Assessing Major Challenges Of Watershed Management Practices In Three Agro-Climatic Zones, Northwest Ethiopia

Authors

  • Dr. Pujari Krishnaiah, Mr. Negessa Mokon Tuma

Abstract

Effective watershed management remain indispensable for soil erosion control as it has
been pointed out it is the major threat to the agricultural production in Ethiopia. Despite the country has
been engaged in mass watershed management development over the las four decades, the challenges of
the intervention were not properly identified based on agro-climatic factors. The study was aimed to
assess the major challenges in the management of the watershed in the study area. Semi-structured
questionnaire was used to elicit responses between February and July 2016. Purposive sampling was
used to select drought-prone divisions in the Ethiopia from the three agro-climatic zones to assess major
challenges of watershed management interventions. Households were selected proportionally using
simple random sampling technique. Less awareness of the nature and technical requirements of IWSM
practices as well as lack of awareness on agricultural knowledge and IWSM measures are the major
challenges which are limiting households to adopt and implement IWSM practices at their farmlands
(76.2%). Lab our shortage specially the number of family size of the households largely influences the
adoption of IWSM measures in the almost the three major agro-climatic zones of Northwest Ethiopia.
Policy measures should be taken towards improving watershed management activities in the study area
and the government must give support for this activity to avoid the challenges in this field.

Published

2020-11-01

Issue

Section

Articles