Impact of Resettlement on Woody Plant Species and Local Livelihood: The Case of Guraferda Woreda in Bench Maji Zone, South Western, Ethiopia

Abere, Dejenie (2011) Impact of Resettlement on Woody Plant Species and Local Livelihood: The Case of Guraferda Woreda in Bench Maji Zone, South Western, Ethiopia. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

The study was carried out at Guraferda Woreda in Bench Maji Zone, South Western part of Ethiopia aimed at analyzing the impacts of resettlement on woody plant species and local livelihood. A total of 64 plots, 400m2 plots at 300m intervals within sixteen transect line were laid and taken to identify woody tree and shrubs species composition on both Intact and disturbed area. Subplots having equal size of 4m2 at the four corners and the center within each main plot were laid out to collect seedlings and saplings from the two study sites. A total of 120 household heads were interviewed on resettlement and its impact in Guraferda out of which 53 Natives and 67resettlers. The SPSS version 13 was used for data analysis. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with Native, resettlers, Developmental agents (DAs) and official’s people were conducted to get information on their perception towards resettlement. Results from the woody vegetation, socio-economic survey analyses and the summary of the focus group discussions showed that a total of fifty-six woody tree and shrub species belonging to 28 families were recorded in the study sites. Forty-seven woody species were recorded in intact site belonging to 26 families, whereas forty –two woody species belonging to 24 families were recorded in disturbed area. The diversity index value showed that intact area (H’=3.3270050) and evenness value (E= 0.8641241) and (H'=3.3203220) and evenness value (E=0.8883401) of the disturbed area i.e.; the two sites had high diversity indexes that indicate the species richness of the area. Regeneration status of the two study sites showed inverted ‘J’ shaped distribution which is the sign of good regeneration status. In addition the socio-economic assessment result showed that out of the total respondents 56.0 Percent of them have 2 ha farmland and 15.0 and 18.3 percents of the respondent have 3 ha and 4 ha respectively. Again the household’s with land holding of greater than 5 ha were 10.0 percent. This is actually above the minimum requirement standard of 2 ha per head for farm land. The majority 51.0 percent of the native people gets their fire wood demand from farm land as a source of house hold energy, while 35.8 percent of the resettlers respondents use wood from both natural vegetation and farm land as a source of household energy but the rest gets from natural vegetation. All in all about 85% of the native people opposed resettlement because it has influence on their livelihood. The current study shows the area is in problem of deforestation of the intact forest and needs immediate attention from all concerned bodies and implements land use on the natives need. Agro forestry and farmland tree planting will also help to reduce the pressure on the natural vegetation. To this end protect and preserve the existing intact forests; planting valuable tree species and rehabilitation programme is needed to the study area.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Guraferda, Perception, Resettlement, Species diversity
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography Q Science > QK Botany
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Selom Ghislain
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2018 12:10
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2018 12:10
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/5818

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