Climate Change and Its Causes: Perception of Rural Community in Benshangul Gumuze Regional State (Western Ethiopia)

Abstract

The scientific evidences witnessed that the earth’s climate is changing mainly as a result of the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as an end result emission from various human activities (IPCC, 2001). This study was therefore aimed to assess perception of community about this climate change and its causes in the State of Benshangul Gumuze Region. In order to have relevant information for the study field survey, structured interview and focus group discussion were employed. An awareness test and attitude scale were developed and administered to investigate perception and attitude. More than 371householdheads were involved in the survey from different climate zones. Encouraging level of awareness was observed among the rural communities on the change and causes of climate change. The result of human actions/misuse of environment/ had been considered as most important causes of climate change. Analysis of   meteorological data reveals similar result with the perception of the community.

Keywords: Climate change, cause and community perception