Strengthening the Resiliency of Dryland Forest-Based Livelihoods in Ethiopia and South Sudan: A Review of Literature on the Interaction Between Dryland Forests, Livelihoods and Forest Governance

Dry forests account for nearly half of the world’s tropical and subtropical forests and provide a multitude of ecological services. They contribute to hydrological cycles and livestock and wildlife provisioning; and host pollinators and wild plants. They are also important ecological zones for dryland agriculture and pastoral livelihood strategies that support hundreds of millions of people around the world. Dry forests cover large areas and their biomass stores carbon and helps mitigate climate change. Dry forests are particularly important to people in Africa. They provide wood for construction and energy, contribute to local diets with wild fruits, vegetables, nuts, edible insects and bushmeat. Wild, edible plants provide essential nutrients, particularly during times of food scarcity. Yet dry forests are subject to high rates of deforestation and degradation driven mainly by agricultural expansion and growing energy demands. Other challenges include limited information on dry forests (their inventories, changes over time, major drivers of deforestation and recovery, etc.), their biophysical aspects and ecosystem services and the potential roles they could play in increasing the sustainability of crop and livestock farming. Governments, development partners and communities are looking for options to better manage these resources at the landscape level. Dry forests are complex ecosystems that are not fully understood. Scientific knowledge to better manage dry forests and sustain the livelihoods of people that depend on these ecosystems remains scanty as research to inform policy and practice is still very limited. The knowledge gap is even more pronounced in northeastern Africa, notably Ethiopia and South Sudan where these forest types are important in terms of areas coverage and in supporting rural livelihoods. Ethiopia and South Sudan share histories of political unrest and conflict that have contributed to famines; large-scale land acquisition for investment and agricultural expansion by smallholders are resulting in major and rapid land-use changes in their dry forested areas. Ethiopia’s two decades of peace and stability and its experience in managing its natural resources could inform post-conflict intervention measures in South Sudan. This study was conducted as an effort to help fill the knowledge gap in dry forest-based livelihoods through a critical review of the available literature. It used publications from CIFOR’s work on dry forests and product marketing in Ethiopia and from other sources, including gray literature. The study assessed the socio-ecological context, including relevant laws and strategies, with an emphasis on the biophysical characteristics of the dryland forests of Ethiopia and South Sudan and the major causes of deforestation and forest degradation. Using livelihood systems as an analytical framework, it examined (i) major livelihood strategies; (ii) the contribution of dry forests to livelihoods; (iii) forest product markets and value chains; and (iv) forest and land governance with an emphasis on the relationship between political, economic and resource management policies and the level of degradation of dry forests and their contributions to the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities in Ethiopia and South Sudan. It also identified major threats to dry, forest-based livelihoods and key issues for policy, research and practice that need to be addressed to maintain the multifunctionality of dryland forests while also ensuring the well-being of communities dependent on these landscapes

Impacts of smallholder tree plantation in Amhara Region of Ethiopia: the case of Lay Gayint and Fagta Locuma Districts

This study analyzes the impacts of smallholder plantation on the households’ total cash income, modern agricultural input use, education and health care spending of 300 sampled households in Lay Gayint and Fagta Locuma district’s of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. A propensity score matching (PSM) analytical model has been used to examine the impacts of smallholder plantation on total cash income, improved agricultural input use, educational and health care expenditure. The PSM tool confirmed that, participation in to tree plantation had a significant impact on farm households total cash income, education and health expenditure outcome. However, it does not have a significant impact on the use of modern agricultural inputs. The findings of this study calls for the scale up of best practices of smallholder plantation in Amhara region and in Ethiopia at large. In addition, concerns have to be given in improving land productivity, educational level of farm households, and increasing market access and linkages, value addition of plantation products, expansion of infrastructures especially road and telecommunication networks in the rural parts to raise participation in plantation.Keywords: plantation, propensity score matching, planter, non-planter, impact analysi

Climate change, agriculture and international migration: An African youth perspective

Existing evidence indicates that Africa is already being affected by climate change resulting in substantial challenges for both human and natural systems. Eastern Africa is among the regions in Africa with disproportionately higher risk of adverse consequences of global warming and climate change. Climate change and variability are having significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural production, agricultural value chains, food and nutrition security as well as the overall sustainable growth of the sector in the region. Over time, it is expected that climate change will exacerbate the prevalence of spatio-temporal climate variability in Eastern Africa, and these variabilities will manifest in the increased frequency and severity of extreme climate events and the increasing irregularity and unpredictability of weather patterns. To the region’s farmers, these emerging changes represent an additional source of risks and uncertainty

Teff and Wheat Yield Variation With Phosphorus Application In Jamma District, Ethiopia

Different plant species has different nutrient requirements and utilize nutrients in different ways. Biological activity contributes to P solubilization through mineralization, wheathering, and other physicochemical reactions so that the soil plow layer is the major source of soil availabile P for crops. Ethiopia Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource and ATA recommended six types of blended fertilizers (NPSZnB, NPKSB, NPKSZnB, NPSZn, NPSB and NPS) for the Amhara region. Our study was conducted in Jamma districts of eastern Amhara, Ethiopia, during  2018 cropping season to attest the yield of teff (Dega teff) and wheat (Danda’a) due to phosphorus fertilizer application. Fertilizer treatments tested were the recommended dose of N only, recommended dose of NP, 50 kg.ha-1 NPS, 100 kg.ha-1 NPS, and 150kg. ha-1 NPS, set up in a. randomized complete block design with three replication, and conducted on four sites. Our study demonstrated that applications of N and P fertilizers significantly improved grain yield of wheat and teff, and that there was significant yield differences (P < 0.05) between different rates of P fertilizer. Therefore, even though the soil P levels were shown to be sufficient, application of both N and P fertilizer in the Jamma district is essential to increase yield of teff and wheat

Integrated Agricultural Development Strategies in the ANRS: Lessons from the AMAREW Project

The Amhara Micro-enterprise development, Agricultural Research, Extension and Watershed management (AMAREW) Project is a USAID/Ethiopia Mission funded initiative established in July 2002 to provide technical assistance in integrated agricultural development in the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS). The Project works to strengthen agricultural research, extension, watershed management, capacity building, and micro-enterprise development in the ANRS by collaborating with its ANRS partners in strategically selected two pilot watershed sites and five pilot food-insecure woredas. The Project is being implemented by a Virginia Tech led Consortium (Virginia Tech, Cornell University, Virginia State University and ACDI/VOCA) in collaboration with its ANRS Primary Partners consisting of the Food Security Coordination and Disaster Prevention Office (FSCDPO), Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development (BoARD), Environment Protection, Land Administration, and Utilization Authority (EPLAUA), Amhara Micro and Small Industries Development Bureau (AMSEIDB), and Amhara Credit and Saving Institution (ACSI). FSCDPO has the overall role of coordinating Project activities; ARARI is responsible for the planning and implementation of research; BoARD plans and implements agricultural extension and watershed management activities in the pilot extension woredas and watersheds; EPLAUA has the responsibility for guiding land use and certification in the pilot watersheds; AMSEIDB and ACSI share responsibilities for micro-enterprise and microfinance issues in the target areas of the project. The technical advisors of AMAREW work with and advise their respective line department experts in all stages of project activities. AMAREW strives to catalyze a paradigm shift in the ANRS in strengthening research extension linkage where education, research, and extension are integrated similar to the service-oriented Land Grant University Model of the USA. The Project focuses on upgrading human resource capacities and reinforcing the institutional relations between ARARI and BoARD through joint planning and implementation of on-farm research and extension programs. Our five pilot extension woredas are planned to integrate research and extension, thereby demonstrating that effective linkage of extension and research are possible in the ANRS. Our two pilot watershed management sites (Lenche Dima in Guba Lafto and Yeku in Sekota) serve as models for integrating watershed management, research, extension, and micro-enterprise development efforts. In the long run, the promising experiences and lessons learned through the activities of the AMAREW Project should be scaled up to other sites in the ANRS as well as nationally, thus contributing to the alleviation of the food security problem of the region and the nation

Gum and resin bearing dryland forests of Somali region, Southeastern Ethiopia: Diversity, structure and spatial distribution

Despite its ecological and socio-economic contributions, the lowland dry forests of Ethiopia have been experiencing severe deforestation and degradation challenges. It is, therefore, crucial to assess the status of the dry forest resources to formulate an appropriate management strategy and its sustainable utilization. This study was formulated to determine spatial distribution, species composition, structure, and regeneration of the gum and resin species bearing dry forests in the Somali regional state of Ethiopia. The recent Sentinel-2A image was procured and used to classify the area, using a supervised Random Forest Algorithm, into different land covers and vegetation types. Inside the two key vegetation types (Acacia dominated woodland and Mixed woodland), forest inventory was conducted by establishing 30 m x 30 m size quadratic sample plots. The results revealed that the study area was divided into settlement (0.2%), bare land (6.0%), undifferentiated forest (0.5%), acacia woodland (36.3%), mixed woodland (54.1%) and scrubland (2.9%). Thirty-four woody species were identified and recorded with a Shannon diversity of 3.03. The population structure showed a lack of sufficient natural regeneration. It is, therefore, imperative to say that the forest containing the gum and resin-bearing species is not replacing itself. On the other hand, the forest has the potential to produce Oleo-gum resin in various kinds and amounts. Thus, implementing appropriate restoration measures is urgent to enhance natural regeneration. Moreover, formulating sustainable utilization while creating product market of gum and resins are important considerations for the future development of the sector. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 13(2): 6-13, Dec 202

Impact of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) on rural households’ livelihood: The case of Sodo FLR, South Central Ethiopia

Ethiopia has pledged to restore 22 million ha of degraded and deforested lands by 2030. With the massive Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts underway, however, there are no sufficient empirical studies that signify the effectiveness of FLR in the country. Therefore, the study evaluated the impact of the FLR program on rural households’ livelihoods in Sodo, Southern Central Ethiopia. A two-stage random sampling technique was followed to draw the sample households, and 260 sample households (120 households from FLR participating and 140 households from non-FLR participating) were chosen randomly. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, head of household assets, access to credit, land size, household income and related expenditures were considered. In addition, data was gathered through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, direct field observations, and reviewing project documents and activity reports. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique. The results showed that FLR participants are likely to gain higher total and crop income than non-FLR participants. The average off-farm income of FLR participants also increased by 10252.4 ETB (200 USD). The number of beehives and the amount of honey produced was higher with FLR participants. FLR participants received more training and had better access to credit. Moreover, several households benefited from the FLR initiative\u27s program offer to sustain their livelihoods by producing sheep and poultry. In conclusion, FLR initiatives should be combined with agricultural intensification and diversification as well as business-oriented forest development for better impact. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 13(2): 14-21, Dec 202

Impacts of land use and land cover dynamics on ecosystem services in the Yayo coffee forest biosphere reserve, southwestern Ethiopia

Land management to increase food production while conserving the environment and associated ecosystem services (ESs) is one of the major development and research challenges of the 21st Century. Any land-use practice or change to obtain a particular ecosystem service affects the other ES positively or negatively. The dynamics of these changes is more marked in biodiversity hotspot areas like UNESCO registered Yayo coffee forest biosphere reserve in southwestern Ethiopia. We used a time series InVEST modeling framework to estimate six ESs and analyze their spatial and temporal dynamics due to land-use/cover change over the last 31 years. Pearson correlation coefficients and k-mean clustering were employed to analyze tradeoffs/synergies and to cluster ESs supply spatially. The analysis also considers land-use change impact in the three management zones (core, transition and buffer) of the Yayo biosphere area. The production efficient frontier is used to identify the optimal combination of ESs and to suggest where an increase of one ES is possible without decreasing the others. Mostly, the highest change is observed in the transition zone followed by buffer zones. Positive correlation (synergies) are observed between regulating ecosystem services. Negative correlations (tradeoffs) are observed between provision ecosystem services. The clustering analysis shows that the spatial ESs can be divided in two clusters (bundle): cluster 1 with “High regulating ESs” that can be characterized by core zone and some forest patches in the central part of the biosphere reserve, and cluster 2 with “High provisioning ESs areas'' that can be characterized by cultivated lands at transition and buffer zones. The result shows that the existing ES pairs are far from the Pareto efficient combination(s), confirming that landscape optimization for ES bundles are rarely possible on the ground due to many reasons and indicating the need for well thought land restoration strategies and land management practices that are forest type and context specific