Dreams of Development a Contribution to the Understanding of Livelihood Strategies in the Drought-Prone Alaba Woreda of Ethiopia
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Dreams of development A contribution to the understanding of livelihood strategies in the drought-prone Alaba Woreda of Ethiopia A boy fetching water amidst a herd in a community pond. What would be his dream for the future? Freddy van Hulst 870110377110 Supervisor: Dr. E. Rasch MSc thesis International Development Studies September 2012 Dreams of development A contribution to the understanding of livelihood strategies in the drought-prone Alaba Woreda of Ethiopia Freddy van Hulst Study program: MSc International Development Studies (MID) Student registration number: 870110377110 Course number: RDS 80433 Supervisor: Dr. E. Rasch Second reader: Dr. P.G.M. Hebinck Date: September 2012 Wageningen University, Rural Development Sociology Group © all pictures: Freddy van Hulst, 2012 - ii - Acknowledgements I owe my greatest acknowledgements to the many people in First Tuka, Tefo Chofo and Guba, my supervisor Elisabet Rasch, my unofficial supervisor Alemayehu Muluneh Bitew, my wife and corrector Maaike, my translators Semeru, Deraje and Ephrem, my neighbour Job Kebede from FHE, my key informant Antana from PIN, and many others. Thank you sincerely for the pleasant cooperation! - iii - Table of contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... ii List of tables ...............................................................................................................................iv Abbreviations and glossary ........................................................................................................ v 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Theoretical approaches to development ..................................................................... 1 1.2 Ethiopia and Rainwater Harvesting ............................................................................. 2 1.3 Objectives and research questions ............................................................................. 3 1.4 Structure of the report .................................................................................................. 4 2 Materials and Methods........................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Study area.................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Sampling ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Techniques and analysis ............................................................................................. 8 3 Theoretical background .................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Developing development ........................................................................................... 10 3.2 Livelihood approach .................................................................................................. 15 3.3 Dreams of development ............................................................................................ 18 4 People and their assets .................................................................................................... 20 4.1 Institutional context .................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Human capital ............................................................................................................ 23 4.3 Social capital and local institutions ............................................................................ 31 4.4 Financial capital ......................................................................................................... 34 4.5 Natural capital ............................................................................................................ 37 4.6 Physical capital .......................................................................................................... 41 4.7 Vulnerability context: shocks and threats .................................................................. 43 5 Rainwater harvesting ponds in Alaba Woreda ................................................................. 45 5.1 Household ponds ....................................................................................................... 45 5.2 Community ponds ...................................................................................................... 55 6 Livelihood strategies ......................................................................................................... 63 6.1 Intensification strategies ............................................................................................ 63 6.2 Diversification strategies............................................................................................ 65 6.3 Migration .................................................................................................................... 66 6.4 Coping with drought ................................................................................................... 67 6.5 Livelihood strategy trajectories .................................................................................. 68 7 Dreams of development .................................................................................................... 70 - iv - 7.1 Farmers and their dreams of development ............................................................... 70 7.2 Dreams of development and policy (makers) ........................................................... 75 8 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 82 References ............................................................................................................................... 85 Annex A: Questionnaire ........................................................................................................... 88 Annex B: Crop yields 2011-2012 (2003-2005 E.C.) ................................................................ 93 Annex C: Achieved rainwater harvesting activities in SNNP region ....................................... 94 Annex D: Cropping systems of the five selected households ................................................. 95 List of tables Table 1 Land size classes according to Kebele chairmen. ....................................................... 7 Table 2 Percentage of female headed Households, reflected in the survey population. ......... 7 Table 3 Features of the five households that were selected for repeated visits. ...................... 8 Table 4 Membership of most important organized association per study area. ..................... 32 Table 5 Average number of animals that people own. ............................................................ 35 Table 6 Number of people that keep animals. ......................................................................... 36 Table 7 Sources of land and their owners’ perception of whether the land is enough. ......... 37 Table 8 Total land and its use per study area. ........................................................................ 37 Table 9 Number of households that use a water source ......................................................... 38 Table 10 Estimated distance to public facilities (km)............................................................... 41 Table 11 Percentage of crop loss and proportion of respondents that mention causes of crop loss. .................................................................................................................................. 43 Table 12 Percentage of respondents to include a particular event in their “top three problems”. ................................................................................................................................. 43 Table 13 Estimated age of community ponds. ........................................................................ 55 Table 14 Data from visits to community ponds........................................................................ 58 - v - Abbreviations and glossary ETB Ethiopian Birr (conversion rate: €1≈22ETB) EC Ethiopian Calendar FHE Food for the Hungry Ethiopia FTC Farmer Training Center HH Household HHH Head of Household IPMS Improving Productivity and Market Success MLREP Market-Let Livelihood Recovery and Enhancement Program NGO Non Governmental Organisation PIN People In Need PSNP Productive Safety Net Program RWH Rainwater Harvesting SAA Sasakawa Africa Association SNNP Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (region) UNDP United Nations Development Program Edir Local institution governing social relations Kebele Administrative unit smaller than Woreda Quintal Local weight unit, equivalent to 100 kg Sera Conflict resolution process Tefo-Tuka Study area consisting of the Kebeles: Tefo Chofo and First Tuka Woreda Administrative unit under Region - 1 - 1 Introduction The title of this report holds a beautiful alliteration. Throughout this thesis I hope to show that it also offers a very insightful perspective on what people find valuable, that it reveals what goals people pursue and how it relates with goals pursued by institutions, and that it increases understanding of livelihood strategies. The following section introduces something of the necessary