Impacts of Utilizing Invasive Prosopis juliflora (SWARTZ) DC. on Rural Household Economy at Gewane District, Afar Regional State, North-Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Invasive species cause socio-economic and ecological impacts and are part of key challengers of global intervention. Prosopis juliflora, an evergreen tree/bush, is a powerful exotic invader in Ethiopia. The overall aim of this work was to assess the impacts of P. juliflora on household income share derive. This study was undertaken in Gewane district of Afar National Regional State. Total sizes of 124 sample respondents from different user groups living in 4 ranges of invaded kebeles were participated in this study. The research methodology primarily emphasized on analyses of the perceived economic values of the study sites. The study was also supplemented by secondary data from various sources. Accordingly, individuals’ perception on P. juliflora was strongly influenced by impacts of the species by weighting of the costs against the benefits of living with P. juliflora. The overall result shows that fuelwood, windbreak, fodder and fence were mentioned as top ranked items while mechanical injuries of human by sharp and poisonous thorns; formation of impenetrable thicket that blocked access roads and hinder easy movement; kill, injure, poison and lost livestock in thicket; create conflict; invades rangeland; decrease woodlands, and invade village and settlement area were among tope harmful items. The household economy shows that, the share of forest environmental income ranges from an average of 96 % among the commercial households to an average of -240 % among the subsistence ones. P. juliflora constituted about -25 % of the absolute total income for the intermediate households. The subsistence exploiter population group spent more than their absolute income as P. juliflora-related income, while for intermediate population group the P. juliflora-related income accounted for -25 % on average of all the income, which was only 10.4 % of what the subsistence exploiters lost. Therefore, exploitation of P. juliflora would give back expenditures and reduce burdens loaded in relation to P. juliflora impacts. For the study area the Gini coefficient for the absolute forest environmental income was 0.63 which was greater than twice the national average. The overall result from the local people revealed that 85.9 % of the respondents believed that exploitation of valuable product would either least in controlling or promote for further invasion. All respondents stated their awareness at least one method of avoiding regrowth, however, only 27.4 % of the respondents have experienced on removing the plant without allowing resprout, most whom were agro pastoralists.

Keywords: Prosopis juliflora; Impacts; Income; Utilization; Control.