CULTIVATING DEGRADED SLOPING LANDS AND MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN LEMO DISTRICT, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

In Ethiopia, land degradation has become a serious problem affecting all spheres of social, economic and political life of the population. The motive of the study was to examine the degraded sloping cultivating lands and management measures in Lemo District. Both primary and secondary data were produced by generating qualitative and quantitative data of 175 family heads were selected from three Kebeles by using systematic random sampling as it is believed that the families are similar with respect to the characteristics that the research output. The process of analysis of the study was supported out using qualitative description and quantitative detailed examination. The quantitative data were examined using statistical software for social science (SPSS) such as Frequency and percent. The qualitative data was debated to substantiate the study. The findings of the study indicated that decrease in production of farm land, involvement in off farm activities, increase in size of human population, lack of full cooperation of family members to involve in land management practices, low assistance gained from neighborhoods, less access to extension service and inadequate attention from Woreda Agriculture and Rural Development Office are the major challenges facing the implementation of land management practices in effective way. Awareness creation continuous training, resettlement program, creating opportunities for another means of livelihood and promoting NGOs effort to involve in land management measures help to solve the problem encountering land management practices in the study area