Willingness and Participation of Local Communities to Manage Communal Grazing Lands in the Lake Tana Biosphere, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Sustainable management of communal grazing lands in Ethiopia is crucial to sustain livestock productivity and reduce land degradation. This study was conducted in Dera district, Ethiopia, to assess local communities’ perceptions of the degradation and their attitudes on the management of communal grazing lands. Household surveys, group discussions, and the contingent valuation method were used to gather data. Results indicated that local communities are aware of the degradation and are willing to participate in the management of communal grazing lands by contributing labor and cash. Labor contribution is positively and significantly correlated to total livestock units (TLU) and credit, and negatively correlated with household size and extension service. Significant correlation between the willingness to contribute cash and TLU was also detected. Community participation and discussions, demarcation of boundaries, equity in benefit sharing, and engaging both formal and informal institutions are crucial to sustain and enhance the effectiveness of grazing land management.

KEYWORDS:

• Benefit sharing
• CVM
• institutions
• piecemeal strategy
• Tobit model

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Nature and Biodiversity Union (NABU) and the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) for financial and logistical support. We are thankful to Dr. Menale Wondie for preparing the study area map. We thank the editor, associate editor and especially the two anonymous reviewers for their unreserved guidance.

Notes

Kebele refers to the lowest level of political administration in Ethiopia.

Idir is a traditional system of insurance or support such that a family will be provided money to cover costs in case of death/burial of a family member.

Birr (ETB) is the Ethiopian currency (US$1 = 19.28 ETB based on the exchange rate on February 12, 2014).