common property resource management in ethiopia-jravishanker 1999

CASE STUDIES Common Property Resource Management in Ethiopia. CNETRAL TIGRAY

as part of Triangular Institutional Cooperation between India Ethiopia & Norway.

by Ravi Shanker.

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Woreda Profile:

Wori leke Woreda Worie Leke woreda is one of the 35 woredas of the region located in the central zone

surrounded by Ahferom woreda in north, Koua Fembien and Hawzen woreda in the east

and Naedel Adet woreda in the south.

The woreda is characterised by low and midland climates. It has 24 Tabias with 85

Kushets inhabited by 123556 population.

Worie Leke woreda has 34 schools out of which 6 are junior secondary, one is high

school and 27 are primary schools. In addition the woreda has 6 clinics, 2 health posts

and 1 health centre.

Pertaining tap water apart from the tap water installed in Edagarbi, Maikental and

Nebelet towns, REST has developed 70 hand dug wells and 9 springs in rural areas. The

Woreda capital is recently getting connected to the main road by all weather road in

addition to dry weather roads connecting to woreda capital from all villages; constructed

by mobilising people.

In the woreda 5 earth dams are constructed by REST one of which is yet to be finished

in the near future.

In the woreda people participate in SWC works by free mobilisation, where ever adult

member if the community participates for 20 days a year and also by food for work on

selected catchment. Reforestation is also a major activity of the REST and government.

The activity is implemented from seedlings raised in 8 central and 18 community

nurseries. In 1997, 3.5 million seedlings and 2.7 million seedlings were planted in both

communal and private plantation sites.

In the woreda SWC AND ac STARTED IN 1989. However later in 1992 it was

strengthened. The woreda has planned to redistribute degraded open access areas to

the landless in 3 pilot Tabias and one of them is Kolla Geble.

The area closure in each Tabia is implemented based on adoption by laws or in some

cases by discussed and agreed points. Hence some Tabias don’t have written by laws.

In the woreda REST intervenes in SWC, reforestation, dam construction, community

seed banks, farmer trainings, poultry development, rural credits and other projects.

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CPRs found in the woreda Area closures, Hizaiti, Open access areas and Communal

wood lots, Water bodies, as well as communal plantation sites. Area closures and

Communal plantation sites are taken care of by Development committee of each Tabia.

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CASE STUDY .I. Arena Tabia 1. INTRODUCTION & HISTORY: i.) Profile:

Arena Tabia (village) is found in the eastern part of worlek woreda about 30 km., away

from the woreda capital Edaga Arbi. The Tabia is characterised by low land climate with

medium altitud range of 1600 to 1800 m., above sea level. The Tabia have 4 Kushats

(hamlets) with scattered settlements in which 1250 households (HH) brining the total

population to 5000.

According to key informants the severe forest degradation started to occur since 1949

mainly due to lack of awareness, improper government policies, increased population

pressure, drought re-occurrence etc.

Before 1949 the area was in very good situation that forests and grasses were so

apparent that milk production was there through out the year by private land owners.

People in the study village said that earlier they used to have milk even in dry seasons

but since few decades it has became difficult to get in rainy season also. Since then the

frequency of drought increased from decade to decade and biodiversity of the Tabia

diminished.

Since 1973 the grass production also decreased very much affecting the quality and

quantity of livestock and its production. However still the cattle population of Arena

Tabia is 2608 with another 3864 shoats and 260 pack animals contributing to the huge

livestock population.

TABLE .1.

LIVESTOCK POPULATION

Live stock Number

Oxen 588

Cows 885

Heifer 369

Calf 298

Young ox 486

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Goat 1989

Sheep 1875

The Tabia has about 1500 ha., cultivable land, 1650 ha., unclosed common land and

320 ha., is closed area.

Teff being the major crop, Sorghum and Maize occupied second and third positions.

However, Barley, Hanfets as well as Lentil and Millet are also in small quantities.

The economy is largely based on livestock production and dry land farming. There is

also practice of land lease-in and land lease-out, even though there is no clear private

land ownership titles. Like wise crop sharing is experienced on beehives where the bee

owner takes 50% of the produce and the caretaker share the rest.

Even though the society is patriarchal, female household heads are quite in significant

number(42%). Despite this share their representation in the Tabia council and Baito is

10% in both. Most of them are orthodox Christians who respect very many off (holiday)

in a year which might be affecting their agriculture production.

ii.) Qualitative Changes:

There are different mass organisations which embrace different sections of the

community, like the Women association, Youth association, Farmer’s association,

Savings and Credit groups apart from Tabia association and Development committee.

Different programme interventions carried out in Tabia, by Relief Society of Tigray are

Area Closures (AC), reforestation, community seed bank, bull service, rural credit and

saving. Most of the works are implemented in technical collaboration with the Dept. of

Agriculture and Natural Resource Development, as well as close participation in Woreda

and Tabia administration, in developmental activities.

2. COMMON POOL RESOURCES IN ARENA & PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

Common pool resources in Arena are the Area closures, Communal plantations, Hizaiti

and Open grazing lands. Out of this Area closures occupied 320 ha., of the land area

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and unclosed common lands were in 1650 ha. In addition there are areas occupied by

water bodies like streams, gullies etc. Five of the six streams are stated perennial.

TABLE .2.

MAJOR LAND RESOURCES OF ARENA TABIA (Ha.)

kUSHATS Culti. Per

HH

Op.

Land

Per

HH

Area

Clos.

Per

HH

Total

Clos.

Total

HH

Perc

ent

%

HH

Ira Suru 220 0.8 550 1.9 120 0.4 890 3.1 26% 0.92

Guanda 280 1.3 300 1.4 55 0.3 635 3.0 18% 0.73

Missana 680 1.5 450 1.0 85 0.2 1,21

5

2.6 35% 0.59

Bet Nigus 320 1.2 350 1.3 60 0.2 730 2.6 21% 0.70

Total 1500 1650 320 3,47

0

100

%

Percentage 43% 48% 9% 100

%

Average 1.2 412.

5

1.4 80.0 0.3 2.8 0.7

Per capita 0.30 0.08 0.02 0.70

land holding

In tsimdi 1.21 0.33 0.06 2.80

In m2 3022 831 161 6990

i.) Area Closures and Communal Plantations:

the area closure is a woodland dominated by Acacia and other Trees. The soils in Tabia

are red leptosol, highly degraded with shallow depth and medium to coarse texture. The

area closure (AC) are divided among 4 Kushats and every year more area covered under

A C, based on tabia Baito and peoples decision. According to the informants, the AC

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have brought about increased wildlife, more woody and shrub vegetation and dense

grass species. In addition it has impact on decreasing erosion of top soils, attracting

rains and improving micro climate.

The area closures were initially meant for environmental rehabilitation but at the same

time usufruct right issues are also coming up. People perceived that environmental

degradation, particularly loss of forests as main cause of drought and famine they

suffered in the last few decades. This seems to have motivated the local people not only

to maintain but also expand the closure areas (AC) from year to year. Fortunately the

conservation measures like stone bunding is taken-up in highly degraded hill sides and

regeneration promoted proved beneficial. The communal plantations (CP) are exercised

in some closed areas as an enrichment planting also came up well.

TABLE .3.

TREE SPECIES IN AREA CLOSURES AND COMMUNAL PLANTATIONS

SCIENTIFIC NAME TIGRINA NAME

Acacia etbaica E

Acacia tortilis E

Acokanthera shimperi D

Albizia amare E

Balanites aegiptica E

Carissa edulis D

Dichrostachys cinera D

Diospyros mespiliformis D

Dodonaea angustifolia E

Euclea schimperi E

Faidherbia albida E

Ficus sur E

Grewia arythraea D

Grewia bicolor D

Grewia species D

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Grweia flavescens D

Mimusops kummel D

Ximenia americana D

Ficus vasta E

Ziziphus spina-christi E

Eucalyptus camaldulensis N

Rhamnus prinoides N

Sesbania sesban N

Leucaena leucocephala N

Key, E = Existing; D = Disappeared; N = New.

ii.) Open Grazing and Hizaiti Lands:

Huge portions of the Arena Tabia is under open access forming up to 1650 ha., with

sparse trees. Some portion is also under Hizaiti serves the community as source of

fodder for grazing in the cropping season as well as centre for fuel wood collection

(80%). The open grazing area found in all tabias most of it being adjacent to each other

and intercepted by part of cultivable lands were ever convenient. The area is open

accessed by all the cattle in the Tabia but not for animals from other tabias. This is

mainly to protect the livestock disease getting transferred to the Tabia animals but not

to regulate the resource use. The animals at Kushat level graze in their open access

areas as it is found more convenient. About 93% of fodder demand is met by open

grazing followed by agriculture residues.

3. INSTITUTIONAL ARRIANGEMENTS WITH REFERENCE TO CPRs:

The Development Committee (DC) is in-charge of all CPRs and other developmental

interventions in the Tabia. The DC comprises of Baito deputy chairmen as its Chair, two

members from Women’s association, two members from Youth association, one

extension agent and one member from Farmer’s association. Extension agent is involved

in the committee merely for technical assistance. It is DC which executes the decisions

of general assembly members and also which drafts agenda for discussions by

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committee. The DC is also responsible to Tabia council and also to the Tabia biato. The

Tabia council has 100 members out of which 10 are women and the rest are men.

Under the DC at Kushat level ‘Abo 30s’ are formed as responsible entities for 30

members each for all extension and execution of all the developmental activities at

Kushat level including the CPR management.

i.) Area Closure initiatives and Status:

In Arena AC started in 1993. According to informants the AC initiated by developing a

land use plan through technical assistance from the Department of Agriculture and

Natural Resources Development. The land use plan was ratified by general assembly

and since then the community recruited paid guard to take care the closures(AC) as well

as the wild life in it at Kushat level. After the ratification the DC delineated the area

closure and overall administration was taken care by it based on Serite (‘By-law’s)

ii.) Benefit sharing:

Initially the Area closure was meant for environmental rehabilitation. However at later

stage the community agreed to harvest grasses by cut and carry system to stall feed the

live stock. Since last 2 years farmers decided to share the grass equitably among

households. When grasses are scarce the community nominates more needy people to

share the available grass from the closure (AC).

In addition farmers cut grass for common purposes like nursery shades, school

construction etc. For this they take up operations in groups.

TABLE .4.

GRASS PRODUTION AND DISTRIBUTION IN 1998.

Total grass

production in

bundles

(@ 30 kg./bundle)

AS

FODDER

NURSERY

SHADE

WATCHMEN THACHING

HOUSE

280 100 160 20 0

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Some of the respondents said that they are also benefited by hunting birds found

specifically in AC. Ofcourse they said that they hunt when the birds were out of the AC

as hunting in closures is prohibited. With the re-establishment of vegetation honey

production is also increased as bees could collect more nectar from closures and

communal plantations.

4. OUTCOME The Resource Management Situation:

i.) Constraints:

• It is found that there is no rehabilitation measures taken-up in the un-closed open

access areas like grazing lands which are also part of CPRs. This is very much

needed to make the open access lands more productive to meet future demands.

• With the restriction of closure (AC) people and cattle are deprived of tree and fodder

use freely pressurising the unclosed areas proportionally.

• Even though it is executed in phased manner (ACs), with out any improvement

measures in open access areas, it would be difficult to meet the increasing fodder

and fuel demand.

• Arena Tabia however restricted the entry of cattle from other tabias to check on

decease transfer among the Tabia livestock. But with in Tabia the disease transfer or

at Kushat level livestock disease incident may raise in open grazing lands in future.

This problem is already reported in few Kushats.

• High rate of erosion in open access areas as they were not treated, decreasing

productivity of fodder and fuel is also observed as a challenge in managing the new

CPR situation.

ii.) Positive Outcomes:

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• In the Area closure trees and bushes are regenerating

• Grasses are increasingly growing from year to year

• Wild life including those which were disappeared are again inhabiting in ACs.

• Erosion of top soils substantially decreased.

• Local people also traced a positive relation between regeneration and increasing

rainfall.

• People perceived the re occurrence of drought decreased mainly because of ACs.

• There is increased availability of fruits.

iii.) Development Options;

a. Closed areas

• Plantation of fodder trees in communal plantation areas and enriching ACs by the

same is important.

• Incorporation of livestock management plan along with expanding the area closures

as they will pressurise open access areas

• Giving more emphasis for expansion of private woodlots to fulfil fuel wood, timber

and farm implements and NTFP needs of the community.

• Area closures need integration with more appropriate physical conservation

measures in areas where the rate of revival is low.

• With the increasing productivity of ACs there needs a comprehensive usufruct rights

at biato level.

b. Open access areas:

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To increase the productivity of grazing lands measures should be adopted to cope the

changing land use patterns. Over sowing of grass seeds and land improvement

measures may help to meet increasing fodder demand.

• More fodder crop trees could be encouraged on some of the grazing lands.

c. Institutional and Resource management

• Women involvement in CPR management can be strengthened

• Serits can incorporate long term benefit sharing mechanisms like timber harvest in

future.

• Strict live stock protection from wildlife and mechanisms to guard them in future to

reduce possible conflicts arising out of it.

• Providing clear usufruct rights to the community over Area closures

• Adoption of integrated SWC works for total treatment of the micro environment

CASE STUDY: KOLLA GEBLE

1. Village Characteristics.

Kola Geble Tabia is located in the Wori-leke woreda falling under the central region of

Tigray. The Tabia is about 10 Km North East of Edaga Arbi, the woreda head quarters.

The Tabia is in the middle altitude range with an average altitude of about 2000 m.a.s.l.

The Tabia has four Kushets; namely Hibret, Serdi, Hayelom and Wuhdet with scattered

settlements.

Demography: The Tabia consists of 1175 households with a population of 5115. Out of

the total households 495 are female headed. As per the small (n=15) household survey

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conducted for the study, the Tabia had a literacy rate of 34% and a sex ratio of 112.

The population is predominantly consists of people who are orthodox Christians.

The major occupation of the households in the Tabia is agriculture. A few households

also reported pursuing some non-farm occupation like pottery, masonory and area

closure watchmen. At the same time most of the households also reported food for work

programme as an important source of income and employment particularly during lean

season. Working on others farm for wage is also prevalent among some households.

The average landsize as per the sample survey is about 1.7 tsimdi (0.4 hectare). The

practice of land leasing on share cropping basis could be observed among the

households.

Occupations Percentage of

households

Agriculture 100%

Agricultural labourer 20%

Non-farm 27%

Others including food for work 93%

The important livestock owned by the household in the Tabia are oxen, cow, sheep,

goats, and donkeys. At the same time households also rear poultry birds and beehives

(see table). While the oxen is maintained for draft purposes; the other livestock like

goats, cows and poultry birds, are reared for meeting both food and cash needs of the

households.

Livestock Average per household

Oxen 1.5

Cows 0.8

Goats 2.8

Poultry 1.7

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Fodder and fuel sources: The fodder needs of the livestock are met from crop residues,

fodder trees, open grazing on common and private lands and share of grass from the

controlled grazing land. Some of the households also purchase fodder from other

households in the village. Own trees on fields and backyard and cowdung are the major

sources of fuel for the household.

2. Common Pool Resources:

The resource mapping done with the villagers (see map) revealed the existence of the

following common pool resources in the Tabia: the enclosed area (Deni), the community

plating area (Dagme gereba), controlled grazing land(Hizati), open grazing land, and a

rivulet called May Macheba. These CPRs are found in all the four Kushets of the Tabia.

The rivulet however, only passes through two Kushets (Serdi and Wuhdet).

The area under enclosure is the delineated open access land which is brought under

community's protection for regeneration. The community plantation area is again the

land under community's protection being treated with enrichment planting. The open

access area is the grazing land with year round access for the livestock. In the controlled

grazing land the community protects for about four months in a year and harvests the

grass with a provision for open access grazing during the rest of the year.

The land use classification of the Tabia is given in the following table.

Land type Area (ha) Percentage

Area enclosure 65.5 15.0

Community planting 71.5 16.0

Controlled grazing 15.0 3.0

Open grazing 15.0 3.0

Cultivable land 267 62.0

Total area 434 100

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The cultivable land with 62 percent of the total area constitute the major land use

category followed by community plantation (16%), Area enclosure (15 %) and Open

and Controlled grazing (6 %).

Forests:

The village forests as recalled by the local people were quite dense in the past with

diverse flora and fauna. The different tree species exiting in the past were Kileow,

Tambok, Agam, Kebkeb, Aulie, Atat, Chiendog, Atkaro, Chea, Gka, Lehay, Mengi and

Bewak.

The forests, however got degraded over the years for many reasons. As attributed by

the people, growing population pressure led to clearing of forest land and trees for

cultivation, building houses and meeting fuel wood needs. The lack of awareness among

people about the need for protecting forests, absence of conducive leadership and policy

and war conditions in the past led to neglect and destruction of forests. The land

distribution (1976-93) further resulted in temporary lack of security of land ownership

leading to both large scale felling of trees on private lands and reduced incentive to

plant new trees. In addition, the regime of open access to common lands characterised

by lack of clear regulations led to overuse and fast depletion of trees.

The forest degradation according to the people brought in its wake problems like

reduced rains (from four to two months in a year), droughts and soil erosion. The village

rivulet which was perennial in the past became seasonal in the process forcing people to

go to far-off places to fetch drinking water.

The people now feel that the environmental and forest conditions are changing for the

better since the initiation of the Area Enclosure programme in 1993. They are now able

to visualise changes like increased regeneration, improved rainfall, reduced soil erosion

and revival of the rivulet.

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3. Organisation, Institutions and Decision Making:

The Tabia Baito is the main decision making body in the Tabia for all matters including

the Area Enclosure programme. The Baito by ensuring participation of the people has

been playing a major role in the implementation of area enclosures. The Biato mainly

functions through various committees. The development committee headed by the

deputy chairman of the Biato is in charge of executing all decisions of the Biato

regarding area enclosure. The extension agent from the woreda who is also a member

of the Biato's executive committee helps the Biato by providing all the needed technical

help and advice.

The clear cut land delineation and demarcation in 1993 of the earlier open access area

was the first major step taken by the Biato towards the implementation of the area

enclosure programme. The demarcation of open access land for the purpose of

protection and grazing has been done mainly by taking into consideration the needs of

the people in terms of meeting their fodder requirement of their livestock. The strategy

is to expand area enclosure in a phased manner. The Biato has also framed a by-law for

the purpose of protection and conservation under the enclosed and community planting

area. The by-law as approved by the general assembly of the Tabia, mainly deals with

the fines and penalties to be imposed on people for causing any damage to the trees in

the protected area. The Biato has also appointed a watchman who is paid by the REST

for the purpose of keeping vigil over forest. The households are allowed to cut trees

either in the protected area or on their own farm only after obtaining permission from

the Biato and by establishing the genuiness of the need for wood. People in general are

also expected to keep a vigil on their own and bring to the notice of the Biato any case

of the violation of the by-law.

Afforestation: In the enclosed area the afforestation is being attempted mainly

through natural regeneration. There is complete protection of the area from the forays

of people and livestock for fuel and fodder respectively. In the community plantation

area the villagers have taken up enrichment planting with local and new species like,

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Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Acacia saligna, Leucaena leucocephala, and Sesbania sesban.

The local nursery being supported by REST is the main source of different species

planted in the area. In both the enclosed and community plating area extensive soil and

water conservation measures have been taken up by way of stone bunding and

terracing. The soil and water conservation work is being undertaken by both food for

work programme as well as voluntary contribution of labour by all households in the

Kushet.

At the same time encouragement is being given to agroforestry by the Biato. The main

aim is to promote tree growing on private fields so that the households are able to meet

the requirements of the fuel wood and timber from their own lands there by reduce the

pressure on the protected area.

The rivulet which is facing the problem of serious of soil erosion due to the runoff from

the catchment also has received the attention of the Biato. The Biato worried over the

problem has attempted prevention of erosion by gully plugging and plantation. At the

same time the Biato has distributed the gully areas of the rivulet in small plots to the

land-less house holds with the hope that they would take up conservation measures and

help in preventing soil erosion in the rivulet.

4. Outcome

The area enclosure with its main focus on rehabilitation of degraded environment

through conservation, protection and regeneration seems to have brought about many

perceptible changes. The entire policy has been perceived quite positively by the local

people. The people feel that the leadership of TPLF has created a new awareness

among them about the need for protection and regeneration of the forest. For them

now cutting a tree is equal to killing a human being. Such an attitudinal change has

helped in ensuring wholehearted participation of the people in the programme of area

enclosure. At the same time the programme being a highly decentralised in nature has

given a major role and say for the people and their grass roots representatives in all

aspects of its implementation.

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As a result of the area enclosures people are visualising quite a few positive changes in

the local environment. They feel that the forests are regaining their past status. Not only

new species of trees have come up as a result of plantation, but also many of the past

trees are being regenerated. These include Tahises, Keliaw, Chendog, Kabkab, Meng,

Chea, Tambuk, Gaka. The regeneration has brought in new greenery, fresh air, and

many fauna to the area.

The increased wild life has now provided them scope for hunting for meeting their food

needs. There is now more forage available for their bees. The trees are attracting more

rains. The duration of rainfall, which had got reduced to 2 months, has now reached a

total of 4 months. The rivulet now flows for a longer period, helping farmers along its

course to raise even a second crop. A new spring has also come up in one of the

Kushets easing the acute water problem of the house holds; they even mentioned the

availability of enough water now to prepare the threshing ground.

The new management of commons and grazing land has increased the grass production

in the Tabia. In 1998, as per the extension agent, 257 bundles of grass could be

produced from the enclosed area alone. The agroforestry also seems to have produced

encouraging results, the farmers are able to raise a wide variety of trees and shrubs like,

Eucalyptus camaldulesis, Croton mycrostachys, Opuntia ficus, Cordia aficana, and

Becium grandiflorum (Tebeb). The agroforestry has helped them greatly in meeting their

needs of fuel wood, fodder and timber, and reducing the pressure on the protected

area.

While the people in general are satisfied with the present progress and management of

the area enclosure programme, they also want the area under enclosure to be expanded

further. One major constraint in the expansion is the limited area available from the

open access in the Tabia. Any plan of expansion for enclosure is at the expense of open

access area available for grazing and collecting fuel wood. At the same time the

production of grass even from the existing area is found inadequate to meet the

demand. The management and distribution of grass has even been found to be

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unsatisfactory at least by households in two of the Kushets. In Serdi Kushet the grass

from the controlled grazing area could not be harvested in time as the people could not

arrive at a mutually convenient date. The issue of inequitable distribution of grass

among house holds in Hayelom Kushet, also came up from the house hold survey. The

people interviewed stated that the grass was shared among a few rich farmers and the

site guard.

Certain issues of future concern regarding the management of the enclosed area also

could be discerned. While people feel for the further strengthening the programme in

terms of proper protection and soil and water conservation measures; many households

expected that their needs for timber could be met in future once the trees mature.

However, the present species selection for plating does not fully match with the

preference of the local people and their needs. In addition the need to increase fodder

and fuel has to get adequate attention as the present management and situation find

these two items competing for space with the area enclosure.

The Tabia leadership seems to be well aware of some of the above concerns. The

overall developmental strategy is to bring about self reliance among the households by

increased production of food and bio-mass and there by reducing their dependence on

relief measures. As regards area enclosures the aim is to provide more benefits to the

people in terms of employment and income by pursuing forest based activities like

woodcutting and bee-keeping. Though the present by-law mainly deals with

conservation and protection, the leadership is of the view that they would amend their

by-law appropriately to take car of such future needs of the community.

----0---

common property resource management in ethiopia-jravishanker 1999

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