Socio-Economic Challenges of Area Exclosure Practices: A Case of Gonder Zuria Woreda, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Land degradation is one of the major critical challenges facing human beings in agricultural production andsustainable development in many parts of Ethiopia. Strategies for the rehabilitation of those degraded areas areurgently needed before conditions become irreversible. Area exclosures has been the commonly practicedstrategy for the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded lands and other environmental problems. Theobjectives of this study was to investigate socio-economic challenges of area exclosure intervention in one of thehighly degraded area North Gondar, Gondar Zuria District, Das-dinzaz kebele. The main purpose of the studywas to analyze socio-economic challenges, attitudes of the community and some of the benefits to localcommunity as a result of area exclosure. Socio-economic data collection, formal (questionnaire) survey wasadministered on 37 respondents. The respondents were selected from three peasant associations namely Fana,Belewseged and Wonbergie (PAs) each of them was adjacent to the exclosure practices. Moreover, focus groupdiscussion and key informants interview were carried out. Majority of the local people also expressed positiveattitude towards the rehabilitation activities through exclosure. They witnessed also the changes in regenerationof woody species, grasses and reduction of erosion threat after the practice of the exclosure. The result of thestudy suggests that area exclosure practices can rehabilitate and restore woody species of degraded lands ifadequately protected from interferences. However, animal grazing, thieves, shortage of grazing land andconflicts b/n adjacent peasant associations are challenging exclosure practice. These constraints primarily call forthe need to have a practical and interactive farmers’ participation. Hence, for area exclosure to be more effective,mainly the active involvement of the local communities and strengthen their subsequent management system isindispensable.Keywords: exclosure practices, socio-economic challenges, attitude, benefit, community, Ethiopia.