Watershed-Based Participatory Sustainable Land Management using Integrated physical SWC Measure in Ilasa Watershed of Goba District, Bale Highland South-Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil erosion is among the most challenging and continuous environmental problems in the highlands of Bale particularly in Ilasa Watershed of Goba District. Soil erosion which emanates from both anthropogenic and natural causes currently results decline in agricultural productivity, crop production on the other hand increases downstream flooding and reservoir sedimentation, and loss of valuable plant nutrients. Soil and water conservation (SWC) practices have been carried out to solve land degradation and erosion severity problems in the Ilasa Watershed through participatory approaches the objective of this study was to implement integrated physical SWC practices through participatory approach in the Ilasa watersheds; to rehabilitate degraded watershed using different physical SWC measures and to minimize the risk of soil erosion and increasing soil depth by trapping sediment loss from Ilasa watershed. Hence, different participatory integrated watershed management practices were introduced in the Ilasa watershed for five consecutive years to avert the problem of soil erosion. Community participatory in integrated watershed management particularly soil and water conservation measures interventions for degraded rehabilitation and gulley treatment were capacitated through training, practical field works, and researchable materials support. Awareness creation, increasing knowledge and skill of farmers, providing technical and resource supports, and implementing slope based appropriate SWC structure could help sustainable land management that ensures environmental quality and food security in the study area as well as in the other areas having related biophysical and socioeconomic settings. Among the major types of physical SWC structures and gulley rehabilitation structures constructed in the study watershed were soil bund; stone bund; stone-faced soil bund and cut-off drains, gully reshaping and filling, brushwood check dam, loose stone check dame, sandbag check dam ...