Assessment of The Role of Community Participation In Soil and Water Conservation Practice In Cause Of Girar Frma Zigbe Kebele, in Chiha Woreda,Gurage Zone of SNNPs Region

Abstract

Soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation that resulted in low agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. Farmers’ participation to conserve natural resources in general and soil and water conservation in particular has received little emphasis in Ethiopia. Efforts made in the earlier period activity of soil conservation did not bring about significant results, mainly because of lack of bottom-up approach. Soil and water conservation is essential to protect the productive land of our century where drought, famine and flood causes crop damage every years and also further deterioration of the land. This study was conducted to assess the role of community participation on soil and water conservation practice in Girar frma Zigbe kebele, Cheha woreda, Gurage, zone SNNP region. Using simple random sampling techniques 40 respondents were selected and interviewed. Both primary and secondary data was used. Those data was obtained through; focuses area field observation, interviews, questioners and different data source. Then data analyzed and interpreted by using statics and presented in the forms of percentage, table and graphs. The result shows that the main causes of soil erosion are heavy rainfall, over cultivation, over grazing, cultivation of the steep slope, and deforestation. These causes of soil erosion are also become the strong challenging factors that affect SWC practice. The study also revealed that majority (72.5%) of farmers of the study area were not aware and voluntary to participate on SWCP, this severs erosion hazards and soil fertility decline problems. Also the finding indicates the respondent practice biological SWCP, each of one like; stripe cultivation, crop rotation, afforestation, and follow cultivation. However; 17.5% of respondents do not intended physical SWCP, while 82.5% practiced physical methods as SWCP like one each of: terracing, check dam and soil dam. There was also seen that 80% of respondents affected by lack of knowledge to exercise the different SWCP. Usually to overcome the problems of soil erosion, participating and alerting SWCP is require. Therefore, the most important factors that require immediate consideration for SWC activities in the study area are: firstly, SWC practices as physically and biologically carefully designed and constructed taking into account ground realities in the study sites, secondly, governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations should give short trainings to the farmers and they should also focus in facilitating experience sharing related to soil and water conservation practice.