Abstract:
This study was conducted in Dhabe Dongore catchment, in Adama area to analyze the impact of sustainable
land resources management on agricultural production and rural livelihood. The study is based on a comparison
of land management practices of communities in Dhabe Soloke Kebele and members of Sulula Golba Guda
(SGG) who organized themselves to manage their land resources, in Dongore Denku Kebele. The Data was
generated through socioeconomic survey including a household level semistructured questionnaire, PRA
methods such as focus group discussion, informal interviews and biophysical survey that include soil quality
analysis and gully erosion quantification.
Nearly all farmers indicated that deforestation is a major and common problem that causes severe land
degradation in both study areas. Conversion of the forest to farmland, indiscriminate cutting of trees for fuel
wood and charcoal making and inappropriate agricultural practices are the main causes of deforestation,
mentioned by the respondents.
Removal of nutrients, poor soil nutrient and organic matter management, poor use of manure and compost, lack
of management of crop residues and inappropriate agronomic practices are common problems in both study
areas. But the analysis has showed that members of SGG have a better coping mechanism or management
strategies to mitigate the mentioned problems. The community based management of grazing land and forest
undertaken by members of SGG is found to be more effective and enables the sustainable utilization of the
resources than practiced by farmers of Dhabe Soloke.
Laboratory analysis of soil samples from the farm fields of members of SGG has shown significant difference in
organic matter content, CEC, exchangeable cations and available potassium compared to soils in Dhabe Soloke
(p<0.05). The increase ranges from 7 per cent in CEC to 51 Per cent in organic matter content. This difference
is due to the difference in land management practices that enhanced the chemical properties of the soil. Soil
analysis results of nitrogen, phosphorous and bulk density did not show significant differences. Results of gully
quantification indicated that, a large volume of soil and a large surface area of land (12.22 tons/ha and
209.12m2/ha respectively) is lost from the unmanaged cultivated lands of Dhabe Soloke as compared to the
volume of soil (5.01 tons/ha) and surface area of land (160.83 m2/ha) lost in Dongore Denku (SGG).
Members of SGG have gained about 40 percent increase in annual income compared to farmers in Dhabe
Soloke that resulted from increased crop land productivity due to the improved soil quality. A yield decline
reported by 76 per cent of respondents of Dhabe Soloke indicates the poor productivity of soil of their cropland
that resulted from poor soil nutrient management and conservation measures. The analysis in general reveals
that integrated community based land resource management enhances improved agricultural productivity and
rural livelihood.