Impact of Climate Change and Its Adaptation in the Semi-arid Environment of Flood-Prone Dechatu Catchment, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aims to assess the future trends, and magnitude of climatic factors (temperature and rainfall) using different representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) integrated with the identification of existing climatic adaptation practices in the Dechatu catchment, Ethiopia. Four global/derived regional climatic models (GCMs/RCMs)—CanESM2, CNRM-CM5, EC-EARTH and MIROC5—were used to understand the changes in temperature and rainfall (2025–2075); and their trend using the Trend-Free Pre-Whitening Mann–Kendall test. The highest annual daily peak rainfall was identified in all models. However, none of the rainfall data series exhibited a trend at a 5% significance level except in CanESM2 of RCP8.5. In contrast, a significant monotonic increase in temperature is forecasted in all RCMs, with higher temperature increments (1–1.50 °C in RCP8.5) in a 25-year interval. Water management, as an adaptation option to climate extremes, is considered in the semi-arid environment of Dechatu. Among others, the use of traditional hand-dug wells, flood plain excavation (locally named Chirosh) as drinking water sources, floodwater diversion, contour farming and dropping of shrub branches on the river banks to conserve transported soils are included. Therefore, integrating the local adaptation with conventional water management practices will reduce the impacts of climate change.