1.BACkGROUND As in many sub-Saharan African countries, most rural households in Ethiopia depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and encounter the same basic problems. These include: •A near total dependence on rain-fed agriculture •Lack of agricultural inputs and marketing support •Use of mostly inappropriate farming technologies
The Harbu watershed. Paul Hebert for CRS.
•Incomplete knowledge of sound agricultural practices •Natural resource depletion and degraded environments due to massive soil erosion in hilly areas, deforestation, over-grazing of livestock and high rates of water runoff during the rainy seasons •Shrinking plot sizes for farming due to rapid population growth and segmentation of farmland •Lack of access to potable water and water for irrigation •Poor sanitation and knowledge of hygiene and good health practices •A lack of credit and savings for investment and other income generating activities These problems have led to massive levels of food insecurity, particularly in times of drought, conflict or other disasters, and in some cases destitution, requiring large amounts of food and other emergency aid. The health status of the rural population remains disturbingly low and access to basic services are mostly absent. Presently some 40% of rural households in Ethiopia remain food insecure. Despite the efforts of the government in the past few years to replant tree seedlings, forest cover continues to shrink, occupying no more than 3% of the land area in the country. Less than 5% of farmland in Ethiopia is under irrigation, less than 40% of households have access to clean and accessible water supplies, and less than 25% have access to sanitation.1 Since 2002, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has embraced a new strategy that seeks to address the above noted problems in a more comprehensive manner. The approach provides an integrated package of development inputs and mobilizes rural communities and local institutions as partners with a common vision. It uses the watershed as the primary focus for project interventions with the aim of protecting and managing the natural resources therein, as well as improving the livelihoods of households within the targeted area’s communities. Internal assessments of IWM projects implemented to date by CRS and its partners suggest that this approach is meeting with success in improving food security, health and livelihoods
“CRS uses the watershed as the primary focus for project interventions with the aim of protecting and managing the natural resources therein, as well as improving the livelihoods of households within the targeted area’s communities.”
of targeted households, while creating viable community based management structures necessary to sustain the benefits by these projects. This study is the first external evaluation of CRS’ IWM program.
1 . 1 g E o g R A P H I C L o C AT I o N S o F T H E I W M P R o j E C T S CRS/Ethiopia initiated the IWM strategy in 2002 with the implementation of the Harbu IWM project. This idea of integrating the different development activities within a defined geographical territory was born during the first Development Assistance Proposal (DAP I) 1 Data from World Food Programme, UNOCHA and FAO interviews.
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