques involved the use of descriptive statistics for quantitative data, while analysis for the latter employed Thematic Content Analysis assisted by triangulation for reinforcement. The analysis is framed by ecofeminism and sustainability theory to explain gendered adaptive responses. The study findings show that rural households have mainly employed cost-effective, indigenous, and knowledge-intensive techniques in the form of organic fertilizer, soil conservation, weeding, and climate dependent serve as both short-term coping and long-term adaptive strategies. Water and economic adaptations were less effective because of infrastructural and institutional limitations, while in-situ adaptations were preferred over migration as adaptation strategies among rural households. The concluding findings not only justify policies addressing water, extension services, and institutional limitations but also encourage further longitudinal research and advocate for research exploring similar dynamics. This study calls for integrated, gender responsive, and sustainability-oriented policies to strengthen rural adaptive capacity.