Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers
Gully erosion can be combatted in severely affected regions like sub-Saharan Africa using various low-cost interventions that are accessible to affected farmers. For successful implementation, however, biophysical evidence of intervention effectiveness needs to be validated against the interests and...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Copernicus GmbH
2024
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152511 |
| _version_ | 1855529216629538816 |
|---|---|
| author | Mekuria, Wolde Phimister, E. Yakob, G. Tegegne, Desalegn Moges, A. Tesfaye, Y. Melaku, Dagmawi Gerber, C. Hallett, P. D. Smith, J. U. |
| author_browse | Gerber, C. Hallett, P. D. Mekuria, Wolde Melaku, Dagmawi Moges, A. Phimister, E. Smith, J. U. Tegegne, Desalegn Tesfaye, Y. Yakob, G. |
| author_facet | Mekuria, Wolde Phimister, E. Yakob, G. Tegegne, Desalegn Moges, A. Tesfaye, Y. Melaku, Dagmawi Gerber, C. Hallett, P. D. Smith, J. U. |
| author_sort | Mekuria, Wolde |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Gully erosion can be combatted in severely affected regions like sub-Saharan Africa using various low-cost interventions that are accessible to affected farmers. For successful implementation, however, biophysical evidence of intervention effectiveness needs to be validated against the interests and priorities of local communities. Working with farmers in a watershed in southern Ethiopia, we investigated (a) the effectiveness of low-cost gully rehabilitation measures to reduce soil loss and upward expansion of gully heads; (b) how farmers and communities view gully interventions; and (c) whether involving farmers in on-farm field trials to demonstrate gully interventions improves uptake, knowledge, and perceptions of their capacity to act. On-farm field experiments, key-informant interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys were used to collect and analyse data. Three gully treatments were explored, all with riprap, one with grass planting, and one with grass planting and check-dam integration. Over a period of 26 months, these low-cost practices ceased measurable gully head expansion, whereas untreated gullies had a mean upward expansion of 671 cm, resulting in a calculated soil loss of 11.0 t. Farmers had a positive view of all gully rehabilitation measures explored. Ongoing rehabilitation activities and on-farm trials influenced the knowledge and understanding of similar gully treatments among survey respondents. On-farm experiments and field day demonstrations empowered farmers to act, addressing pessimism from some respondents about their capacity to do so. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace152511 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Copernicus GmbH |
| publisherStr | Copernicus GmbH |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1525112025-12-08T09:54:28Z Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers Mekuria, Wolde Phimister, E. Yakob, G. Tegegne, Desalegn Moges, A. Tesfaye, Y. Melaku, Dagmawi Gerber, C. Hallett, P. D. Smith, J. U. gully erosion watersheds soil loss farmers on-farm research check dams stakeholder engagement cost benefit analysis local communities intervention household surveys Gully erosion can be combatted in severely affected regions like sub-Saharan Africa using various low-cost interventions that are accessible to affected farmers. For successful implementation, however, biophysical evidence of intervention effectiveness needs to be validated against the interests and priorities of local communities. Working with farmers in a watershed in southern Ethiopia, we investigated (a) the effectiveness of low-cost gully rehabilitation measures to reduce soil loss and upward expansion of gully heads; (b) how farmers and communities view gully interventions; and (c) whether involving farmers in on-farm field trials to demonstrate gully interventions improves uptake, knowledge, and perceptions of their capacity to act. On-farm field experiments, key-informant interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys were used to collect and analyse data. Three gully treatments were explored, all with riprap, one with grass planting, and one with grass planting and check-dam integration. Over a period of 26 months, these low-cost practices ceased measurable gully head expansion, whereas untreated gullies had a mean upward expansion of 671 cm, resulting in a calculated soil loss of 11.0 t. Farmers had a positive view of all gully rehabilitation measures explored. Ongoing rehabilitation activities and on-farm trials influenced the knowledge and understanding of similar gully treatments among survey respondents. On-farm experiments and field day demonstrations empowered farmers to act, addressing pessimism from some respondents about their capacity to do so. 2024-09-10 2024-09-30T20:05:52Z 2024-09-30T20:05:52Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152511 en Open Access Copernicus GmbH Mekuria, Wolde; Phimister, E.; Yakob, G.; Tegegne, Desalegn; Moges, A.; Tesfaye, Y.; Melaku, Dagmawi; Gerber, C.; Hallett, P. D.; Smith, J. U. 2024. Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers. SOIL, 10(2):637-654. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-637-2024] |
| spellingShingle | gully erosion watersheds soil loss farmers on-farm research check dams stakeholder engagement cost benefit analysis local communities intervention household surveys Mekuria, Wolde Phimister, E. Yakob, G. Tegegne, Desalegn Moges, A. Tesfaye, Y. Melaku, Dagmawi Gerber, C. Hallett, P. D. Smith, J. U. Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers |
| title | Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers |
| title_full | Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers |
| title_fullStr | Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers |
| title_short | Gully rehabilitation in southern Ethiopia – value and impacts for farmers |
| title_sort | gully rehabilitation in southern ethiopia value and impacts for farmers |
| topic | gully erosion watersheds soil loss farmers on-farm research check dams stakeholder engagement cost benefit analysis local communities intervention household surveys |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152511 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mekuriawolde gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT phimistere gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT yakobg gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT tegegnedesalegn gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT mogesa gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT tesfayey gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT melakudagmawi gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT gerberc gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT hallettpd gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers AT smithju gullyrehabilitationinsouthernethiopiavalueandimpactsforfarmers |