Climate change, livestock dynamics, and poverty: Spatial panel data evidence from Ethiopia

Livestock production plays an important role both globally and in Africa. Ethiopia has the highest livestock population in Africa. However, despite the huge potential of the sector both to the national economy as well as poverty reduction, the current performance of the sector both in terms of production and productivity is very limited. This study will explore the effects of both temperature and precipitation anomalies on livestock production and spillover effects using nationally representative panel data on the livestock sector in Ethiopia. The study will also investigate the impact of climate change on the choice of livestock species and the implications for poverty. The impact on other sectors, the spillover effects, will also be examined. The study will employ spatial econometric approach for the empirical analysis. The findings of this study will be valuable to the policy makers and other stakeholders by informing and creating a better awareness on the effects of climate change on livestock population dynamics and help them design appropriate management practices which enable to cope with the negative effects of climate change and improve the livelihoods of the people.