1. SPIR II RFSA | 2023 Learning Event
Sustainable Land Management Practices in
Amhara and Oromia Regions
Samuel Jilo Dira, Mulye Girma,Tafesse Matewos, Biniyam Moreda, Melisew Dejene,
Getahun Kassa
Hawassa University

2. Introduction
• Land degradation has become a serious challenge for the future (Gashaw, 2015; Grepperud,
1996; Hurni et al., 2010; Taddese, 2001).
• Different factors contributing to land degradation, including severe soil loss, deforestation,
low vegetative cover, and rapid population increase (Hurni et al., 2010, 2015; Taddese,
2001; Temesgen et al., 2014).
• Ethiopian government is working with different international organizations to combat
resource degradation through natural resource management since the 1970s, focusing on
water and soil conservation measures.
• This research project intends to provide evidence on the causes of natural resource
degradation, prominent sustainable land management practices adopted by local people,
and stakeholders supporting land management efforts in Amhara and Oromia regions.

3. Research Questions
• What are the drivers of land degrdation in the two regions?
• What are the prominent SLM activities applied by households in the Amhara
and Oromia regions?
• How does a land certification program contribute to tenure security and
agricultural productivity?
• Who are the main stakeholders involved in SLM activities, and what are their
interests?

4. Research sites
• Oromia : Kofele and Siraro Woredas of West Arsi Zone
• Amhara: Tarmaber and Ensaro woredas from North Showa
zone;

5. Data Sources and Locations
Sex of informants Frequency Percentage
Male 61 92.42
Female 5 7.52
Total 66 100
Location Frequency Percentage
Amhara 27 40.91
Oromia 39 59.09
Total 66 100
Min Max St. deviation Mean
Age of informants 18 67 11.6 41.3

6. Methods of Data Collection: Observation
Community Participation in the Amhara Region
Compost Preparation at Kofele, Oromia

7. Key Informant Interviews: 45 KII
Key informant Interview in Siraro, Oromia Key informant Interview in Tarmaber, Amhara

8. Focus Group Discussion: two FGDs from each region (21 participants)
Focus Group Discussion in Kofele, Oromia Focus Group Discussion in Tarmaber, Amhara

9. Open-ended Survey (freelists)

10. Causes of Land Degradation in the two Regions
• Common Types of degradation observed in the area:
Steep slope of the land (leading to soil erosion and loss of fertility)
Inappropriate farming practice, such as over caltivation
Conversion of forest lands into farmlands
Excessive rainfall causing erosion of topsoil
Flooding
Deforestation
Climate change
Loss of productivity in agricultural land
Poor sustainable land management practices
Population pressure
Free (Open) grazing/over grazing

11. Prominent SLM Activities in both Regions
Major types of sustainable land management practiced in the Amhara and
Oromia regions include:
• agroforestry system, gully control,
• contour plowing, lime application
• crop rotation, improved pit,
• multiple cropping, stone bunds,
• fallowing, terrace,
• manuring, soil-faced stone bund,
• vermi compost, stone-faced soil bund,
• elephant grass gabion-checked dams,
bench terracing.

12. SLM practices
Stone bunds in Siraro, Oromia Stone-faced soil bund in Amhara

13. SLM practices…

14. Most Preferred Land Management Practices in both Regions
Oromia Amhara
Animal Manure Stone-faced soil bund
Composite Crop rotation
Lime application Soil bund
Crop rotation Gabion-checked dam
Intercropping Stone bund
Planting Fruit Trees and
fodder grasses

15. Most preferred SLM activities
• The most preferred SLM activities, in both regions:
• Crop rotation (Oromia),
• Intercropping(Oromia),
• Lime applicationm(Oromia)
• Organic manuring (because it is easily adoptable, relatively cheap in terms of labor
and finance, and it is also compatible with farmers’ farming system). (Oromia)
• Stone-faced soil bund (increases the suitability of land for crop production but it is
labor intensive). Amhara
• Gabion checked dam is more common in gully areas (expensive). Amhara
• Soil bunds (built in places where there aren't enough stones, and is labor intensive)
Amhara

16. Voice from farmers
• “Though we started applying lime only last year, we got
triple-fold production in the last harvest. Now, every farmer
wants to apply it. However, access to lime is very limited.
As it has become difficult to afford to buy chemical
fertilizer, we are shifting to the application of animal
manure and compost. Nonetheless, transporting it to our
farm plots far from our residential house is making its
feasibility difficult”. A farmer from Kofele woreda, Oromia

17. Wood bund in Amhara Stone bund in Amhara

18. Tree Planting in Amhara

19. Challenges of the Sustainable land management
• Open (free) grazing- Destruction of soil and water conservation structures by
livestock
• Poor implementation of regulations and by laws
• Inappropriate construction of natural resource conservation structures
• Land fragimentation
• Lack of sense of ownership for the soil and water Conservation structures

20. Land Certification & SLM
• Land certificate has assured farmers and guarantees them during border
disputes.
• Lack of land security and ownership affects agricultural productivity and
participation in SLM activities.
• Holding land certificates encourages farmers to practice different SLM options
such as irrigation, bunds, composting, and gabion dams, which in turn leads to
increased soil conservation and productivity.

21. Land Certification…
The certificate also helps:
• ensure land property entitlement, but some say it doesn’t make any difference
“It is my land, which I inherited form my fahter. I’m sure that nobody can claim
it”. A from Siraro Woreda, Oromia
• facilitate access to institutional credit, and
• increase investment in land and crop productivity to contract or rent land
to receive appropriate compensation or replacement land.
• Despite the benefits of land certification, as per one key informant, "Most
farmers do not have awareness of how to sustainably manage their farmlands.”
This clearly shows rural land certification alone doesn't guarantee the sustainable
utilization of rural land.
• Some young key informants stated that they do not want to have land
certification individually due to the high rural land use fee.

22. Stakeholders Involved in SLM Practices in Oromia
No Stakeholders Type of Organization
1 CALM (Climate Action through Landscape Management) Government project
2 World Vision NGO (non-governmental)
3 REDD++ NGO (non-governmental)
4 GIZ NGO (non-governmental)
6 Bureau of Agriculture GO (government)
7 PSNP government project
8 Woreda land use and administration office GO (government)
9 Utawayu Union Community
10 ATA government
11 Catholic Relief NGO (non-governmental)
12 World bank project
13 AGP - I government project
14 Environmental Protection Office government

23. Stakeholders of SLM Practices in the Amhara Region
No Stakeholders Type of Organization
1 EOTC-ICAD NGO (non-governmental)
2 SLMP government project
3 REDD++ NGO (non-governmental)
4 GIZ NGO (non-governmental)
5 GTN NGO (non-governmental)
6 Bureau of Agriculture GO (government)
7 Jerusalem NGO (non-governmental)
8 Woreda land use and administration office GO (government)
9 Hulegeb yegebere hibret sera mahberat Community
10 Calm: Pay for the result. government project
11 Bureau of cooperative GO (government)
12 Abay watershed NGO (non-governmental)
13 AGP government project

24. Impact of SLM on Agricultural Productivity
• The respondents stated that there is a
sigificant difference in farmland
productivity between the conserved
farmlands and the non-conserved
farmlands.
Agricultural Production in Amhara Agricultural Productivity in Kofele, Oromia

25. Summary
• Land degradtion of different forms is challneging in rurla
Ethiopia
• Local people are not the passive vicitms of the degradtion, they
use both indigenous and externally adopted practices of land
management practices
• But still it needs more work
• Different stakeholds are involved in the practice of SLM
• Paying attention to locally prefered indigenous practices is
improtant for sustainable outcome.

26. THANKS!