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Natural Resources Management
Experience has shown that the “piecemeal” approach to solving environmental problems seldom works and that the only way that they can be solved is through an integrated approach. As a unit for an integrated resource management, watershed has of late gained currency. It involves the management of not merely land, water and biomass, but also integrating such management with the efforts to ensure the self-reliance and holistic development of the poor. Accordingly, ASE’s natural resources management will adopt the integrated watershed management (IWSM) approach and take the following strategic measures:
- Define the watershed area (micro-watersheds, if necessary) and the pertinent stakeholders thereof, and discuss the stakeholders’ needs.
- Make the CBIs play the leading role in the management of the micro-watershed on behalf of their respective communities.
- Encourage the networking of CBIs, under bigger watersheds, and give them the support they need to manage the watershed, by developing among them a culture of negotiations, joint learning, management of common resources, etc.
- Make sure, as much as possible, that operational kebeles are chosen on the basis of the watershed they belong to, as this will make it easier for the apex CBI to run integrated watershed management programmes in a holistic manner. Extra care must, however, be taken not to marginalise highly food-insecure kebeles in the process. In other words, make sure that relatively better-off kebeles are not presented with this opportunity just because they are located in the domain of the watershed. Occasionally, two or more kebeles may be located on the less fertile and food-insecure side of a mountain, whereas others are located on the fertile side, where food production is not a serious challenge. In such cases, ASE has all along been showing preference for the less fertile and, therefore, more food-insecure kebeles. ASE will have to continue upholding this tradition.
- Hold consultative meetings with local government officials who have a say in the formulation of private and community agro-forestry policies and laws as well as in participatory forest management.
- Organise and support the environmental clubs established in the schools to advocate environmental issues and mobilise communities to rehabilitate and protect natural resources.
- Incorporate into the topics of CoLF’s social learning environmental issues and the management of common resources.
- Give training to the landless youth in non-agricultural skills.
- Give training to the landless youth in agricultural skills and encourage them to start up land-intensive agricultural business.
- Promote entrepreneurial skills and innovativeness in the rural areas of the country, with a view to reducing the number of land users.
- Give rural communities the support they need to improve on their indigenous knowledge about soil and water—focusing on promoting local innovativeness.
- Do a study on the land tenure system. Then, based on the findings thereof, undertake advocacy work at both the national and regional levels. But be sure to do it through the pertinent networks.
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