- Almost four in 10 Ethiopians (37%) say droughts have become more severe in their region over the past 10 years, ranging from just 17% in the Benishangul-Gumuz region to 78% in Addis Ababa. Three in 10 (30%) report worsening floods, though this ranges up to 79% in Addis Ababa.
- Fewer than half (47%) of citizens say they have heard about climate change. o Awareness is particularly low among women, rural residents, and the least educated.
- Among those who are aware of climate change: o Fewer than half (45%) say it is making life in Ethiopia worse. o Most respondents believe that ordinary citizens can help curb climate change (75%) and that their government needs to take immediate climate action, even at considerable economic cost (79%). o Most assign the primary responsibility for fighting climate change to the government (46%) and ordinary citizens (43%). o Overwhelming majorities say greater efforts to fight climate change are needed from the government (90%), business and industry (90%), developed countries (87%), and citizens (87%).
- Even as they call for greater action, two-thirds (66%) of citizens approve of the government’s performance in addressing climate change.
Ethiopia is highly susceptible to climate-related disasters. Cumulatively, the impact of its 2021- 2023 drought on the country’s arid and pastoral regions ranks among the most severe in the past four decades (World Bank, 2024; United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2023). Effects of the drought were compounded by conflicts in certain regions, complicating humanitarian aid and access to resources (Yibeltal & Kupemba, 2023). Concurrently, heavy rains triggered flooding in some regions, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of communities already grappling with the effects of the prolonged drought (Davies, 2023; Demisse, 2022).
Climate-induced shocks pose risks to public health, livelihoods, infrastructure, and agricultural productivity. Ethiopia’s annual gross domestic product losses due to climate impacts are projected to rise from 1%-1.5% to 5%-10% by the 2040s, underscoring the urgent need for resilient climate strategies and sustainable development practices (World Bank, 2010, 2024).
Through its Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategy, Ethiopia aims to transition to a green economy and achieve middle-income status by prioritising climate-smart agriculture, forest restoration, renewable energy expansion, and energy-efficient industries. Further, under its updated Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, Ethiopia has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 68% by 2030, up from its initial target of 64%, reaffirming its commitment to tackling climate change (World Bank, 2021).
This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021/2023) questionnaire to explore Africans’ attitudes and perceptions related to climate change.
Findings show that fewer than half of Ethiopians have heard of climate change. Among those aware of climate change, a majority say the government is doing a good job of addressing the threat. Nonetheless, there is a broad consensus that stronger action is needed, with large majorities calling for greater engagement by the government, business and industry, developed countries, and ordinary citizens.
