Institutional Settings and Integration of different actors in Watershed Management. A case of the Wondo Genet Watershed in the Rift Valley Lakes Basin in Ethiopia.

Abstract

The essence of watershed management with the involvement of different actors built its base in Ethiopia as the only option to conserve and protect watershed resources and enhance land productivity for betterment of life. However, the integration of different actors and institutional arrangement for sustained watershed management still remains weak; results in elevated competing claims over scarce resources, mismanagement and poor cooperation between actors. This study was designed to assess and recommend on integration of different actors and institutional settings in watershed management of the Wondo Genet watershed in the south central of Rift Valley Lakes Basin.  The research methodology involved review of relevant literatures and field assessments based on key focus points. The result revealed that there is weak integration between different actors dependent on watershed resources within and among different watershed strata. Overlapping responsibilities between public organizations, missing of watershed management component in key watershed actors and poor capacity of institutions in charge to enforce noncompliance are some.  According to the participating respondents, this contributed to increased illegal settlement on sensitive sloppy remnant natural forest, degrading traditionally built upstream-downstream inter-linkages and interdependences in irrigation water sharing, competing claims and conflicts over resources use.

Key words: actor, scarce resources, Wondo Genet watershed, strata, remnant natural forest