Assessing Farmers’ Perception of Enclosures, Kewot District, Northeastern Ethiopia

Mengistu Asmamaw Mengesha

doi:10.11648/j.ijepp.20150306.11

Abstract

The environmental and socioeconomic effects of land resources degradation are severe, especially in developing nations, where inappropriate land use and farming systems are practiced. Consequently, management options like enclosures are among rehabilitation strategies practiced in the degraded areas of Ethiopia. This study was conducted to assess the farmers’ perception of enclosures in Kewot District, North Shoa, Ethiopia. Observation and questionnaire were used to collect data in the study sites. A total of 168 households were selected from two peasant associations using systematic sampling technique. Data were presented in descriptive statistics. The results indicated that the local farmers had perceived the existence of land degradation and its possible causes. Local farmers perceived enclosures positively and are optimistic to the performance of enclosures. However, the benefit sharing has satisfied the community moderately. As a result, participatory resource management strategy is recommended to ensure the sustainability of the enclosures.

Highlights

Land degradation is an indicator of under development resulted from amalgamation of social and economic factors such as poverty and inequitable distribution of land resources, inappropriate land use systems and farming practices in developing countries [31]
This study was conducted in Kewot District, 225 km northeast of Addis Ababa at Meriyena insirt (Merye) and Abomsana wuruba (Abomsa) peasant associations
All the respondents perceived that land degradation, mainly soil erosion was a major challenge in their locality and its impact was very severe

Summary

Introduction

Background Land degradation is an indicator of under development resulted from amalgamation of social and economic factors such as poverty and inequitable distribution of land resources, inappropriate land use systems and farming practices in developing countries [31]. In Ethiopia, due to the extreme dependence of the rural community on natural resources, land, as a means of livelihood, the country is vulnerable for land resources degradation [10]. The country experiences a loss of nearly 1.9 billion tons of top soil per annum per year, especially from the highlands [11, 12]. It has significantly declined agricultural production with an estimated cost ranging from 2 to 6.75% of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Productivity (AGDP) per annum [12, 29]. The current rate and status of environmental degradation still calls for more extended and coordinated intervention actions to rehabilitate degraded lands [6, 20]

Methods

Results

Conclusion