Impacts of Rural Physical Infrastructural Expansion on the Livelihood Situation of Rural People: The Case of Machakel Woreda, East Gojjam Zone
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Date
2013-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The aim of this study ;s to analyze (he im/xICb' of physical rural ilifrastructural expansion
on the livelihood contexts of rllral people wilh por/ieu/ar reference 10 rural people of
Mac/Ulkel Woreda, ElIsl Gojjam zone of AmhoT(l regional stale. The study employed bOlh
ql/ll/illltive and quantilalive research approaches. Different loa's of daw col/eelion were
lri(mgu/ated. Results of the sllldy lIrc there/ore: based on in-deplh household and key
informant interviews, focus group disclissions. field ohservalions lind household survey.
So as 10 broadly analyze lhe issue under study, related literatures have been critically
reviewed and !)lIS[(linable rura/livelihoods approach as an analylicallool has been lIsed
The study show~' thai fhe government expansion of physical infrastructures in to rural
area.~ has enabled rural people diversffy their income sources through engagement in
variety of livelihood activities. People have created new livelihood activities helped by
newly expanded physical infrllstructures. Rural peoples' access to livelihood assets in the
study area was found to have been improved (md people acquired several kinds of assets
Fam the time of physical infrastrucl/lral eXlxmsion onwards.
711e slUdy also found Ihat physical infrastructural expansion contributed a lot in the
redllclion of poverty in rural areas in a number of ways. I) Rural people are able to widen
Iheir income sources thereby gelling betler income. As people engaged in new income
generating activities, they could eam good incomes which enabled Ihem satisfy Iheir basic
needs. save cash money and reserve in kind, pursue further livelihood aclivities. cover
cosls of services (such as hea1lh expemes), and so on. 2) Physical infrastruclllres also
contributed 10 the health status of rural people. Pure drink water and rural roads as preĀ·
requisites for health posts are essential for healthy and productive rllral man power. 3)
Physical infrastructures are also imporlOnt jor raised awareness and good educational
profile ofrllral people in the study area.
The study idenlified both negative and positive impacts of physical infrastrllclural
expansion on the social life of the people in the rural area. These impacls were on social
networks and institutions, on the relationship among rllral people themselves and on the
relationship between rural people and surrounding urban residents. For instance, the
unbalanced distrib ution of physical inFaslructure across rural localities created inter and
intra.kebele di~placemenls, that in tlll"/1 affe,:ts peoples 'involvement in the social
organizations of idir, iquib and mahiber. Rural people created and slrengthen their ties,
though some others' relationship was disrupted during and after the expansion of
infrastructure. The social relationship between rllral people of the study area and
sUl'I'olllu/ing lIrban dwellers was also found to be facilitated.
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Keywords
Livelihood, diversification, poverty reduction, Machakelll'oreda, physical infrastructures, social impacts and rllral people