ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF LAND DEGRADATION ON FARMER’S LIVELIHOOD OPTIONS AT CHOKE MOUNTAIN
ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF LAND DEGRADATION ON FARMER’S LIVELIHOOD OPTIONS CHOKE MOUNTAIN
Dagim Amare Awoke
Department of Development Economics
Affiliation, Ethiopia Environment and Forest Research Institution at Bahir Dar Environment and Forest Research Center, post 2128.
E-mail, amaredagim@gmail.com
| A R T I C L E I N F O
Article Type: Review Received: 15, May. 2020. Accepted: 06, Jun. 2020. Published: 07, Jun. 2020.
|
A B S T R A C T
This study tried to assess the effect of land degradation on farmer’s livelihood options in Sinan Woreda, East Gojam zone, Ethiopia. Land degradation particularly in the study area and generally in Ethiopia highlands has been a concern for many years and these consisted fundamental bases of rural livelihood problem. The objective of this study was to explore the existing farmers’ livelihood options in the study area. In recent years more holistic land degradation problems have been promoted with different scholars where its impact is yet to be seen on farmers’ livelihood options. The research design was focused on cross sectional survey and multistage sampling methods would be used to select the study area and sample size. The primary data was collected through dispensing research questionnaires for land degradation and farmers livelihood options. The study was based on the data collected from 187 households. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive and econometric analysis. The descriptive analyses concluded the livelihood options that farmers use to survive the problem of land degradation. The descriptive result shows that 59.4 percent of the total household revealed that agro-forestry product especially apple fruit plays an important role in farmers livelihood. The farm practices in the study area were an important source of income for farmer’s livelihood. The result of econometrics model (Multinomial Logit model) shows that education has a positive and significant impact at the confidence level of 0.07% (0.0475 of marginal effect) with relation to the livelihood option (income source). Agro-forestry was one of the most important variables that impacted farmers’ livelihood options positively and significantly sway natural resource utilization, and involving in different livelihood option. It is generalized that the facts from land degradation have impact on key livelihood resources and the area is vulnerable to climate change. |
Amare Bantider. (2007) Landscape Transformation and Opportunities for Sustainable Land Management along the Eastern Escarpment of Wello (EEW), Ethiopia [PhD dissertation] Bern, Switzerland: University of Bern.
Anley Y, Bogale A, Haile-Gabriel A (2007) Adoption Decision and Use Intensity of Soil and Water Conservation Measures by Smallholder Subsistence Farmers in Dedo District. Western Ethiopia Land Degrade Develop 18:289–302
Arbuckle, J.G., Hobbs, J., Loy, A., Morton, L.W., Prokopy, L., Tyndall, J., (2014) Understanding farmer perspectives on climate change: Toward effective communication strategies for adaptation and mitigation in the Corn Belt. J. Soil Water Conserve. 69 (6), 505–516.
Assefa Abelieneh (2011) Community Based Watershed Development for Climate Change Adaptation in Choke Mountain: The Case of Upper Muga Watershed in East Gojam of Ethiopia.
Assefa Derebe (2009) Assessment of upland Erosion and Farmers Perception of Land Conservation in Debre-Wemi Water shade, Near Lake Tana Ethiopia. Wageningen: Cornell University.
Barbier, E. B. (2000) the economic linkages between rural poverty and land degradation: some evidence from Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 82: 355-370.
Belay Simane. (2007) Integrated Choke Mountain Ecosystem Rehabilitation Project. Livelihood Approach: Project Concept paper.
Belay T. (1992) Farmers‟ Perception of Erosion Hazards and Attitudes towards Soil Conservation in Gunono, Wolayita, Southern Ethiopia: Ethiopian Journal of Development Research.
Berry L, Olson J. and Campbell D L, (2003) Land degradation in Ethiopia: its impact and extent in Assessing the extent, cost and impact of land degradation at the national level: findings and lessons learned from seven pilot case studies Commissioned by global mechanism with support from the World Bank.
Beshah T (2003) Understanding farmers explaining soil and water conservation in Konso Wolaita and Wello Ethiopia Tropical Resource Management Papers, vol 41 Wageningen University, Wageningen.
Bewket Amede. (2010). Local Level Analysis of Farmers Adaptation to Climate Change and variability: The case of Choke Mountain. East Gojam: Unpublished MA Thesis in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
Birru Yitaferu. (2007) Land Degradation and Options for Sustainable Land Management in the Lake Tana Basin (LTB), Amhara Region, Ethiopia [PhD dissertation] Bern, Switzerland: University of Bern.
Burton, I. (1997) Vulnerability and adaptive response in the context of climate and climate change. Climatic Change 36(1-2): 185-196.
Campbell B, Mann W, Melendez-Ortiz R, Streck C, Tennigkeit T, et al. (2011) Agriculture and Climate Change A Scoping Report.
Ehui, S. and Pender, J. (2005) “Resource degradation, low agricultural productivity and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa: pathways out of the spiral” Agricultural Economics 32(1): 224-242
Elgin-Stuczynski, I.R Batterbury, S.P.J (2014) Perceptions of Climate Variability and Dairy Farmer Adaptations in Corangamite Shire Victoria Australia Int J Clim Chang Strateg Manag, 6, 85–107.
Environmental protection Authority (2005) the conservation strategy of Ethiopia, volume I the Resource Base, its utilization and Planning for sustainability. Addis Ababa.
Eswaran H, Lal R, Reich P. F. (2001) Land degradation: An overview. In Response to Land Degradation, Bridges EM, Penning de Vries F W T, Oldeman L R, Sombatpanit S, Scherr S J, (Eds.). Science Publishers, Inc.: Enfield, N H; 20–35
Evans, A. (2012) “Resources, risk and resilience: scarcity and climate change in Ethiopia” Center on International Cooperation’s Resource Scarcity and Climate Change program.
Festus k Bagoora (2012) potential and climate change vulnerability, impacts and adaptation options in African Mountains Kathmandu Nepal 5-6 April
Genanew and Alemu, (2012), investment in land conservation in the Ethiopian highland A household plot level analysis of the roles of poverty, tenure security and market incentives, Ethiopia.
Glauben T, Tietje H, Weiss C. (2006), Agriculture on the move: Exploring regional differences in farm exit rates Jahrbuch fur Regional wisen schaft. ; 2006:103–118.
Green, G.P. and W.D. Heffernan (1987) “Soil erosion and perception of the problem” Journal of Rural Studies 3(2):151 -157.
Greene, W. (2000) Econometric analysis Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.1
Heffernan, C., and Misturelli, F. (2000) the delivery of veterinary services to the poor: Preliminary findings from Kenya Report for DFID’s Animal Health Programmed. The University of Reading, Reading UK
Holden, S., Bekele Shiferaw, Pender, J., (2005) Policy analysis for sustainable land management and food security in Ethiopia a bio-economic model with market imperfections. Res. Rep. (Int. Food Policy Res. Inst.) 140, 76.
Hurni H, Solomon Abate, Amare Bantider, Berhanu Debele, Ludi E, Portner B, Birru Yitaferu, Gete Zeleke, (2010) Land degradation and sustainable land management in the Highlands of Ethiopia In Perspectives of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North South, University of Bern, Vol. 5. Bern, Switzerland: Geographical Bernensia.
Kaltenrieder J.(2007) Adaptation and Validation of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) for the Ethiopian-Eritrean Highlands [Msc thesis]. Bern, Switzerland:
University of Bern. Also available at:; accessed on 7 October 2009.
Melaku Worede. (2000) Agro-biodiversity and food security in Ethiopia proceedings of the Symposium of the Forum for social studies Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Ngugi, R.K., & Nyariki, D.M (2005) rural livelihoods in the arid and semi-arid environments of Kenya: Sustainable alternatives and challenges. Agriculture and Human Values 22: 65-71.
Nyssen, J., Mitiku Haile, Moeyersons, J., Poesen, J., Deckers, J., (2008) Soil and water conservation in Tigray (Northern Ethiopia): the traditional daget technique and its integration with introduced techniques. Land Degrade. Dev. 11, 199–208.
Poole N (2004) Perennialism and poverty reduction Development Policy Review 22: 49–74. Poulton C. and Poole N 2001 Poverty and fruit tree research. FRP Issues and options paper No. 6 Forestry Research Programme, UK.
R&AWG, (2004) vulnerability and resilience to poverty in Tanzania: cause consequences and policy implications mkuki and nyota publishers dares salaam, 150pp.
Sahlemedhin S (2000) Country Reports on Soil Degradation: Management and Rehabilitation, News letter on Management of Degraded Soils in Southern and East Africa., Vol. 1
Scherr, S.J. (2000) A downward spiral Research evidence on the relationship between poverty and natural resource degradation Food Policy 25: 479-498.
Shibru Tedla. (2003) Ethiopia’s Environmental Condition Today and Twenty Five Years from Now” In Economic Focus Bulletin of Ethiopian Economic Association Vol. 5, No.5
Shiferaw, B. & Bantilan, C. (2004) Agriculture, rural poverty and natural resource management in less favored environments: Revisiting challenges and conceptual issues. Food, Agriculture & Environment 2(1): 328-339.
Simane, B.; Zaitchik, B.F.; Mesfin, D.(2012) Climate resilience in the blue Nile / abay highlands: A framework for action. Int. J. Environ. Res. Publ. Health, 9, 610–631.
Stern, R.D., Coe, R., Allan, E.F. and Dalle, I.C.(2004) Good statistical practice for natural resource research. CABI international, Wallingford.377pp.
Sinan Woreda agriculture and rural development office, (2018) printed documents and preceding materials.
Taddese G., (2001)“Land Degradation A Challenge to Ethiopia,” US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
Teshome A, De Graaff J, Ritsema C, Kassie M (2016) Farmers’ perceptions about the influence of land quality, land fragmentation and tenure systems on sustainable land management in the north western Ethiopian highlands. Land Degrade Develop 27:884–898
Thorlakson, T., and H. Neufeldt, (2012) Reducing subsistence farmers’ vulnerability to climate change: evaluating the potential contributions of agro forestry in western Kenya. Agriculture and Food Security
Vuren DPV, Ochola WO, Riha S, Gampietro M, (2009) Outlook on agricultural change and its drivers. In: McIntyre BD, Herren HR, Wakhungu J, Watson RT (ed.). Agriculture at a Crossroads, Island Press, Washington, DC
Watts Himangshu (2009) 40% of farmers will quit farming in India: Survey, One World South Asia.
Wezel A., N Steinmüller and J.R. Friederichsen, (2002) “Slope position effects on soil fertility and crop productivity and implications for soil conservation in upland northwest Vietnam” Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 91:113-126
World Bank, (2008) Finance for All Policies and Pitfalls in Expanding Access.
Yesuf, M., Mekonen, A., Kassie, M., and Pender, J. (2005) “Cost of Land Degradation in Ethiopia: A Critical Review of Past Studies” Environmental Economics Policy Forum in Ethiopia
Zenebe Adimasu, (2015) farmers’ awareness about land degradation and the practices of soil and water conservation measures in Hadiya zone: the case of Duna Woreda, Ethiopia.
Yamane Taro, (1967) Statistics, an Introductory Analysis, 2nd Ed., New York: Harper and Row.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.