The role of social learning for soil conservation: the case of Amba Zuria land management, Ethiopia

Abstract

Social learning plays key roles in sustainable natural resource management; however, studies on its role show mixed results. Even though most current studies highlight positive outcomes, there are also negative effects of social learning with respect to natural resource management. This paper explores the influence of social learning outcomes on the adoption of soil conservation practices in Amba Zuria, Ethiopia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, group discussions and in workshops. The interviews were transcribed and analysed with the qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti. In addition, a review of pertinent documents and literature complements the analysis. We found that social learning results in positive outcomes in interactions among the actors, broader understanding on soil conservation, trust and mutual understanding, and the creation of opportunities to apply both indigenous and scientific knowledge. These outcomes, in turn, foster the adoption of stone terraces to conserve soils. No such positive results were found for farmers who were not involved in the learning process and who did not adopt stone terraces. The non-adoption can partly be explained by their exclusion from sharing the positive outcomes of social learning. The study also shows limitations related to the short duration of the learning platforms, insufficient representation of women and irregular patterns of learning schedules. Hence, Ethiopian soil conservation strategies should put emphasis on social learning in order to strengthen the collective processes of soil conservation measures.

Keywords:

• soil erosion
• soil conservation
• social learning
• adoption of stone terrace
• Ethiopia

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Ataharul Huq Chowdhury for his comments on earlier versions of this article. We wish to thank farmers, experts and public administrators for their support in data collection and for their permission to be interviewed. We also thank the GTZ Amhara Regional Office and the North Gondar Zone Sustainable Natural Resource Management Office for their logistic contribution during data collection. We also acknowledge the Austrian Development Cooperation and the OeAD GmbH for providing financial assistance for this study.