Farmer’s Perception on Soil Erosion and Land Degradation Problems and Management Practices in the Beressa Watershed of Ethiopia
Tesfa Worku Meshesha,
Sangharsh Kumar Tripathi
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 5, October 2016
Pages:
64-72
Received:
23 July 2016
Accepted:
2 August 2016
Published:
13 September 2016
Abstract: In Ethiopia erosion and land degradation on the livelihood resource had become a key issue, resulted for food insecurity and difficult to break through the poverty gap using subsistence farming. Previously implemented soil and water conservation practice were not halted the threat, because it was mass mobilization without detailed study of real situation and without convicting farmers. Over sighting the past experience, community based watershed management practice was recommended as a possible option against the ongoing problem. Therefore, this paper analyzed farmer’s perception on soil erosion and degradation problems and their management practice. From 92 randomly selected households using survey, formal and informal discussion with farmers and field observation were employed to generate the data. The result indicated that farmers were acknowledged the prevalence of soil erosion and land degradation in their watershed (93.5%) and affecting their livelihoods. However, mostly they noticed erosion and degradation when it forms gullies. They identified many prominent causes for natural resource degradation such as improper conservation practice, traditional farming practice, continuous cultivation without fallow periods, deforestation and over population. To tackle the ongoing problems, many ranges of conservation technologies were used by farmers. Following the intervention and rehabilitation practice, the rate of erosion and degradation overtime moderately reduced (58.7%). Though the practice was not demand driven and site specific management practice. Finally, this study concluded important points which needs immediate consideration for community based watershed management practice effort not only for the study area but also for the country at large are: Identifying and integrating technical as well as efficiency of indigenous and site specific and demand driven technology help to cope erosion and degradation hazard –hence increase short and long term benefit obtained from the practice.
Abstract: In Ethiopia erosion and land degradation on the livelihood resource had become a key issue, resulted for food insecurity and difficult to break through the poverty gap using subsistence farming. Previously implemented soil and water conservation practice were not halted the threat, because it was mass mobilization without detailed study of real sit...
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Chemical Analysis of Drinking Water Samples of Some Primary Schools from Magura District, Bangladesh
Md. Aminur Rahman,
Kamrun Nahar,
Sharif Md. Al-Reza
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 5, October 2016
Pages:
73-77
Received:
6 August 2016
Accepted:
12 September 2016
Published:
10 October 2016
Abstract: In order to ascertain water quality for human consumption, major and minor ions were evaluated in the drinking water supplied to the primary school students of Magura district in Bangladesh. Standard methods were used for determining physical and chemical characteristics of the water samples. Arsenic (As), Iron (Fe) and Manganese (Mn) contents of the drinking water samples were also analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The data showed the variation of the investigated parameter in water samples as follows: pH 7.29 to 8.93, Electrical Conductivity (EC) 343 to 3000 µS/cm, chloride 10 to 725 mg/l, hardness 130 to 790 mg/l as CaCO3, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 178 to 1530 mg/l, As Below the Detection Limit (BDL) to 0.012 mg/l, Fe 0.03 to 3.79 mg/l and Mn 0.03 to 0.66 mg/l. The concentrations of testing parameter in the drinking water samples were not permit all the sources of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Bangladesh Drinking Standards (BDS) water quality guideline values.
Abstract: In order to ascertain water quality for human consumption, major and minor ions were evaluated in the drinking water supplied to the primary school students of Magura district in Bangladesh. Standard methods were used for determining physical and chemical characteristics of the water samples. Arsenic (As), Iron (Fe) and Manganese (Mn) contents of t...
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