The SUN approach
in Amhara covers three main aspects: (i) organizational development
of land user communities and of their institutional and legal
framework (ii) conservation of soil and water resources through
physical and biological watershed treatment and (iii) innovative
agricultural produce, implements or income sources (e.g., triticale,
improved plough).
ECO’s accomplishment of this mission is based on an approach
of capacity building and organizational development. To ensure
a holistic development of watershed management, facilitation
and training is provided to local communities promoting technical
(bio-physical) and organizational issues. The technical training
comprises nursery establishment, gully and terrace stabilization,
spring development, irrigation dams, afforestation, enrichment
planting and access roads.
To this end the communities were familiarized with appropriate
land use mapping, participatory planning procedures as well
as drafting appropriate watershed management by-laws. Organizing
and empowering communities to take watershed development into
their hands required that a representative body (watershed association)
be institutionalized as a legal person mandated to set up a
binding and enforceable bylaw for natural resource use.
In addition the introduction and dissemination of Triticale
has been an efficient way of bringing about production and productivity
increases and thus improving household income and household
food supplies.
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