Implications of Sand Mining on the Environment and Livelihoods in Four Kebeles of Dugda District
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examined the effects of sand mining on the environment and livelihoods of people in
some selected Rural Kebeles (RK) of Dugda District in East Shawa Zone of Oromiya Regional
State. Sand mining sites were provided legally registered and licensed by governmental
stakeholders to the people engaged as the sand miners. In District 22 kebeles out of the total 40,
the society are directly or indirectly the one benefited from or exposed to it and the study
area was quantitatively and qualitatively factors which are not addressed yet. This study had
endeavored to seek to fill the gap with the aim of ensuring that maximum benefits are gained
from the operations of sand mining without causing much destruction to the environment
and other livelihood activities especially farming.
In this study, primary data collected from four RKs in the District namely; Birbrsa Gale,
Dongorota Gusa, Oda Boqota and Sera Wakale. Three hundred thirty seven (337) respondents
were chosen using the systematic sampling and purposive sampling for 22 key informal
interview techniques in the research. Data from the respondents were collected using field
observations, questionnaires and interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using such as
Chi-square and Correlation, crosstab and compared means. The qualitative data were analyzed
using content and thematic investigation of actions as they unfolded in the field. The study found
that, primarily unemployment influenced people into sand extraction or harvesting. Also, very
high incomes and regular revenue from the sales of sand were created to be some of the positive
effects of sand mining on livelihoods and source of taxation for Meki town and the District as
well. Sand contributed its own role for construction industry to the regional and national level.
Sand mining was found to have negative effects on livelihoods damaged public and private
properties by unplanned pathway trucks destroyed roads; farmland, vegetation and caused dust
during dry season and muddy during the rainy season, road vehicle trafficking in the area caused
accidents. Sand mining caused effects on the environments (Meki river) by depth many holes
dug in different places as people engaged increased, the river bed has expanded in both
directions north-south of kebeles, as well as the river bed degraded by sand miners path time to
time and vegetation roots destroyed and fall down on the river surrounding, The study found
that, although sand mining supports the livelihoods of some people, it also has the able to
devastating the environment and destabilizing the livelihoods of farmers and communities
through various negative actions. The study recommends that, sand mining rules and regulations
enforced into the laws be established and enforced by levels of concerned government body at
the grass root to be functionalized. Such a move could prevent the sand miners from causing
unwarranted destructions to farmlands, vegetation and water bodies (river). Again, sand mining
sites should be properly demarcated and operated by the local authorities to confirm that,
environmental impact assessments are done on such lands prior to mining the sand.
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Keywords
sand mining, environment, livelihood, sustainable development, life cycle