Settling Semi-Nomadic Pastoralists in the Awash Valley

Abstract

The nomadic areas of Ethiopia cover nearly two thirds of the country's land area and provide livelihood to 10 per ce'(lt of the population. The' traditional produ.ction systems in the areas dominated by pastoralism' are increasingly failing to support the subsistence needs of the people due to ecological changes, expansion of irrigated agriculture, opening up of national parks and over stocking on the remaining lands. These developments have lead to the cf,eation of destitute groups of nomads without a means of subsistence. There are rural development programmes introduced to ttansform the way of life of particularly ,of pastoralist nomads. Among these programmes the most radical is the settlement programme. Settlemen.t programmes are intro'duced to promote the welfare of the nomads, to utilize water and land resources efficiently and to promote political stability in the areas. This paper is a review of the experience of nomadic pastoralists in the Awash Valley which is the most developed farms among the nomadic regions. It shows that the settlement farms in the area have failed to achieve their objective of transforming the nomads into sedentary cash crop producing fanners., The prolbJems encountered or the farms are discussed in order to draw lessons f'or the future settlement farms that are to be established in the nomadic areas.