The Socioeconomic and Environmental Contribution of Community Based Area Exclosures: In the case of Tilket- Dermo Catchment, Meket Woreda, Amhara Region

Abstract

Land degradation, which includes degradation of vegetation cover, soil degradation and nutrient depletion, is a major ecological/ environmental problem generally in Ethiopia. Area exclosure is emerging as one of the strategies to rehabilitate and restore degraded environments by natural means in order to prevent or mitigate land degradation which has been practiced in the study area. Despite these efforts, there were no studies in the study area, which can provide information on contribution of area exclosure to consider as one strategy to improve livelihood of the community. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the socioeconomic and environmental contribution of community based area exclosure in Tilket Dermo catchment, Meket Woreda, North Wollo Zone. The data used for this study were obtained from both primary and secondary data sources and collected through structured questionnaire and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively with descriptive statistics and T-test analysis. The result showed that 65.94%of the respondent shad negative attitude before the establishments of area exclosure due to lack of awareness about the benefit of area exclosure after the establishment of the area exclosure100 % of the respondents had supported the idea of expanding the experience further in their respective localities. Most of the respondents (82%) also confirmed that they had obtained socio-economic and environmental benefits from the establishment of the area exclosure through control of soil erosion, better availability of grass for animal feed, increase in honey production and biological diversity of the area, increase in productivity of adjacent farmlands, increase the esthetic value of the land as well as create conducive environmental condition for the local communities benefit from exclosure products directly or indirectly. species diversity and richness compared to the adjacent non closed areas, closed areas hosted larger species richness. Relatively higher Shannon diversity indices in the exclosures indicate the better species diversity in the exclosures than in the non-closed site. The result of the study suggests that area exclosure practices can rehabilitate and restore woody species of degraded lands if adequately protected from interferences. On the other hand, some problems were identified as negative consequences of area exclosure. Shortages of fuel wood (10.87%) are major problems associated with the establishment of the area exclosure in the study area. Management wise, unequal distribution of products that was produced from exclosure among all members of the communities and biophysical, institutional and empowers senses of ownership was identified as the major problem in the management of the exclosure.