Livelihood-Ecosystem nexus, land use system and management strategies in Amerti and Fincha Sub-basin: Abay basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

It is obvious that ecosystems provide people in many ways. Thus, it is impossible for human being to survive without a tie to ecosystem. Due to this fact, there is a nexus between human being and ecosystem. Accordingly, this study was conducted to assess the Livelihood-Ecosystem nexus, land use system and management strategies in Amerti and Fincha Sub-basin. The study area was purposely selected and the target populations were selected using a simple random sampling method. Primary data were used for this study. A total of 92 respondents were selected for primary data collection. Questionnaires survey, focus group discussion and direct observation were used for primary data collection. The data gathered were entered to SPSS version 24 for qualitative and quantitative data analysis using descriptive analysis. The mean amount of farmland holding size was 4.06±2.86 ha. Farming was the livelihood of the community where production of grain and cereal crops takes the major farming activities (82.83%). The mean amount of grains crops, fruits and vegetables, spices and other crops produced was 8.77±4.84 quintals, 16.35±15.37 kg and 9.30±9.97 kg and 8.69±4.06, whereas the mean amount sold was 3.02±2.27 quintals, 11.18±11.96 kg, and 5.35±6.19 kg per household, respectively. The mean annual income obtained were 6769.87 ETB, 19983.02 ETB and 17992.26 ETB from grain crops, fruits and vegetables and spices and others, respectively. The estimated mean annual consumption was 5.78±3.25 quintals, 5.21±7.36 kg and 3.93±5.28kg for grain crops, fruits and vegetables and spices and other products, respectively. The mean cattle, poultry and shocks owned by the respondents were 4.85±3.89, 17.42±11.49 and 3.35 ±1.45 with the the mean annual income of 19150 ETB, 2452.5 ETB and 4060 ETB, respectively. Only 11.34% of the respondents are not engaging in fishing. The mean total daily catch was 1.65±1.18 kg, the mean amount sold was 1.25±0.76kg per day and the mean annual income was 13200 ETB per household. Many of the farmers (90.7% with p-vale 0.056) use their lands for agriculture and 37.1% of them plough it vertically. About 94.8% of the farmers experienced the presence of high land use and 94.8% of them stated that there is a significant change of agricultural productivity, decreasing of livestock production and fish stock population in the water bodies. Decreasing of agricultural lands was the major land use change (62.9%, with p-value 0.052) observed and population growth was the major factor for the land use changes (49.5% with p-value 0.05). Farming was the major agricultural sector (61.9%) highly kicked off by the land use change. Many of the farmers (55.7%) also agreed that there is a significant social change in the area and displacement was the major type of social change (60.8%) observed. Loss of farm lands (26.8%) was the major factor for the social change (26.8%). About 67% of the farmers also agreed that there is no appropriate land use change management system in the area. Majority (48%)(with p-value 0.05) of them were personally planting different trees to manage the land use change in their area; whereas 53.6% (with p-value 0.051) of them mentioned that the role of the government is very low in the management of the land use changes in the study area. This calls for an effective management strategy which engages all of the concerned bodies