Diversifying livelihoods and improving natural resources management for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Borana Zone, Southern Ethiopia
2005
Yitebitu Moges
The major part of Borana Zone is a dryland area. The climate is characterized by erratic and little rainfall with warm to hot temperatures. Consequently, the mainstay of pastoral community is livestock production. The rangelands are being regarded due to overstocking, banning of traditional range management using fire and the general trend of dryness in recent years. Consequently, invasive weedy species such as Acacia drepanalobium are invading the rangelands. The productivity of croplands is also declining resulting in inability of crop producers to feed themselves. The dry Juniper dominated forests which are a major resources for the region are fast degrading. In an attempt to halt the degradation of Juniper forests and woodlands and improve the well being of the local communities by creating diversified livelihoods and introducing appropriate technologies, an extensive study was undertaken. Strategic interventions of dryland agroforestry, fruit tree growing in backyards, water harvesting techniques for afforestation, innovative dryland farming techniques for crop production and use of the widely available resins and gums from Boswellia, Acacia, and Commiphora species were put forward as recommendations and time frame for implementation of each intervention was developed. This paper summarizes the results of the study and proposed actions for creating diversified livelihoods for local people intimately related with Juniper forests to enhance conservation of natural resources and overall productivity of land.
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