Integrated watershed development activities of the AMAREW Project have been initiated in Lenche Dima and Yeku pilot watersheds with the overall vision of promoting and demonstrating conservation-based agricultural development, thus alleviating the chronic food shortage in the project areas and improving the natural environment and resources. The watershed-focused approach ensures site-specific application of suitable interventions and active participation of the community.

The project areas are in the drought-prone woredas of Gubalafto and Sekota where a crop-livestock integrated farming system with very low productivity prevails. Major constraints to proper natural resources development include: severely degraded and infertile soils, water-caused erosion leading to formation of extensive and deep gullies, scarcity of fuel wood and construction materials, inadequate rainfall and recurring drought. Additional constraints affecting agricultural production negatively include: poor farming practices, shortage of oxen, labor, and improved seeds, small size and fragmented land holdings, shortage of animal feed, and insect, disease, and weed problems both in crops and livestock. Furthermore due to cash shortage, the ability of farmers to use improved inputs is very much limited. In general, the low level of agricultural productivity is the primary cause of low farm income, which in turn is a reason for low level of input utilization. Income generating activities, both on-farm and off-farm, are minimal or non-existent. The multitudes of reasons listed above have made the farmers in the project area food-insecure. Testimonials from farmers confirm that agricultural produce in a typical household is sufficient to feed them for only seven months of the year. To fill the household food deficiency gap, farmers commonly migrate to urban areas and other farms far away from their homes, seeking low-wage labor opportunities.

Goals: To improve the livelihood of the community in the watershed, and by extension the region, by increasing agricultural production and natural resource conservation through effective integration of research, extension, natural resource conservation, and micro-enterprise development.

Objectives: a) To reduce the current level of land and water resource degradation caused by soil erosion, overgrazing, and deforestation; b) To reduce the current shortage of fuel wood, fodder, and construction material; c) To increase crop production by using in situ soil moisture conservation, improved crop varieties, and integrated crop and pest management; d) To improve livestock production and productivity; f) To improve the overall income and living standard of the target community in the pilot areas; g) To test improved and alternative approaches in institutional and organizational issues through research and demonstration.

Strategy: A watershed-based natural resource conservation and agricultural development approach, with farmers' participatory and multidisciplinary problem/constraint identification, planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation will continue to be followed. This approach includes: a) Natural resource conservation and agricultural development considered for the entire watershed at once; b) Genuine community participation ensured during planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of proposed activities; c) Capacity building of the farmers through training and demonstration; d) Developing and deploying effective institutional linkages for implementing integrated watershed development

Expected outputs

• Soil erosion is minimized and better moisture conservation achieved

• Fuel wood and construction material made available

• Feed deficit improved and livestock productivity increased

• Crop production and productivity increased

• Skill of the local community in natural resource conservation developed

• Food deficit decreased, nutrition improved, overall farm income and standard of living improved

• Extension methodology on watershed-based resource conservation and agricultural development developed

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