Valuation of Range Land Resource in Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Areas of Debub Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Research Article Int J Environ Sci Nat Res Volume 15 Issue 1 - September 2018 Copyright © All rights are reserved by Kutoya Kusse DOI: 10.19080/IJESNR.2018.15.555901 Valuation of Range land Resource in Pastoral and agro pastoral Areas of Debub Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia Kutoya Kusse*, Yidnekachew Alemayehu and Kebede Kassu Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Jinka Agricultural Research Center Socio-economic researchers, Ethiopia Submission: September 18, 2018; Published: September 28, 2018 *Corresponding author: Kutoya Kusse, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Jinka, Ethiopia, email: Abstract A survey was conducted in Dasenech and Benna-Tsemay districts of the South Omo zone of Southern Ethiopia, with the objectives of identifying determinants of WTP for Rangeland rehabilitation in Pastoral and agro pastoral area, to estimate the economic value of range lands in pastoral & agro pastoral areas and to identify major constraints facing pastoral and agro pastoral in the study areas. The information was gathered through group discussions and using a structured questionnaire. The major livestock production constraints were drought, feed and water shortage and animal health problems. There are no range improvement practices undertaken to improve the condition of the rangelands. during migrations. In conclusion, the indigenous knowledge of the pastoralists about range-livestock management and their environment should beMobility incorporated is the first while measure planning taken range-livestock to solve shortage development of livestock projects feed and for water the study but many districts. of the pastoralists replied that they face many problems Keywords: Pastoralism; Rangeland; Rangeland Management; Willingness to Pay Introduction inhabit land with natural resources and a wealth of cultural and traditional heritage that remains largely untapped. Ethiopian number of pastoralists whose livelihood system is based on The Greater Horn of Africa region is home to a significant pastoralists raise a large portion of the national herd, estimated production in the arid and semi-arid lands. These areas are at 42 percent of the cattle, 7 percent of the goats, 25 percent of the characterized by low and erratic rainfall, high temperatures, and sheep, 20 percent of the equines and all of the camels. However, consequently, high evaporation rates. Across the region there have pastoralist communities are often unable to harness the immense resources of their land due to internal and external pressures and concomitant problems such as food insecurity, human and been tightening cycles and intensities of drought and flooding, related to land tenure and use. This is because the policies that livestock diseases and other crises. These have challenged the relate to the use and access of pastoral land do not adequately human capacity to cope, eroded the livestock, natural resource promote pastoral rights [5]. and other asset bases and gradually diminished the capacities of pastoralist communities to rebound. These impacts are Some of the major positive scenarios for pastoral economies exacerbated by other pressures, such as loss of land, widespread development in the next 15-20 years comprised of a) Irrigation and other land use versus Pastoralism; service provision, and general marginalization. The result is a state and endemic resource-based conflict, poor infrastructure and of vulnerability and often ‘crisis’ within pastoralist communities b) Land tenure and the importance of mobility and and areas [3]. Pastoralism is the one of the predominant livelihoods of flexibility;c) Settlement and the issues associated with pastoral sedentarization; and economies and can conserve fragile natural resources. Yet east Africa and the Horn. It contributes significantly to national d) Trade and especially the question of overseas export pastoralists remain socially and economically marginalized and have little or no representation in local and national government. marketing [6]. Governments in the region continue to hold that Pastoralism versus regional/unofficial cross-border and domestic is unsustainable and a barrier to development [4]. Ethiopia’s Pastoral communities’ participation in decision making for pastoralist community of ten million people occupies 61 percent environmental monitoring is regarded as one of the pillars of sound of the total land mass. The 29 nationalities and ethnic groups rangeland management. There are three assumptions involved. Int J Environ Sci Nat Res 15(1): IJESNR.MS.ID.555901 (2018) 001 International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources Firstly, it is acknowledged that pastoralists have their own c) To identify major constraints facing pastoral and agro experiences and knowledge, which they have used for generations pastoral in the study areas. to manage the rangelands. Secondly, it is assumed that their knowledge is measurable and comparable across communities. Methodology Thirdly, it is assumed that their knowledge and its outcomes Description of The Study Area can make an important contribution to the development of local South Omo zone is one of the 14 administrative zones found policies. Nevertheless, rangeland researchers have generally not in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Regional State incorporated into their research how this knowledge is generated in Ethiopia. It is located at 4° 27’- 6° 26’ north and 34º 57’–37º and may be applied. Its usefulness in complementing existing 49’ east bordering Gamogofa and Keffa zones; Konta and Besketo special districts to the north; Konso and Derashe special districts rangelands is therefore little understood. Indeed, there is limited scientific knowledge for the assessment and monitoring of to the east; Borana zone to the southeast; Kenya to the south; information on the comparability of indigenous knowledge Sudan to the southwest, and Bench Maji zone to the west. The across pastoral communities in different regions of Africa using total land area of the zone is 22,360.76 km2 and lies at an altitude appropriate frameworks for comparative regional studies [1,2]. ranging from 380 to 3,300 m.a.s.l [1]. Even if the pastoralists held majority land coverage of all The study was implemented in the major pastoralist and agro the country cultivable land in general and southern Ethiopia pastoralist areas of Dasenech and Benatsemay woredas in South Omo Zone of SNNPR. From each Woreda, three kebeles were effectiveness, total yield per hectare is still very low and so in particularly, its productivity, utilization efficiency and selected according to statistical criteria and secondary update lower as compared to any other East African Countries level of productivity due to various reasons. Some of the major constraints Woreda is found in South Omo Zone in SNNP and bordered by that hindered not to use pastoralist range land are: lack of data gathered from the respective Woreda offices. Dasenech Kenya in the South, Salamago Woreda in the North and Hammer appropriate management option, incapability of measuring total from Jinka, the Capital city of low attention given by government to the sector due to absence Woreda in the East. It was lied astronomically (5˚.14̍ N latitude, economic value of pastoralists and its difficulty of measurement, South Omo Zone. Whereas BenaTsemay is one of the woredas in 36˚.44̍ E longtude) and is 225 km Debub Omo Zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ sector, lack of best practices and utilization system adopted, lack of economically measured and quantifiable information on the Region of Ethiopia. It is named after Banna and Tsamai people of appropriate technologies that help to boost the productivity who are living at this woreda. Part of the Debub Omo Zone, level and undervaluation/underestimation of the economic, social BenaTsemay is bordered on the south by Hamer, on the west by and environmental role of Pastoralist that stems from the lack Selamago, on the north by Bako Gazer and Malle, on the northeast of appropriately collected organized and assembled database, by the Dirashe woreda, on the east by the Konso woreda, and on Erratic rain fall, high temperature, lack of awareness, weak linkage the southeast by the Oromia Region; the Weito River separates between research institute, universities, nongovernmental it from Konso woreda and Oromia Region. Western part of this organization , Invasion of range and grazing lands by unwanted, woreda is included in the Mago National Park. The administrative dangerous, unpalatable and hardy plant species. Accordingly, center is Key Afer. BenaTsemay was part of former Hamer Bena Debub Omo Zone is one of the Zones in southern region which woreda. faces the same problem that are mentioned above. Therefore, in order to characterize the listed and other related constraints Source and Method of Data Collection and potentials, find out economic value of pastoralists and so Primary data was collected from the field survey to determine development intervention and remedial policy measures to be the rangelands, while secondary and abstract data was used to as to forward scientific information for further research and taken, it is timely and indispensable to undertake research over the willingness to pay, the economic benefit of rehabilitation of economic value of pastoralists and determinant of willingness to accruing from each system. pay for rehabilitation of range land. simulate the management systems and the dynamic benefits Sampling Techniques and Sample Size

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