In Ethiopia, only five per cent of farmers irrigate, so the rest
are really reliant on rain. So as climate change dries out the
country, how do they drought-proof their food producing land,
especially when it costs money they don't have? Nega Emiru is an
Ethiopian PhD candidate with the University of Tasmania. He's
hoping to produce hard evidence that will encourage the
country's government to support its farmers to adapt to climate
change, rather than rely on handouts when things go wrong. He
says the current drought in East Africa is an indication of
challenges to come. "This drought has given us a good signal for
our future. So if we don't get ready for what's going to happen
in the future, we will probably face a more devastating effect
of the changing climate. "The government has to take this
drought as an opportunity to prepare itself and make some
proactive risk management approaches."