Systematic Review of Climate Change Impacts on Ethiopia's Food Systems: Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
Abstract
Climate change is a major driver of food insecurity in Ethiopia, affecting agricultural productivity, water availability, and rural livelihoods. The country's reliance on rain-fed agriculture increases its vulnerability to climate-related hazards, underscoring the need to synthesize existing evidence on climate risks and food system vulnerability. This systematic review synthesized scientific evidence on the impacts of climate change on Ethiopia's food systems, identified major climate-related risks and vulnerability factors, and assessed adaptation strategies and their policy implications. Following PRISMA guidelines, peer-reviewed studies were systematically identified from major scientific databases using predefined search terms. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 232 eligible studies were included and synthesized thematically to examine climate risks, vulnerability determinants, food system impacts, and adaptation measures. Evidence from 232 studies indicates that climate variability and climate change are major drivers of food insecurity in Ethiopia. Drought, rising temperatures, and changing rainfall patterns were the principal climate risks affecting agricultural production and food availability. Recurrent droughts accounted for approximately 60% of crop yield losses, food insecurity increased by an estimated 2.3% annually, and a 1°C rise in temperature was associated with a 10% reduction in major staple crop production. Rural households were…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems
- Assisted Gene Flow to Facilitate Local Adaptation to Climate Change
- Climate Change Effects on Plant Disease: Genomes to Ecosystems
- Biodiversity and Climate Change: Integrating Evolutionary and Ecological Responses of Species and Communities
- A systematic review of climate change education: giving children and young people a ‘voice’ and a ‘hand’ in redressing climate change
- Global Monsoon Dynamics and Climate Change
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.