1. FDRE Ministry of Water and Energy; biherawi123@gmail.com

*             Correspondence: biherawi123@gmail.com

Keywords: Watersheds, characterization, socio-economic, baseline

1. INTRODUCTION

The main purpose to characterize socio-economic systems in the watersheds is to identify existing and potential production constraints and propose potential areas for targeting technology transfer for sustainable development. It requires huge information from several sources, published, unpublished, and microlevel field investigation. The following broad areas (indicators) may be essential to characterize socio-economic systems in the watershed. Thus, careful identification of these indicators may provide an opportunity for better implementation and monitoring of watershed development programs. Socio-economic characterization helps to evaluate the social status, economic base/status (people), promote the resource existing for socio-economic development, to bring equitable income distribution among the people, and to introduce long, medium, and short term development plans for the area and the country at large [1]. FDRE RVLBA is established through Federal Negarit Gazeta proclamation number 534/2007. The main objectives of the authority are to promote and monitor the integrated water resource management process in the RVLB. To achieve this objective it undertakes many activities through different established Directorates. Watershed and River administration Directorate is one of the departments that undertake the watershed management projects in selected 23 Districts in collaboration with the respective district level Agricultural development offices. At the beginning of the physical year, RVLBA and the district ADO sign an MOU to achieve their action regarding the watershed management projects. They select the project area of micro watersheds based on the severity of the problem. The socio-economic characterization of communities in watershed management of Abaya-Chamo sub-basin encompasses so vastly and which laid in two regional states namely SNNPR and ORS their socio-economy is characterized by mixed farming activities to mean that raising crops and animal rearing. The most dominant crop in the basin is that maize, cassava, and crop cultivation is critically dependent on rainfed. Abaya Chamo sub-basin is one of the four sub-basins of RVLB. The sub-basin is considered a high priority because it is an area of significant ecological and environmental interest, with the system of lakes and its national parks and reserves, has substantial areas of productive rain-fed agricultural land and good rangelands, but also because of the great need in the sub-basin for economic and social development. (Halcrow Group Limited and GIRDC, 2007) Based on the preliminary study survey in the targeted area, the highly eroded sub-watershed of the sub-basin, RVLBA has initiated an integrated watershed management project in seven (7) districts of the Abaya Chamo sub-basin of RVLBA in 2014. The overall objective of the project was to minimize the sedimentations load that will disturb the natural habitat of Abaya and Chamo lakes in the sub-basin. The project components include soil and water conservation, afforestation mainly through agroforestry, and improving income-generating activities of farmers that are involved in integrated watershed management [2]. In the Abaya Chamo sub-basin, there are 7 watershed management project Districts on 18 micro catchments. The reason why the study will take place in the Abaya Chamo sub-basin is due to the availability of the baseline socio-economic data in the sub-basin project Districts. The performance of watersheds management projects can be measured using baseline characterization. The paper provides insights into the baseline characterization of watersheds with special reference to socio-economic aspects to propose appropriate policy directions for enhancing watersheds programs toward achieving integrated Water Resource Management. Baseline socio-economic characterization is used during the project to indicate progress towards the goal and objectives and after the project to measure the amount of change. It allows those involved in the project to understand the initial livelihood conditions of the people, and what needs to be done to reach the goal of improving the livelihoods of the poor. Thus, baseline characterization builds the necessary foundation for the plan and obtains proper information for effective planning, implementation, and monitoring [3]. Therefore, proper characterization of watersheds is a prerequisite for appropriate policy directions for enhancing productivity and sustainable development. In doing so socio-economic characterization of community in watershed managements projects in the Abaya Chamo sub-basin were the major aims of the paper.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study area was held in the Abaya-Chamo sub-basin project Districts, located in the southern part of the RVLB, and it contains Abaya and Chamo lakes, tributary rivers, and other water bodies. In the Abaya-Chamo sub-basin, there were 66 districts and 1302 Kebeles. From this, the project area includes seven sub-watersheds from a total of 18 sub-watersheds of seven project districts (RVLB master plan, 2010). The watershed annual rainfall ranges 732 mm/a to 1348mm/a and the elevation of the watershed ranges 1220 m/a.s.l to 2680 m/a.s.l. The basin comprises mainly the two lower lying lakes, Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo, and rivers like Galana, and Bilate drain into Lake Abaya. The rivers Kulfo and Sile enter into Lake Chamo and the overflow from Lake Chamo drains Sagan river which intern drains finally to the Chaw bahire [4]. Watershed management project activities were held in 18 micro watersheds which were found in seven districts (Amaro, Chencha, Humbo, Lokabaya, Mirababaya, Arbaminch city administration, and Abaya) of the seven Kebeles, the study was conducted on seven micro catchments from project districts.

Based on their nature and purpose, the research design for this study was a descriptive survey method, with qualitative and quantitative data analysis approaches using Microsoft excel and StataMP 13 software. To attain the stated objectives, the raw data was obtained from RVLBA as secondary sources. And other necessary and important secondary sources were used. The raw data obtained from RVLBA were collected in 2016 from seven micro watersheds using enumerators in each study area. In 2016 the RVLBA collected baseline socioeconomics and biophysical survey in the study area (project coordinators were enumerated). And all secondary data available in RVLBA, such as the Master plan of RVLB, survey study, and others, were used. The major objective of the study was a socio-economic characterization of a watershed. Therefore, data describing the study area, demographic data, major income source data, and social status of the respondents were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and econometric analysis using Microsoft excel and Stata MP 13 software.

3. RESULTS

The information regarding family size and composition of the respondents was collected from RVLBA and analyzed using Excel and Stata software as given in Table 2. The average family size in the research area was found to be eight persons. The main reason for the large average family size was the lack of family planning. The study shows the high dependency of single earning people.

According to the raw data obtained from RVLBA, the main occupation of households in the study area was agriculture except for Arbaminch City Administration districts of Genta ber sub-watershed households. Households in the Genta ber subwatershed were laborers. The reason behind this was the unavailability of cultivable land for farming practice and the land was degraded due to deforestation and soil erosion and households in the study area living in city administration have the opportunity to be employed. While the rest households in the six sub-watershed areas’ main occupation were farming as shown in Table 3, mainly the type of agriculture was based on rain-fed agriculture and therefore the productivity and production were not satisfactory. As shown in table 3 the major language spoken in the study areas is Korete, Gamogna, Wolayitegna, Sidamigna, and Oromiffa. This indicates the study area covers about five major clan types of the sub-basin.

The women’s average population size (43.9%) was a bit lower than men and this indicates that in an integrated watershed management approach the participation of women should play a significant role in their participation. Comparing the study area concerning population number, the largest number of population was obtained in Abaya districts Kadite sub-watershed and the lowest obtained in Chencha districts Tikima sub- watershed. The highest and lowest numbers of women population were also found in Kadite and Tikima sub-watershed respectively. The same was true largest and lowest number of households. The average numbers of households were 115 male and 11 female. The deviation among them is very large, which indicates the holder was mainly towards the men. The land is a scarce resource hence its optimal use is very important. Farm size is one of the major determinants of the financial status of the farmers, which in turn affects farmers’ ability to adopt modern farming practices. Operational land holding plays a vital role in the family laborers’ employment as well as income generation. The main problem in the study area was small and fragmented land holding which results in management difficulties and ultimately less productivity. The land utilization of households in the selected sub-watersheds mainly includes residence, tree land, backyard, and rain-fed. As shown in figure 3 the largest average landholding size per household was 4.717 ha. in Kadite sub-watershed and the lowest is 0.623 ha. in Arenguade limat sub-watershed.

Table 6: Education Facility in the Village

Table 7: Number of teachers

4. DISCUSSION

The average family size in the research area was found to be eight persons. The main reason for the large average family size was the lack of family planning. The study shows the high dependency of single earning people. According to Shonde Yohannes (2014) in his study on Socioeconomic Evaluation of Moringa tree in southern Ethiopia, the reason for large family size in the study area was in the communities’ culture large family size has a cultural value and this is also a typical characteristic of rural households in Ethiopia and elsewhere in developing countries [5]. The major source of income in the study area was agriculture except in the Arenguade Limat sub-watersheds of Arba Minch City Administration. The reason behind this was the unavailability of cultivable land for farming practice and the land was degraded due to deforestation and soil erosion and households in the study area living in city administration have the opportunity to be employed. This study was in line with the finding of [6]. The sources of income in the study area were categorized as sources of crop production, animal husbandry, and tree land. The results of the study revealed that 31%, 48%, and 21% of average household income was shared from crop production, animal husbandry, and tree land respectively. This is similar to a studies by [7-10] in rural Ethiopia. The main problem concerning operational land size in the study area was small and fragmented land holding which results in management difficulties and ultimately less productivity. The shortage of land is a basic problem in the study area to maximize agricultural production. This is in line with the study by [11] in Borena, Southern Ethiopia. This study also indicated that land shortage is a basic problem that resulted in small-scale production on fragmented and degraded land. The literacy rate in the study area per year was very large. the number of educational institutes was increasing and institutions were being made by the government sector lack of educational institutions, poor economic conditions, and lack of access to the far located institutions were observed to be the conspicuous reason for the low literacy rate in the study area. The average number of schooling years in all seven villages was the same as the highest level. This result is supported by [12] with his study of Ethiopian socio-economic study. The health station was found few that should be increasing/ improving in the future for the betterment of the community in the study area. According to the study, a major disease in the village is water-borne related diseases. The stakeholder mapping and engagements are very important especially water and health sectors for community health protection together with integrated water resource management. This study was supported by [13] and [14].

5. CONCLUSIONS

An integrated approach to watershed management would ideally address the complex system dynamics in watersheds and achieve global environmental benefits, and locally maintain holistic social, economic, and ecological balance. Socioeconomic improvement depends upon resource mapping very crucial for planning appropriate intervention. The available land resource could be used alternatively by applying different technological packages. Agriculture in the area is basically of a subsistence nature – characterized by low input – low output. Both livestock and crop production systems are poorly intensified and productivity is kept to a minimum. For crops rain, fed agriculture system which lacks in agriculture machinery was account for low production and productivity. The study concludes that households should use irrigation technology to increase yield per hectare and safeguard food security in the area. Access to education should be improved and children’s attendance at school should be encouraged and facilitated. The poorest families are supported or the schooling system adapted as in most the cases the children are used in production activities. Non-agricultural employment opportunities should also be promoted. These activities should be adapted to the existing potentialities at the HH level. The health facilities in the study area should be increased to attain a better socioeconomic condition in the community.

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