Community Participation, Socio-Economic And Bio Physical Impacts And Challenges Of Integrated Beshi Micro Watershed, Dawo District, South West Shoa, Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopia, natural resources management interventions have been implemented since the 1980s to restore degraded landscapes. However, little effort has been made to investigate the impacts on socio economic and bio-physical. The current concerted effort of the Ethiopian government for the establishment of IWM in every rural area is an emerging agricultural development and rural livelihood strategy aiming at developing environmental protection and enhancing rural household‟s income. This study was therefore aimed to investigate, the impacts of integrated watershed management interventions on socio economic and biophysical and challenges faced during implementation and practices of watershed management. To address these, a total of 184 sample households were randomly selected across various topographic settings. Household survey, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and personal transect observations were employed to collect data. The data obtained were analyzed by using statistical package for social science (SPSS) versions 20. The results of the investigation showed that, the majority (67.4%) of the household respondents revealed that they participate only during construction of SWC measures. The results of the investigation also showed that the majority of the households (96.6%) revealed that after implementation and practice of watershed management the livelihood of socio economy of local community was improved. The majority (91.8%) of respondents affirmed that before watershed management intervention land and natural resource was degraded because of: deforestation, population pressure, topography, overgrazing, and others factors. However after implementation and practice of integrated watershed management, the degraded land and natural resources found in study area was rehabilitated. Thus the result of the study showed that the integrated watershed management has a Positive impact on natural resources, socio-economic and environment of the micro watershed. The results of the study on the other hand indicated that the IWM faced institutional and implementation challenges.