Socioeconomic Drivers Influencing Performance of Soil and Water Conservation Measures in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Diverse soil and water conservation (SWC) interventions were implemented in Tigray region to retard and stop soil loss due to water erosion problem. The aim of study was to evaluate the biophysical and socioeconomic drivers for the performance of implemented SWC structures under different landforms at Adi-Kimbro Watershed found in the midland agro-climatic zone of North Western Tigray. Slope, soil sample and length of destructed SWC structures were collected from plot sample size of 2500 m2 along upper, middle, foot and bottom landforms of the Watershed from different land uses. socioeconomic drivers were collected from 113 households through semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, logistic model and independent t-test, analysis were developed. The major SWC structures implemented in both exclosures and grazing land were hillside terraces, hillside terraces with trenches, loose stone check dams and trenches. Stone bunds, check dams (cement, gabion) and 'daget' were constructed at cultivated land. Check dams at the bottom part of the watershed were comparatively effective in, rehabilitating degraded area and soil grasp. The farm size, sex household head, availability of labor and training were positive and significantly influenced the performance of SWC structures. Home distance to farm land, age and livestock holding number negatively affected to the success of the implemented SWC structures. Emphasis should be given to community participation during planning, designing, implementation and monitoring and evaluation phases by considering the household head age, labor availability, farm size, level of training, household sex and to increase the performance of SWC structures.