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[PANEL] 0609 ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND POPULATION
Organizers:
Mizer Assefa, Mekelle University
BIADGILGN Demissie, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Mekelle University, Ethiopia
Paper presenters:
MIHRETU Erjabo; AYENEW Fenta; HAILEMARIAM Meaza; BELETE Fentaye; Camilla BERGLUND;
DESALEGN Wanna; ALEMTSEHAY Teklay Subhatu; ZEWDIE Aderaw Alemu
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ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF AGROFORESTRY TECHNOLOGIES IN HALABA SPECIAL WOREDA, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA [Abstract ID: 0609-03]
Halaba special district is characterized by drought, soil erosion, high population pressure, poor livestock production, lack of livestock feed, a very deep water table, low crop productivity and food shortage. In order to address these problems, the woreda Agricultural Development office introduced agroforestry decades ago as a means to alleviate the problem, along with other management practices such as physical soil conservation measures. However, the level of agroforestry adoption remains low. The objective of this study was to identify the factors that influence adoption of agroforestry technologies by farmers in the district. Random sampling was employed to select two kebele administrations and respondents. Data collection was conducted by rural household questionnaires, participatory rural appraisal, questionnaires for local and woreda extension staff, secondary data resources and field observation. A sample of 12 key informants, 6 extension staff and 182 households was used in the data collection. Chi square test was used to determine significant relationships between adoption of agroforestry and 15 selected variables. Of these, eleven were found to be significant in affecting farmer’s willingness to adopt the practices. The study also identified various factors that result in low adoption rates of agroforestry. To improve farmer adoption rates, the factors identified should be addressed properly by launching a series of ongoing outreach extension programs appropriate and suitable to farmers’ needs.
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DISEASE ECOLOGY OF METEKEL, 1890S TO 1990S [Abstract ID: 0609-02]
This Paper investigates the problems of Malaria and Trypanosomiasis in Metekel (Northwestern Ethiopia), which had been major hindrance for social and economic development of the region. Disease is one of the environmental factors that affected human settlement patterns as well as agricultural and livestock economies. Lowland parts of Metekel were highly infested with malaria and trypanosomiasis. Because of the infestation of these diseases, people were not interested for long in history to settle in lowland parts of the region. Thus, the vast lowlands of Metekel remained uninhabited except very sparsely populated Gumuz communities who were not plow agriculturalists or cattle herders. They were hoe cultivators because plow-oxen could not survive in the region due to the prevalence of trypanosomiasis. The Gumuz also had a traditional system of treating malaria in addition to their natural resistance developed due to long years of their dwelling in the region. Highlanders’ settlement in the lowland parts of the region and government efforts to control the problems of malaria and trypanosomiasis were recent developments. The Imperial regime attempted to eradicate malaria beginning from the early 1960s, but failed. Thus, efforts of eradication turned to control program. The Derg regime also continued with the control program. However, malaria remained number one killer of people in the region. The problem of trypanosomiasis was also deep-rooted in the region of Metekel. Efforts to control the problem of trypanosomiasis began in the region during the Derg period after the implementation of the 1985/6 conventional settlement program. Both primary and secondary sources of data is used in the research. The researcher has collected primary and secondary documents from archive centers of Debremarkos University, Ministry of Agriculture, National Archive and Library Agency, and Woldemeskel Archive Center. Furthermore, the researcher has also collected oral sources from all districts of Metekel during fieldwork in 2015/6. These sources were cross-checked and critically analyzed to organize this paper. This paper helps to understand how disease affects social and economic life of a society. Further, it can be considered as a stepping-stone for other researchers who are interested in understanding the interface between human-environment.
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EFFECT OF GEOMORPHIC PROCESSES ON THE LIVELIHOODS OF POOR FARMERS ALONG THE MARGINAL GRABENS OF NORTHERN ETHIOPIA [Abstract ID: 0609-04]
Geomorphological processes such as the movement of rocks, sediments and water, form debris cones at the edge of marginal grabens. A number of debris cones are concentrated at the edge of marginal grabens in northern Ethiopia. However, there is scanty knowledge about the nature of debris cones in these marginal grabens. The study therefore investigated the effects of debris cones on the livelihoods of the graben farmers at the edges of Raya and Aba’ala grabens. High-resolution Google Earth imageries were used to characterize 38 debris cones. Questionnaires (44), group discussions (4), key informant interviews (8) and participatory transects (15) complemented the data. Descriptive statistics, t-test and multiple regression models were applied to analyse the quantitative data. The study shows that the size of debris cones lies between 0.19 and 92.8 ha, where the area of the debris cones in Raya graben was higher than Aba’ala graben (P=0.01). Moreover, the area of the upper catchment, slope and vegetation facilitated the formation of debris cones at the graben bottoms (P=0.049). However, natural hazards of debris flow posed a significant threat to the livelihoods of the marginal farmers. In this case, debris cones have damaged productive agricultural lands in the graben bottoms. Consequently, crop yield decreased by 4.5 quintals per ha in these areas. Moreover, 106 ha of fertile croplands became wasteland due to summer debris flow intrusions. Private houses, waterways and road infrastructure were also devastated over time. With their traditional livelihoods destroyed, indigenous households (35) moved away because of the debris flows, and these migrants were desperate at the destination sites. However, summer debris flows deliver dimensional stones, which are a good source of income for local farmers. Overall, debris flow-driven geo-hazards have damaged physical and social assets in the Aba’ala and Raya marginal grabens. We therefore suggest planned resettlement for the most vulnerable farmers, the creation of alternative livelihood strategies and the promotion of land integrated rehabilitation efforts to minimize the negative repercussions of debris cones in northern Ethiopia.
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NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES OF THE ETHIOPIAN GREEN ECONOMY. ON PROCESSES OF POLICY MOBILITY AND LOCAL EMBEDDEDNESS. [Abstract ID: 0609-05]
This paper aims at discussing the Ethiopian green economy through the lens of transformational agenda of the Growth and Transformation Plans. Discussions focus on identified impacts of policy narratives in the practices of Green Growth/Economy strategies that have currently been underway in Ethiopia. We limited our critical review to the two important sectors of the economy, namely agriculture and forestry in view of the current greening of the growth narratives that holds sway. Particularly we explore the expressions of the global green economy discourses through the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) and REDD+ initiatives of Ethiopia. We employ a poststructuralist approach as a methodological frame, by proceeding through the questions guiding the approach of What´s the problem represented to be. At the core of the approach is problem representations and how these have come into being, i.e., the act of governance, what is left outside or silenced, and what kind of effects on society and environment. The discourse and ownership of knowledge is hence of central concern, as is also the cultural context in which different knowledges diverge and converge in policies governing the everyday life of people. Discussions will further elaborate on assemblage theory to understand how micro- and macro levels of the green economy policy discourse merge together, (re)produce inclusionary and exclusionary practices, and are embedded into national contexts.
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SOIL CONSERVATION AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THE ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS [Abstract ID: 0609-06]
Human pressure on land, high rainfall intensity, and the hilly landscape of the Ethiopian Highlands have led to serious soil erosion and deterioration of land resources. To reverse this erosion and maintain agricultural production, the Ethiopian government and non-governmental organizations have implemented various Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) technologies in different areas of the Ethiopian Highlands for three decades. In the mid-1980s Minchet Catchment was conserved with technical support of the Soil Conservation Research Programme (SCRP), which was established by the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency and the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture. The farmers have maintained these SWCs with some modification. Therefore, this area can show the potential effects of soil conservation on ecosystem services in terms of regulating soil erosion, maintain soil quality, crop and grass production and the social values. In addition to the 30 years SCRP available data in the study area, recent data has been collected through field measurements and social survey. The study result shows that after the implementation of soil conservation technologies, soil erosion reduced substantially. A significant amount of eroded soil and dislocated soil by tillage deposited above the bunds over years developed into terraces. The yield of teff and wheat shows an increasing trend over years. The terraces, which developed over 30 years following construction of fanya juu bunds on cropland results in significant amount of grass biomass, which is used for feed. The social survey shows farmers benefit from maintaining soil conservation technologies including tree plantation and that they are essential for livelihood.
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SPATIAL VARIATIONS OF CHILD UNDERNUTRITION IN EAST GOJJAM ZONE, ETHIOPIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR AGROECOSYSTEM BASED GEOGRAPHICAL TARGETED INTERVENTION. [Abstract ID: 0609-01]
Child malnutrition in Ethiopia is a public health concern which has regional variations. To achieve sustainable solutions and meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities, recognition of the spatial distribution of child malnutrition in its specific context is crucial. Therefore, this study determined the spatial variations of child malnutrition across different agro-ecosystems in East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. This community-based study was conducted with 3108 under-five-year-olds. Data were collected on socio-demographic variables using interviewer administered questionnaires, child anthropometric indices using weight and height scale and geographic location. SaTScan spatial analysis with the Bernoulli model was done to identify hotspot clusters. The percentage of children who are stunted, underweight, or wasting in the different locations was found. The highest percentage of child wasting was in the hilly and mountainous highlands and highest magnitude of children underweight and stunted were observed in Lowlands of Abay Valley. Spatial analysis indicated that sample clusters taken from the hilly and mountainous highlands were the most likely primary cluster for child wasting. Sample clusters taken from Lowlands of Abay Valley were identified as the most likely primary cluster for childhood stunting. In conclusion, the overall magnitude of stunting, underweight and wasting among the under-fives was found to be very high. Metrics of malnutrition differed significantly by agro-ecosystem, with agriculturally marginal agro-ecosystems showing systematically higher rates of underweight, wasted, and stunted children. The geographic variations found by this study have important policy implications which suggest that interventions in the agro-ecosystem should be targeted geographically.