Contributions of Tendaho Irrigation Project to the Improvement of Livelihoods of Agropastoralists in the Lower Awash Basin, Northeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Asaita and Dubti districts in northeastern Ethiopia to assess the contribution of Tendaho Irrigation Project to the improvement of the livelihoods of agropastoralists. Various data collection methods, including questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and field observations were used. A total of 70 respondents were taken for questionnaire survey (35 from each districts). It has been found that irrigation agriculture, animal rearing and selling of fuel wood are the major sources of livelihood for the study population.  According to the key informants, 14, 532 hectare of land has been currently irrigated by the state and 12, 714 peoples are employed as permanent and temporary workers in the ongoing TIP. The livelihoods of the majority of respondents (74.3%) has improved due to the contributions of TIP with a significant difference at α 0.05 level. The difference in access and ownership of agropastoralists to the five livelihood assets before and after their involvement in TIP was found to be significant at α 0.01 level of significance. The TIP has facilitated the diversification of agropastoralists’ livelihoods in which 48.6%, 25.7% and 25.7% of respondents have invested in rural trade, urban trade and other source of livelihood, respectively. Generally collaborative irrigation resource management of TIP has enabled agropastoralists to improve and diversify their livelihood.  To make the contribution of TIP to the livelihood improvement of the local communities more and sustainable, their participation at all decision making that directly or indirectly affect their lives has to be assured