Land use Dynamics and Its Implication on Livelihoods. The case of Two Neighboring Woredas in Tigrai Regional State
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Date
2009
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Land degradation, one of the subsequent negative results of land-use dynamics, has
become a critical problem in many parts of the Ethiopian highlands. There is great need
for rehabilitation and conservation works in such areas. The aim of this study is to
empirically assess the magnitude of impactland-use!cover change has on livelihoods and
identifY changes realized following government rural intervention projects focusing on
land management technologies. The analysis of land-use/cover changes involved
interpretation of available satellite images of the study area (taken in 199314, and
2007/8, respectively). For the assessment of soil loss due to erosion by water, rill erosion,
land degradation etc .. . and its implication on food security, a survey study in the study
area was undertaken at the scale of cultivatedfields.
Investigation on available data of land-use/cover change indicates that over the fifteen
years or so considered, the main type of land use remained agriculture. The major
changes observed were the increase in cropland and shrub land areas at the expense of
the open grazing and woodland areas. This has implication on runoff generation. The
people of the study area are, therefore, facing problems of poverty and resource
degradation, which require prudently composed solutions that integrate development and
conservation measures.
The newly introduced SWC measures have generally obtained acceptance by the local
farmers. They are acknowledged as being affective measures in arresting soil erosion
and as having the potential to improve land productivity. Still, their sustainable adoption
and widespread replication by the farmers seem less likely. The major factors
discouraging the farmers from adopting the introduced soil and water conservation
technologies on their farms were found to be labor shortage, land tenure uncertainty and
problem of fitness of the technologies to the farmers' requirements a~d the farming
system circumstances. Though it was claimed that participatory procedures were
followed, facts on the ground did not seem to support this. The study which started in
May 2008 and ended in July of 2009 concludes by suggesting some measures that should
be taken to enhance adoption and widespread replication of the conservation
technologies by the farmers and ensure sustainable land-use in the area.
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Keywords
Dynamics and Its Implication