Food Security Coordination & Disaster Prevention Office Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development The Government of Amhara National Regional State The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia THE DEVELOPMENT STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF LIVELIHOOD THROUGH INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN AMHARA REGION FINAL REPORT March 2011 Japan International Cooperation Agency SANYU CONSULTANTS INC. ETO JR 11-002 Location map Location Map of the Study Area FINAL REPORT Summary 1. INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) located in the northern part of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has the area of about 154 thousand sq. km. accounting for around 15% of the territory of the nation where about 17.9 million (or about 25% of the national population) are inhabited. In the ANRS, 6.3 million people are considered as food insecure. In particular, the eastern area of Amhara Region has been exposed to recurrent drought for past 3 decades, thus considered as the most suffering area from food shortage. Under such circumstances, the Federal Government of Ethiopia requested cooperation of Japan for “The Development Study on the Improvement of Livelihood through Integrated Watershed Management in Amhara Region”. Based on this request, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) dispatched a preparatory study team to Ethiopia in March 2007 and agreed the basic contents of Scope of Work (S/W) that were signed between the ANRS Government and JICA in the same month. Under such background, JICA dispatched a Study Team to the ANRS from March 2008 to conduct the Study as described in the S/W. The overall goal of the Study is to ensure food security of the vulnerable households in food insecure area of Amhara Region through implementation of integrated watershed management. The objectives of the Study include the following two items: To formulate development plans for the extension of appropriate watershed management and rural development in food insecure area through implementation of verification project. To carry out capacity development of Ethiopian counterpart personnel as well as communities concerned in the course of the Study The target area of this Study encompasses the 64 Woredas having chronically been suffering from food deficit out of 151 existing Woredas in ANRS. These target Woredas are located in the central to the eastern side of the region. Also, the target areas of formulating Woreda development plan and of implementing verification project include 8 Woredas (Ebinate, Simada, Bugena, Gidan, Kobo, Aregoba, Mekedela and Legambo, refer to the location map of the Study Area) out of the 64 Woredas. 2. PRESENT SITUATION OF AMAHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE ANRS is the second most populated region in Ethiopia, following to Oromia. Currently, the annual population growth rate is estimated between 2.34 – 3.10%. Even if the medium rate of population growth (2.72%) is applied for projection, the population size of the region will double in 26 years. The population density is 118 persons/km2. The highlands are more densely populated than the lowlands. With respect to age structure, 54.8% are under 19 and 4% are greater than 65 years old. Whilst the agricultural sector is the dominant economic sector like other regions in the country, the share has been shifted from agriculture to industry and service sector as the recent trend. About 88.6 % of the regional population resides in rural areas and engaged mainly in agriculture / subsistence farming. S - 1 THE DEVELOPMENT STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF LIVELIHOOD THROUGH INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN AMHARA REGION, THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA The average of life expectancy at birth is 54 years. However, owing to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS pandemic and other infectious diseases, life expectancy is expected to become even shorter. The infant mortality rate is 94/1000 live births and the less than five mortality rate is 154/1000 live births. In respect to the gross enrollment ratio in primary school (1-8 grade) is 99.8% (BoFED, 2009), and secondary school (9-10 grade) is about 38.3%. The regional water supply coverage is 58%. The total road network of the region is about 6,340km, which makes the regional road density 41m per km2. In respect to religion, 82.5% of the population is Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, 17.2% of Muslims, and 0.2% of Protestants. In urban areas, the percentage of Muslims increases. Concerning ethnicity, 91.5% of population is found to be Amharic in the region and Amharic is widely spoken as the official language. In 2009, the total revenue of the region increased 41% compared to the year 2008. However, the revenue derived from the region is far behind its annual expenditure. Currently, nearly 80% of regional budget is originated from federal transfer and donor assistance. As for the budget allocation, economic and social sectors represent more than two thirds of the total budget. In ANRS there are 64 food insecure Woredas, which represents 42.4 % of the total Woredas. As for the rural Kebeles, 49 % of them are food insecure whereas 31 % are so for urban Kebeles. Among the 11 Zones including Bahir Dar Town, more than 90 % of total Kebeles are food insecure in North Wollo, Oromiya, Wag Himera and South Wollo Zones. 3. PRESENT SITUATION OF THE 64 FOOD INSECURE WOREDAS Natural Environment The elevation of the 64 Woredas ranges from 572 m above sea level at Artuma Fursi Woreda, to 4,520 m at Ras Dashen in Janamora Woreda. The area of 64 Woredas is classified into 5 zones according to the Ethiopian agro-climatic zones. Most areas are classified into Weyna Dega and Dega zones, which accounts for 48.3 % and 30.6 % of the total area respectively. Only one third of the area can be categorized to the sloping land below 8 %. The most dominant soil type is Lithosols which consist of more than half of the 64 Woredas. Lithosols have thin soil in thickness properties. The annual soil loss is estimated at as much as 11.5 mm on average. The western half of the Study Area has two distinct seasons; wet from June to September and dry from November-February, and the eastern half has two rainy periods and one dry period; the main “Kiremt” rain from June to September, small “Belg” rains form March to May, and dry “Bega” from October to February. There is a variety of climatic zones in the 64 Woredas. Most parts of the area are under subtropical and temperate zones, and the remaining are tropic or boreal zones. The temperature in the area is mainly related with altitude and the Study Area has a considerably wide range of temperature differences mainly due to its variations in elevation. The surface water is available mostly during rainy season but its availability in amount and duration are relatively limited. The base flow water runs off slowly in long duration with relatively large amount. Although this base flow is usually one of the most reliable natural water resources for human, S - 2 FINAL REPORT it is very difficult to develop artificially. Basalt is the dominant foundation of rock and aquifer in the basalt is not so developed. Basically, the available location of the groundwater is quite limited. The most common water source for domestic use is unprotected spring. Other sources are developed spring and river. The most common source of potable water is developed spring followed by tap water. The most dominant vegetation type of the 64 Woredas is cropland, 65.1 % of the total. Woody vegetation, which includes evergreen, deciduous and open forests and shrub, accounts for only 15.2 % while grassy vegetation for 19.3 %. Wood accounts for the largest amount of the primary source of fuel, 65.1 %, followed by dung of 19.7 %. However, this rate differs significantly according to the Woredas. Socio-economy In the 64 Woredas, the average gross enrolment rate in primary school is 64.4% for male, 56.3% for female and 60.6% for the total. As for the illiteracy rates, male figure (64.3%) is lower than women (72.9%). The socio-economic survey done by the Study in 2008 revealed that adult mortality rate in the 64 Woredas was 9% on average. Since the regional average was 6.15%, the Study Area faced a severe condition. In the Study Area, the road network has not yet well developed. There are two trunk roads running from north to south, which pass on only 14 Woredas. Also there are four link roads and one main access road running. Among the 64 Woredas, there are 10 Woredas where no major roads are running on their territories. In addition, electrification coverage in the Study Area is still very low, around 2%. As for the population coverage of the water supply, it is still 43.5%. According to the wealth ranking conducted in 2008, the distribution of the poor and very poor was the highest in Gidan (100%) followed by Ebinate (85%) and Bugena (82%). On the other hand, in Simada and Kobo, people seemed that the poor and very poor occupied 60%. Gender-based discrimination, lack of protection of basic human rights, violence, lack of access to productive resources, education and training, basic health services, and employment are widespread in the Study Area, too. Agriculture and Livestock The average holding size of farmland in the Study Area is estimated to be 0.93 ha/farm household and is smaller than that of 1.10 ha in ANRS. The distribution of soils with shallow effective depth due to natural and accelerated erosion in the past is one of the most serious agronomic constraints in the Study Area. In the Study Area, crops grown are mainly cereals, pulses and oil crops.