Institutional Functionality in Participatory Integrated Watershed Development of Tana Sub-Basin, Ethiopia

Gebremedn Tesfaye, Tena Alamirew, Asfaw Kebede and Gete Zeleke
Additional contact information
Gebremedn Tesfaye: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dilla University, P.O. Box 419, Dilla, Ethiopia
Tena Alamirew: Water and Land Resource Center, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 3880, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Asfaw Kebede: Institute of Technology, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Haramaya, Ethiopia
Gete Zeleke: Water and Land Resource Center, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 3880, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Land, 2018, vol. 7, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Sustaining watersheds that were developed through community mobilization are a major challenge in Ethiopia despite significant efforts to promote soil and water conservation technologies and approaches. This paper investigates the hypothesis that institutional rationality and functionality play an important role in developing enduring watersheds by comparing the good performing Model research watersheds and adjacent watersheds developed through extensively promoted community mobilization. A semi-qualitative research method was used by applying a multi-stage purposive sampling technique for selecting sample respondents. Based on the new institutional economic theory, twelve effective institutional indicators were devised for the evaluation. Questionnaires were designed and tested to solicit respondents’ perceptions on these indicators. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. The results showed that significant differences were observed between the two watershed groups in relation to good interaction (p = 0.03) and technical rationality (p = 0.04). Most of the institutional characteristics and rationalities that led to better performance in the case of the Model research watershed were lacking in the community watersheds. In the Model watersheds, effective institutional characteristics and rationalities contributed to enhanced natural resource conservation, increased incomes, improved household food security, and provided additional social benefits. The most important lesson is that close follow-up and informed engagement leads to a speedy recovery and the sustainability of Community watersheds from implementing modest re-orientation of the existing institutional arrangements.

Keywords: watershed; institutional setup and functionality; community mobilization; rationality; sustainability; Tana Basin; Ethiopia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:4:p:130-:d:180922

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