Natural Resource Management ( NRM)
Natural resource management (NRM) in Wolaita, Ethiopia, is of critical importance due to the region’s high dependency on rainfed subsistence agriculture and its increasing vulnerability to climate change. In Abala Abaya District, where over 70% of the population relies on smallholder farming and livestock rearing, unsustainable land use practices such as deforestation, overgrazing, and intensive cultivation have led to severe land degradation, reduced soil fertility, and declining agricultural productivity.
The situation is further exacerbated by the erratic and unpredictable nature of rainfall patterns linked to climate change, causing alternating dry spells and intense rainstorms that accelerate runoff and soil erosion. As a result, households experience frequent crop failure, livestock loss, and increasing food insecurity. In some areas, such as Abaya Chokare, 84% of households had become reliant on emergency food aid or food-for-work programs prior to intervention.
In response, a comprehensive NRM approach was implemented through a joint project by Caritas International Belgium and ECC-SDCO/S, with funding from Provincie Vlaams-Brabant. The initiative focused on rehabilitating degraded communal and privately owned land using integrated watershed management, soil and water conservation, afforestation, and natural regeneration techniques. Key strategies included Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), and Integrated Landscape Management (ILM)—promoting sustainable land use, ecological restoration, and community ownership.
Community participation was at the core of implementation. Watershed Management Committees, self-help groups, and local cooperatives were mobilized to lead and sustain the conservation efforts. Over 400 hectares were treated with physical and biological conservation measures, while more than 116,000 tree seedlings were planted. These interventions not only restored ecosystems but also supported livelihoods by improving soil fertility, fodder availability, water retention, and carbon sequestration.
The project demonstrated that successful natural resource management requires a multi-dimensional approach—addressing environmental degradation, empowering communities, and building institutional and technical capacity. It highlights the importance of integrating environmental sustainability with social and economic development for long-term climate resilience and food security in rural Ethiopia.
Introduction
The project “Strengthening Climate Resilience of Households and Communities in Wolaita, Ethiopia”, funded solely by Provincie Vlaams-Brabant, was implemented by Caritas International Belgium and ECC-SDCO/S. Building on a 2023 initiative, the project focused on rehabilitating 400 ha of degraded land through assisted and farmer-managed natural regeneration, soil and water conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and the promotion of fuel-saving stoves, solar energy, and carbon trading opportunities.
Despite a budget-related adjustment—replacing briquette production with beekeeping support—all other planned activities were successfully implemented in 2024. Notably, tree planting and land rehabilitation exceeded targets, and 203 ha of private farmland were restored. Some initiatives, like solar panel distribution, were slightly scaled down due to cost.
Strong community participation and collaboration with government services ensured high impact and sustainability.
Key structures like watershed management committees and early warning systems will continue maintaining the project’s gains beyond its duration.
To ensure smooth collaboration, the project signed agreements with relevant regional bureaus and shared them with zone and district departments. ECC-SDCO/S hired technical and support staff, and essential equipment was procured for effective implementation.
A one-day kickoff workshop brought together project staff, local authorities, and government offices to align on objectives and build on lessons from the 2023 initiative. The project was officially launched at community level, coinciding with the district’s 2024 watershed mobilization campaign. Over 450 participants, including local residents and officials, attended the event, which received media coverage and increased visibility for the project and its donors. These engagement efforts laid the foundation for long-term sustainability.
203 ha of Degraded Farmland Rehabilitated
The project successfully rehabilitated 203 hectares of degraded farmland and protected 197 hectares of communal land to strengthen household climate resilience and support long-term climate mitigation.
Training: A two-day capacity-building workshop on Integrated Landscape Management (ILM), Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) was conducted for 23 participants, including watershed committee members and government staff.
Watershed Assessment: The project team, alongside experts from Wolaita Soddo University, conducted detailed technical and baseline surveys using GIS, satellite imagery, and environmental modeling tools to measure indicators such as soil loss, vegetation cover, and carbon sequestration.
Integrated Landscape Management: Stakeholder coordination was fostered through ongoing dialogue and shared responsibilities among local actors, with community structures (WMC, EWC) taking active roles in protecting and managing the watershed.
Enclosure and Protection: An additional 197 ha of communal land was enclosed in 2024, bringing the total to 392 ha protected from livestock and human interference, monitored by locally appointed guards.
Natural Regeneration: Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and FMNR were expanded, particularly in less degraded areas. Ten model farmers were trained and involved in demonstration efforts, encouraging the spread of regenerative practices across communities.
Promoting Cut-and-Carry & Fodder Seedlings
To reduce free grazing and protect enclosed watershed areas, the project promoted a cut-and-carry system for livestock feeding. Awareness was raised among 800 community members, and a bylaw was adopted to regulate fodder use.
In 2024, 360 households received drought-tolerant fodder grass seedlings (50–200 per household), grown in the project-established nursery.
Soil and Water Conservation (SWC)
SWC structures were constructed on 400 ha of land (197 ha communal, 203 ha private), including:
- 50+ km of soil/stone bunds,
- 1,664 m³ stone and 1,724 m wooden check dams,
- 1,500 micro-basins, and
- 3 large water percolation ponds.
Over 700 community members contributed through paid labor and voluntary efforts. Additionally, 10 small household water ponds were built. These interventions improved moisture retention, supported seedling growth, and enhanced land productivity.
Seedling Production
The project supported the production of 120,050 tree seedlings—far exceeding the initial target of 80,000—through a 1.5 ha nursery managed by 10 trained and temporarily employed youth. The nursery was supplied with 93 kg of tree and fodder seeds, and the team received refresher training on seedling care and management. A rope and washer pump was installed to address water challenges. Plans to use banana leaf seedling bags were dropped due to poor durability.
Tree Planting on 400 ha
A total of 116,449 seedlings were planted—30,920 multipurpose, 39,865 agroforestry, and 45,664 fodder trees—on both communal (65,792 seedlings) and household land (50,657 seedlings). The planting was supported by water from 6 ponds and protected by local guards. With continued community watering, the survival rate reached 73.35%. Around 250 laborers were engaged under the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) for this effort.
Provide 360 households with fuel-saving stoves
Rural energy in Ethiopia mostly (for approximately 99%) depends on biomass (wood, cow dung, crop residues). Since fuel-wood is scarce in many rural areas, women and children travel long distances to collect firewood. With the objective not only to diminish women’s workload, but also to reduce households’ carbon emission and pressure on forest vegetation, the project provided energy-saving stoves for 360 poor households.
The stoves are produced from locally available materials by women groups organized and supported by the water, mine and energy office of Wolaita Zone. Orientation on the importance of the new type of stove and on how to use and maintain it was given by the producers at the distribution site.
Beekeeping as Alternative to Briquette Production
Due to a 250% price surge in briquette equipment, the planned support for two youth briquette groups was replaced with a beekeeping initiative. Ten young men received training and were equipped with 60 modern beehives and a shelter. A formal agreement linked their activities to watershed protection, and future support is planned through a related value-chain project.
Solar Energy for Households
The project provided solar panels to 16 households (reduced from the planned 20 due to budget limits), enabling access to lighting and phone charging. Beneficiaries were also connected to solar suppliers for sustainability.
Cooperative Formation for Carbon Trade
Building on earlier efforts, 800 households (up from 440) joined the Abaya Chokare Forest Development Cooperativeto access carbon trading opportunities. The cooperative is organized into six geographic groups and three committees, working closely with the Watershed Management Committee and supported by local government offices.
Strengthening the Early Warning Committee (EWC)
To enhance Community-Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR), the project trained 24 members from EWC and WMC on climate risk data collection, hazard identification, and contingency planning. A clear reporting link was established between EWC members and the Farmer Training Centre (FTC), ensuring timely information flow to relevant actors.
Empowering Communities through Training, SHGs, and Climate-Smart Agriculture
The project strengthened the Farmer Training Centre (FTC) in Abaya Chokare by equipping it with materials and assigning a dedicated expert to manage climate change-related data.
The FTC hosted all project trainings and became a model center for learning and knowledge sharing across sub-districts, particularly through its collaboration with the Early Warning Committee (EWC).
To promote economic empowerment and climate awareness, the project established 10 new self-help groups (SHGs), bringing the total to 32. These groups, comprising 199 women, received support in organizing, saving, and bookkeeping. Collectively, they saved ETB 159,200, enabling 62 members to start small businesses.
SHGs also served as platforms for climate-change advocacy, encouraging practices like tree planting and the use of fuel-saving stoves. Additionally, 99 SHG leaders received basic business skills training to further support their initiatives.
The project scaled up Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) by training 60 model farmers, who each mentored six peers, reaching 360 additional farmers. Training focused on farmer-to-farmer learning in areas like climate-resilient crops, livestock, backyard gardening, and agroforestry.
Monitoring was conducted jointly by district staff and local development agents, ensuring knowledge was applied effectively on the ground.
Promoting Moringa as Livestock Feed
The project promoted Moringa leaves as a climate-smart, high-nutrition livestock feed—an underutilized practice in the area. 65 model farmers (53 men, 12 women) received three days of training, supported by a livestock expert from Wolaita Zone. A simple training manual was developed to guide implementation.
While the original plan was to cascade the training to all 800 farmers through a peer-to-peer approach, time constraintsled the team to use mass awareness sessions during community gatherings to share knowledge on Moringa's benefits for animal nutrition.
In collaboration with the government expert, the project team developed a simple training manual, focused specifically on the use of Moringa as livestock feed.
It was planned to cascade the training by using the same approach as for the other CSA practices (see activity 2.5 above) and to thus address all 800 farmers living up- and downstream of the watershed.
However, due to time constraints, the project had to rely on mass mobilization for various community gatherings and to seize the opportunity to inform and give orientation to farmers on the use of Moringa leaves as livestock feed.
Sustainability and Impact
The project ensured sustainability across five dimensions. Social sustainability was achieved through strong community ownership, active participation in conservation works, and the establishment of bylaws for local committees. Technical and environmental sustainability were supported by simple, replicable technologies like soil and water conservation (SWC), fuel-saving stoves, and afforestation.
Financial sustainability was secured through government commitments to continue funding community guards. Institutionally, the project aligned with government priorities, strengthened the Farmer Training Centre (FTC), and became a model for other districts.
Effective monitoring and learning were carried out through regular field visits, baseline/end-line surveys, and final evaluations. Key lessons include the success of fuel-saving stoves in reducing firewood use and household expenses, and the importance of water ponds in maintaining tree plantations amid erratic rainfall.
These efforts were complemented by wide communication and visibility, with banners, signage, media coverage in Ethiopia, and web presence in Belgium.
Despite the challenge of rising briquette equipment costs, which led to a pivot to beekeeping, the project achieved strong multiplier effects. Model farmers and SHG members shared knowledge with peers and promoted sustainable practices.
The adoption of fuel-saving stoves reduced women's workloads, health risks, and deforestation while improving local economies. Beekeeping youth groups further committed to protecting natural resources, extending the project’s impact beyond its duration.