Assessment and Documentation of Indigenous and Introduced Soil and Water Conservation Measures in Some Parts of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopia, soil and water conservation (SWC) activities were initiated after the famines of 1973 and 1985. Subsequently, various conservation measures were implemented by the government and non-governmental organizations to improve sustainable agricultural production. This study was designed to identify, measure, and describe indigenous and introduced soil and water conservation practices in four zones of Southern Ethiopia, namely Wolaita, Hadiya, Kambata Tambaro, and Dawro. It was found that biological, physical, and agronomic measures were implemented in the study area. However, the technical evaluation results reveal that certain practices, such as traditional cutoff drain, fanya juu, soil bund, stone-faced soil bund, brushwood, and gabion check-dams face technical, social, and institutional challenges. The results also indicate that less attention has been given to indigenous SWC practices by different stakeholders including government organizations (GOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and research institutes. As a result, their respective dimensions were not modified, effective measures were not upscaled, and circulated to other areas with similar agroecology and farming systems. In general, farmers in the study area are well acquainted with soil erosion, its causes, and the consequent reduction in land productivity. The results of our research will undoubtedly aid in identifying and documenting the practices that have been identified for future reference.