Abstract

Soil erosion is the most limiting environmental factor for crop production in Ethiopia, particularly Southern Regional State. To reverse the land degradation problem, many indigenous and introduced soil and water conservation interventions were implemented in different parts of Ethiopia. However, this practice is not well documented and known in South-central zones. The current study has been initiated to assess the indigenous and introduced soil and water conservation practices in the Gurage and Silte zone. As a method; Key informant interview, Focused group discussion, observation through transect walk was used as a source of data. Key informant interviews has been conducted at zonal and woreda level to group two representative woredas per zone and three representative kebeles per woreda. Based on the key informant interviews, Sankura and Alicho-wuriro woreda from the Silte zone, whereas Meskan and Gummer woreda from the Gurage zone was selected based on their adoption potential of both indigenous and introduced soil and water conservation practices. From each selected woreda, three representative kebeles from highland, middle land, and low land were selected. Focus group discussion has been conducted with the involvement of women, Youth and Elders who have long experience in the area about soil and water conservation practices at selected kebeles. Several introduced and indigenous soil and water conservation practices has been identified. However, lack of ignorance by farmers to periodically maintain the structures aggravating soil erosion in their field. Unlike indigenous conservation structures, construction and design of each introduced conservation structures has not been based on technical standards of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). It has been recommended that the identified indigenous and introduced conservation measures which have a better role in reducing soil erosion in cropland should be scaled. The implemented conservation measures in different parts are different in their dimensions during field measurement, and their variation should be scientifically proven. Finally, in most parts, the constructed engineering measures should be periodically maintained and integrated with biological conservation measures.