THE CONTRIBUTION OF LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED UNDER PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET PROGRAM, GUBALAFTO WOREDA, AMHARA REGION

Abstract

Gubalafto Woreda of Amhara National Regional State. It focused to provide new insights in the study area in particular, and to implicate in North Wollo zone and Amhara regional state in general by employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Applying the qualitative approach involved the use of key informants selected by purposive sampling based on criteria like level of involvement, social responsibility in the community, knowledge and experience in PSNP-NRM projects, while in the quantitative method respondents were selected through random sampling disaggregated by public work, direct support, agro ecology, sex and age. In identifying target Kebeles for the study, non-probability sampling technique was applied using criterion of existence of all types of PSNP-NRM projects and activities in the kebele. Stata was the statistical tool used and ordered logistic regression model was applied in analyzing the data. Two objectives were focused in assessing practices of participation and issues of sustainability of the 10 PSNP-NRM projects under this study whereas the third objective was analyzing the effect of participation of local community on the sustainability of PSNP-NRM projects. Results show that, practices of true participation of local community in the PCMs of the 10 projects was poor. It was mostly limited to the execution phases. The issues of sustainability of those projects were also alarming that strategies have to be designed to ensure it. Sustainability was assessed based on 13 indicators (two indicators for environmental sustainability, two indicators for economic sustainability and 9 indicators for social sustainability) and the result showed that one project never met all the three pillars of sustainability at a time, that again indicated none of the projects are fully sustained, they all were found to be partially sustained. From the biological PSNP-NRM projects, area closure performed better as compared to others and nursery management /seedling plantation performed poorer than others. From physical PSNP-NRM projects, potable water development performed better and rain water harvesting performed poorer than others when measured against the sustainability criteria /indicators/. Effect of participation in PCMs of PSNP-NRM projects was statistically significant on environmental sustainability (indicator-wise use of project outcomes), social sustainability (indicators-job opportunity/security, establishment and running of CBOs and availability and access of social services). It was however statistically insignificant on economic sustainability (indicatorsincrease productivity/production and sale of products/byproducts.