Resettlement and Food Security Nexus in Ethiopia: A Case from Nonno Resettlement Sites, Central Ethiopia: Synopsis of a PhD Dissertation

Abstract

The overriding purpose of the dissertation was to investigate whether or not the current government-sponsored resettlement program (alternatively termed access to improved land program) is a successful option to attain sustainable food security and improved livelihoods in rural Ethiopia. In order to achieve the fundamental intent of the study, the necessary data were drawn both from primary and secondary data sources. Systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to select sample households both from the host and the resettler communities in and around the resettlement sites. Household sample survey, key informant interview, focus group discussions, story telling and field observations were the principal means of generating first hand data. As issues related to resettlement and food insecurity are very intricate, different techniques, indices, scales and models were applied to adequately address the objectives of the study. Livelihood frameworks, IRR Model and different food security indices were adopted to holistically examine the overall well-being and food security status of the resettler households. The results of the analyses revealed that quite a large number of the resettler households were able to produce sufficient food for their family at least for the moment. However, the current traditional agricultural production  systems seem to be environment-unfriendly and ruinous to the expected sustainable development in the area. Erratic rainfall, scarcity of moisture and soil degradation have been the main driving forces of impoverishment and food insecurity in the sending areas, and the subsequent massive and prolonged population displacement over the last couple of decades. The results and discussions of the study also show that resettlement-induced risks can be eased through comprehensive resettlement implementation strategy incorporating clear duties and responsibilities of the resettlers, the host, aid agencies, NGOs and government bodies. Environmental rehabilitation efforts in overworked areas and integrated watershed management practices can contribute a lot to enhance the livelihoods of the rural people within their ancestral areas. In cases when/where planned resettlement is inevitable, the following points should be taken into account to minimize possible risks: comprehensive planning, unhurried and deliberate implementation, well thought-out and genuine recruitment and site selection procedures, adequate understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental degradation as well as environmental protection practices, and efficient assistance to the resettlers.