Your search found 5 records
1 Mekuria, Wolde; Langan, Simon; Johnston, Robyn; Belay, B.; Amare, D.; Gashaw, T.; Desta, G.; Noble, Andrew; Wale, A. 2015. Restoring aboveground carbon and biodiversity: a case study from the Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Forest Science and Technology, 11(2):86-96. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21580103.2014.966862]
Aerial parts ; Carbon sequestration ; Biomass ; Organic fertilizers ; Biodiversity ; Nile basin ; Ecosystem services ; Environmental degradation ; Plants ; Species ; Watersheds ; Vegetation ; Land degradation ; Land management ; Grazing lands ; Households ; Local communities ; Crop production ; Erosion ; Government agencies ; Non governmental organizations ; Case studies / Ethiopia / Nile Basin / Gomit Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046886)
(0.43 MB)
In Ethiopia, exclosures in landscapes have become increasingly important to improving ecosystem services and reversing biodiversity losses. The present study was conducted in Gomit watershed, northern Ethiopia, to: (i) investigate the changes in vegetation composition, diversity and aboveground biomass and carbon following the establishment of exclosures; and (ii) analyse the economic returns of aboveground carbon sequestration and assess the perception of local communities on land degradation and exclosures. A space-for-time substitution approach was used to detect the changes in aboveground carbon, species composition, and diversity. Exclosures of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 7-years-old and a communal grazing land were selected. Household surveys, key informant interviews, and a financial analysis were used to assess the perception of local communities and the value of exclosure impacts, respectively. Significant (P = 0.049) differences in species diversity and considerable increases in aboveground carbon (ranged from 0.6 to 4.2 t C ha-1), CO2 storage (varied between 2.1 and 15.3 t CO2 ha-1), woody species composition, and richness (ranged from five to 28) were observed following the establishment of exclosures. Exclosures generated temporary certified emission reductions (tCER) of 3.4, 2.1, 7.5, 12.6, 12.5, and 15.3 Mg CO2 ha-1 after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 years, respectively. The net present value (NPV) of the aboveground carbon sequestered in exclosures ranged from US$6.6 to US$37.0 per hectare and increased with exclosure duration. At a watershed level, 51.4 Mg C ha-1 can be sequestered, which represents 188.6 Mg CO2 ha-1, resulting in tCER of 139.4 Mg CO2 ha-1 and NPV of US$478.3 per hectare. This result would suggest that exclosures can potentially improve local communities’ livelihoods beyond rehabilitating degraded lands if carbon stored in exclosures is traded. Communities in the watershed demonstrated that exclosures are effective in restoring degraded lands and they are benefiting from increased fodder production and reduced impacts of soil erosion. However, the respondents are also concerned over the sustainability of exclosure land management, as further expansion of exclosures aggravates degradation of remaining communal grazing lands and causes fuel wood shortages. This suggests that the sustainability of exclosure land management can be attained only if these critical concerns are addressed by a joint effort among government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and communities.
2 Amare, D.; Mekuria, Wolde; Teklewold, T.; Belay, B.; Teshome, A.; Yitaferu, B.; Tessema, T.; Tegegn, B. 2016. Perception of local community and the willingness to pay to restore church forests: the case of Dera district, northwestern Ethiopia. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 25(3):173-186. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2015.1133330]
Local community ; Forest management ; Forest conservation ; Biodiversity ; Economic aspects ; Living standards ; Land ownership ; Households ; Environmental degradation ; Stakeholders / Ethiopia / Dera District
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047538)
(1.18 MB)
In the Ethiopian highlands, church forests have a substantial contribution to landscape restoration, and conservation of endangered indigenous tree species and biodiversity. However, the environmental and economic benefits of church forests are declining due to a combination of economic, environmental, and cultural factors. This study was conducted in Dera district, Ethiopia, to assess the perception of local communities on church forests and investigate the willingness of local communities to pay to manage and protect church forests. We used household survey and focus group discussion to gather data. Contingent valuation method and the Heckman two-step economic model were used to analyze data. Considerable proportion of the respondents (35%) mentioned several types of benefits that can be derived from church forests including fodder, fuelwood, tree seeds and seedlings, conservation of biodiversity, and improvement of the amount and distribution of rainfall. Respondents are also aware that sustainable management of church forests is essential to maintain or enhance the ecosystem services that can be obtained from existing church forests. Protection, fencing, plantation, and expansion of church forests were among the different management options suggested by the respondents. The majority (70%) of the communities are willing to contribute cash. On average, the farmers are willing to contribute ETB 32 (i.e., US$ 1.66 [Based on the exchange rate on 12 February 2014.]). Age, education, access to extension services, and amount of benefits derived from church forests were positively and significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with the willingness to pay. Providing training on forest management, putting a strong informal institution such as bylaws, and designing ways of moving from conservation to economic benefit are essential to restore and sustain church forests.
3 Amare, D.; Wondie, M.; Teketay, D.; Eshete, A.; Darr, D. 2017. Wood extraction among the households of Zege Peninsula, northern Ethiopia. Ecological Economics, 142:177-184. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.06.002]
Forest resources ; Deforestation ; Forest management ; Forest degradation ; Smallholders ; Living standards ; Market surveys ; Participation ; Socioeconomic environment ; Wood ; Households ; Income generation / Ethiopia / Zega Peninsula
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048462)
The dependence of smallholder farmers on forest resources for their sustenance and livelihoods is a major driver of deforestation and degradation of forest resources in tropical countries. Understanding the socio-economic drivers that aggravate the extraction and overexploitation of forest products is vital for designing effective forest conservation and restoration measures. This particularly holds with regard to the importance of two fundamentally opposing motivations of smallholder forest exploitation, which we label “wood extraction for need” vs. “wood extraction for greed”. This study was conducted at Zege peninsula in Northern Ethiopia to investigate the factors affecting the extraction and marketing of wood from the peninsula's primary dry Afromontane forest by smallholders. Data was collected using household survey, focus groups discussions and key informant interviews. Data analysis employed the Heckman two-steps econometric model. The predominant involvement of vulnerable households in forest exploitation suggests that wood extraction was driven by need and mainly served sustenance and safety net functions. In addition, we also found evidence of greed-driven forest exploitation. As a consequence of selective rule enforcement and nepotism, the forest enforcement committee was not effective in safeguarding the forest, there by contributing to increased wood extraction and marketing by community members for income generation. This suggests that, in order to protect the forest, interventions are needed that aim at creating alternative income opportunities for smallholders through improved production of non-timber forest products, enhanced market access and the provision of locally adapted technologies; as well as at increasing the integrity of law enforcement.
4 Mekuria, Wolde; Getnet, Kindie; Yami, M.; Langan, Simon; Amare, D.. 2021. Perception of communities when managing exclosures as common pool resources in northwestern Ethiopia. Land Degradation and Development, 32(1):35-48. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3689]
Exclosures ; Natural resources management ; Land degradation ; Erosion ; Local communities ; Public opinion ; Watersheds ; Ecosystem services ; Common lands ; Grazing lands ; Vegetation ; Sustainability ; Government agencies ; Nongovernmental organizations ; Gender ; Women ; Decision making ; Living standards ; Households / Ethiopia / Gomit Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049938)
(1.25 MB)
Understanding the different perceptions of the local community regarding the use and management of common pool resources, such as exclosures, could better support targeted interventions by government and development partners. Here, we report on a study conducted in the Gomit watershed, northwestern Ethiopia, using a survey and key informant interviews, to examine community perceptions on (a) the biophysical condition (i.e., challenge of land degradation and restoration), (b) the action situations (user's access to and control over resources and decision-making processes involved in taking actions in managing the exclosure), (c) actors' interactions (formal and informal institutions involved in the management of exclosures), and (d) perceived outcomes (benefits and tradeoffs of managing exclosures). Many people in the Gomit watershed recognize land degradation as a serious problem and believe that exclosures support restoration of degraded landscapes and improve ecosystem services. Informal institutions play a key role in managing exclosures by improving benefit sharing and mobilizing the local community for collective action. However, some community members have concerns about recent expansion of exclosures because of (a) limited short-term derived benefits, (b) reductions in fuelwood availability, (c) increased degradation of remaining communal grazing lands, and (d) poor participation of marginalized groups in decision making. Addressing such concerns through the promotion of short-term benefits of exclosures and increasing community participation in decision-making and benefit sharing is crucial. The study provides evidence to support government and development partners on the establishment and management of exclosures through identifying the benefits and drawbacks as perceived by different sectors of the community.
5 Mekuria, Wolde; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Amare, D.; Belay, B.; Getnet, B.; Girma, G.; Tegegne, Desalegn. 2022. Factors influencing the implementation of agroecological practices: lessons drawn from the Aba-Garima Watershed, Ethiopia. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10:965408. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.965408]
Agroecology ; Environmental protection ; Watersheds ; Food security ; Households ; Income ; Land use ; Land cover ; Farmers ; Socioeconomic aspects / Ethiopia / Aba-Garima Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051643)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.965408/pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051643.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051643.pdf
(1.57 MB) (1.57 MB)
The challenges to agroecological transitions are not the same for all farmers and implementation of agroecological practices in different locations could yield different results. With this consideration, this study was conducted in Aba-Garima watershed in northwestern Ethiopia to characterize the structure and activities of farming households and assess factors influencing the implementation and sustainability of agroecological practices. Data were collected from 218 households, 16 key informants, and 12 focus group discussions. The Multivariate Probit model and descriptive statistics were employed to analyze factors influencing farmers’ choices of different agroecological practices and describe the characteristics of farming households. The qualitative data analysis was processed through topic coding and building categories, themes, and patterns of relationships. Farmers realize the importance of both farm and landscape level agroecological practices to enhance income earning capacity, achieve food security and protect the environment. However, most of the agroecological practices are very difficult to start using for various constraining factors including limited access to water, and shortages of money, land and labor. The results suggest that depending on different socioeconomic characteristics of farming households, agroecological practices that appear common practices can be very difficult to use for some farmers, while it would be possible for other farmers. The constraining factors are also differently associated with different practices, involving diverse perspectives of different socioeconomic groups. The paper discussed the existing agroecological practices, the perspectives of different socio-economic groups on these practices and the factors influencing the implementation as well as the conditions that can facilitate the wider adoption of agroecological practices in the study area.
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