Practices, Challenges, And Opportunities Of The Rural Resettlement Programme In Improving The Livelihoods Of Resettled Households: The Case Of Nono District, West Shoa Zone Oromia Regional National State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia has been experiencing resettlement programs primarily as a response to environmental-induced displacement. In the program, however, some of the resettlement schemes in Ethiopian regimes failed, while others were successful. The main objective of this study is to investigate the practices, challenges, and opportunities of the rural resettlement program in improving the livelihoods of resettled households, in Nono district, West Shoa Zone. To carry out this study mixed research methods were employed. The study is based on primary data collected from129 household heads that were selected for the survey by using simple random sampling techniques from two villages that were chosen purposively. Additional information was also obtained from focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and personal observations of resettled households. The data has been analyzed by descriptive statistics and a multiple linear regression model using SPSS software. The study shows that the resettlement program helped the resettlers to practices diversify their livelihood strategies in addition to their main income source, which is agriculture, and also to participate in economic, social, political, and environmental activities. The result shows that the major challenges faced by resettled households to improve their livelihoods are economic, social challenges, political challenges, and environmental challenges are the main challenges in the study area. The study also asserts that the opportunities in the study area were available efforts to improve existing resettled households’ economic, political, social, and environmental opportunities were there when we see from the finding results. Multiple linear regression model results revealed that method production, access to market, farmland size, land productivity, access to credit, access to technologies, and education level were the determinants of income of rural resettlers, which have a positive relationship and are statistically significant. From this, it was concluded that even if the variation has been observed in the livelihood outcomes among households, it is evident that most of the households under the study have changed their livelihoods positively. Finally, the policy implication of the study is that required an urgent and well-coordinated intervention of government and non-government organizations to mitigate challenges and income sources diversification of resettled households.