Determinants of participatory forest management practices in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia

Forest resources are fundamental in supporting the livelihoods of the people and the sustainability of biodiversity. However, these resources are overexploited in order to meet the increasing demand for food, shelter, and energy. Participatory forest management is a tool used to support the sustainable utilization of forest resources. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the factors that determined the participatory forest management practices in the study area. The Alemsaga forest was chosen as a case study since it is in danger in its current state due to illegal cuttings and unrestricted grazing. The study employed a mixed research design where quantitative and qualitative approaches of data collection and analysis were implemented. Household heads from three rural kebeles were used as a target population, and the questionnaire survey was administered to randomly selected sample households. A binary logistic regression was employed to identify the major determinants of PFMP in the study area. The result shows that family size, education status, perception, forest income, and training have significant positive relations with household participation in forest management, whereas, demand for firewood and grazing, age, and change in office administration have significant negative relations with participation on forest management. Therefore, a key aspect in the sustainable use of natural resources is realizing the key determinant factors that influence forest management programs. This work can be perceived as a contribution to enlightening policymakers and practitioners about PFM practices and core factors that hampered the forest management effort

Factors in the suboptimum performance of rural water supply systems in the Ethiopian highlands

Access to safe drinking water services in the Ethiopian Highlands is one of lowest worldwide due to failure of water supply services shortly after construction. Over hundred water supply systems were surveyed to find the underlying causes of failure and poor performance throughout the Amhara Regional State. The results show generally that systems with decision-making power at the community level during design and construction remained working longer than when the decisions were made by a central authority. In addition, the sustainability was better for water systems that were farther away from alternative water resources and contributed more cash and labour. The results of this study of the importance of decision-making at the local level in contrast to the central authority is directly applicable to the introduction of rain water management systems as shown by earlier efforts of installing rain water harvesting systems in the Ethiopian highlands

Evaluating Biophysical Conservation Practices with Dynamic Land Use and Land Cover in the Highlands of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan countries affected by land degradation, notably by soil erosion. The government of Ethiopia has launched an extensive biophysical soil and water conservation (SWC) effort each year to address the problem. These practices were installed on varying land use and land cover (LULC) systems. Despite the fact that the interventions covered the majority of the landmasses, there were no quantitative data on the scale of biophysical measures with the change in land use and land cover. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate biophysical conservation practices with dynamic land use and land cover in the highlands of Ethiopia. The study focused on districts of the Amhara regional state’s South Gondar zone. A mixed research methodology was employed to gather pertinent data for the study. The dynamics of LULC were analyzed using satellite images acquired between 1990 and 2020. Biophysical conservation measures’ data and qualitative information were collected from the zonal office of agriculture. Twelve years’ worth of biophysical SWC measures data were used for the study. The results indicate that cultivated land makes up the majority of land use and land cover. Bunds built on cultivated land account for 93% of conservation practices. During the study period, there was a significant decline of biophysical conservation practices implementation in each district. Although plantation was used on a wider scale, it was unable to sustain physical SWC practices or expand forest cover in the region. In addition, lack of integrated maintenance for early installed structures decreases the effectiveness of SWC measures. In conclusion, the dynamics of LULC have a significant impact on the magnitude of biophysical conservation measures. Therefore, watershed managers shall consider the spatio-temporal variation of LULC while planning conservation practices

Evaluating Biophysical Conservation Practices with Dynamic Land Use and Land Cover in the Highlands of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan countries affected by land degradation, notably by soil erosion. The government of Ethiopia has launched an extensive biophysical soil and water conservation (SWC) effort each year to address the problem. These practices were installed on varying land use and land cover (LULC) systems. Despite the fact that the interventions covered the majority of the landmasses, there were no quantitative data on the scale of biophysical measures with the change in land use and land cover. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate biophysical conservation practices with dynamic land use and land cover in the highlands of Ethiopia. The study focused on districts of the Amhara regional state’s South Gondar zone. A mixed research methodology was employed to gather pertinent data for the study. The dynamics of LULC were analyzed using satellite images acquired between 1990 and 2020. Biophysical conservation measures’ data and qualitative information were collected from the zonal office of agriculture. Twelve years’ worth of biophysical SWC measures data were used for the study. The results indicate that cultivated land makes up the majority of land use and land cover. Bunds built on cultivated land account for 93% of conservation practices. During the study period, there was a significant decline of biophysical conservation practices implementation in each district. Although plantation was used on a wider scale, it was unable to sustain physical SWC practices or expand forest cover in the region. In addition, lack of integrated maintenance for early installed structures decreases the effectiveness of SWC measures. In conclusion, the dynamics of LULC have a significant impact on the magnitude of biophysical conservation measures. Therefore, watershed managers shall consider the spatio-temporal variation of LULC while planning conservation practices

Hydro-geomorphological features at gully heads in the humid northern Ethiopian Highlands, Birr Watershed

The study was conducted in the Birr watershed at twelve gully heads located close to each other. The survey includes measurements of morphological features, soil properties, water table elevations and catchment characteristics including erosion at each gully head. The analysis showed that gully head morphology could be explained by the role of different gully head controlling factors. The result suggested the maximum rate of head cut retreat reaches from 0 to 22.5m. There was no head retreat recorded from the arrested heads relative to unprotected heads. Compared to semiarid highlands of northern Ethiopia, the average short term head cut retreat was 12 fold greater. From the direct shear test, angle of internal friction by far greater than the slope of gully heads which are located at flat lands. The width depth ratio showed that the shallow depth heads were controlled by fluvial erosion whereas for the deep gully heads both fluvial and mass wasting due tension cracks are operating. In this study a significant power relationship established between the volume of the gully head and the length of retreat at the active gullies with V = 4.85 L1.05 (R2 = 0.91 and P= 0.042) which is different from the relation obtained from the entire gully system as a result of varies controlling factors

The economic cost of upland and gully erosion on subsistence agriculture for a watershed in the Ethiopian highlands

This study quantifies the costs of erosion in a watershed of the Ethiopian highlands over a two-year period, accounting for topsoil nutrient losses, time costs due to disrupted travel networks, and the value of lost animals and trees. We use a nutrient replacement cost to value topsoil nutrient depletion, daily wage rate to monetise the opportunity cost of labour due to gully erosion, and local market prices to quantify the lost animals and cash crop trees. The total cost of soil erosion in the watershed during the two years was over $18 000, a cost of$22 per ha per year, $17 per person per year or about 19% of per capita income. The nutrient depletion from topsoil comprised only 42% of total costs. Given these large costs, remediation measures focused on participatory community-based efforts should be evaluated to reduce the severity of soil erosion and its associated effects

Assessment of practices for controlling shallow valley-bottom gullies in the sub-humid Ethiopian Highlands

Rehabilitation of large valley bottom gullies in developing countries is hampered by high cost. Stopping head cuts at the time of initiation will prevent large gullies from forming and is affordable. However, research on practices to control shallow gully heads with local materials is limited. The objective of this research was therefore to identify cost-effective shallow gully head stabilization practices. The four-year study was conducted on 14 shallow gullies (<3 m deep) in the central Ethiopian highlands. Six gullies were used as a control. Heads in the remaining eight gullies were regraded to a 1:1 slope. Additional practices implemented were adding either riprap or vegetation or both on the regraded heads and stabilizing the gully bed downstream. Gully heads were enclosed by fencing to prohibit cattle access to the planted vegetation. The median yearly head retreat of the control gullies was 3.6 m a-1 with a maximum of 23 m a-1. Vegetative treatments without riprap prevented gully incision by trapping sediments but did not stop the upslope retreat. The gully heads protected by riprap did not erode. Regrading the slope and adding riprap was most effective in controlling gully head retreat, and with hay grown on the fenced-in areas around the practice, it was profitable for farmers

Gully head retreat in the sub-humid Ethiopian Highlands: the Ene-Chilala Catchment

In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, gully erosion is severe. Despite many efforts to implement gully prevention measures, controlling gully erosion remains a challenge. The objective is to better understand the regional gully erosion processes and to prevent gully head retreat. The study was conducted in the Ene-Chilala catchment in the sub-humid headwaters of the Birr River located southwest of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Twelve gully heads were monitored during the 2014 and 2015 rainy monsoon phase. We measured gully head morphology and retreat length, soil shear strength, ground water table levels, and catchment physical characteristics. Two active gully head cuts were treated in 2014 and an additional three head cuts in 2015 by regrading their slope to 45° and covering them with stone riprap. These treatments halted the gully head advance. The untreated gullies were actively eroding due to groundwater at shallow depths. The largest head retreat was 22.5 m, of which about half occurred in August of the first year when the surrounding soil was fully saturated. Lowering both the water table and protecting the gully heads can play a key role in reducing gully expansion and soil loss due to gully erosion in the Ethiopian highlands

Reducing surface and subsurface water flow effect on gullies through low cost measures [Abstract only]

Gully erosion in the humid Ethiopian highlands intensified in recent decades. The study was conducted in the Birr watershed located south west of Bahir Dar the capital of Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. We studied 14 gullies having similar morphology at three sub watersheds. The watershed covers a total area of 414 ha. The monitoring continued over the 2013 to 2014 monsoon season to better understand the factors controlling gully erosion and the effectiveness of erosion control structures. Perched ground water table was measured at the gully heads and erosion pins were installed to monitor the rate of recession from uncontrolled heads. Though soil properties, ground cover, gully morphology had small contribution for the gully development; water fall effect at the head of the gully and elevated water table depth at both heads and banks played the key role. Therefore the study focused on reducing the water fall and elevated water table effect by applying two low cost gully control approaches. The first approach was regrading the gully heads and banks at 45o and the second approach follows regrading the gully heads at 45o and putting a graded type of stone rip rap. Large stones were anchored at the toe of the head maintaining the stable gully bed slope. The result shows that unprotected gully heads retreat an average of 4m which is equivalent to 37m3 volume of soil loss. The maximum and minimum head cut retreat was between 0 and 22.5m. The total area damaged by annual gully head retreat was 240m2 and total volume of soil lost was 444m3. The treated gully heads did not show any retreat during the monitoring period. Compared with simple reshaping of gully heads, integration with Stone rip rap was an effective and low cost measure in the study watershed. Plantation could not stop the upslope migration of heads though it had the potential to trap sediments down slope. Heads with stone rip rap allows fast re vegetation whereas unprotected reshaped heads and banks took longer time to re vegetate and stabilized. Time of reshaping was important for the stability of banks and heads