Indigenous Management of Wetlands: Experiences in Ethiopia by Alan Dixon

Author:Alan Dixon [Dixon, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781351723893
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 38506153
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-11-22T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 6.14 Dizi wetland

Figure 6.15 Anger wetland

Supe wetland

Supe wetland (Figure 6.16) is located on the southern tip of Bake Chora kebele, approximately 5 km south of Bake Chora wetland itself. The wetland is a partially cultivated headwater wetland, with some areas of cheffe located on the western margins and towards the outflow, which eventually forms the Anger River. As with the other headwater wetlands, the majority of the wetland’s water supply originates in the various springs which are found along the valley sides. Drainage of the upper wetland area consists of a central channel originating from the main spring, which is joined by several lateral channels also originating from springs. This channel extends to the middle reaches of the wetland where the wetland becomes narrow and the soil is shallow. This area exhibits conditions of waterlogging which the farmers associate with the shallow soil and the occurrence of rock outcrops. This area was cultivated until 1997 when farmers abandoned it as a result of problems associated with flooding. Below this area, the wetland becomes much broader and is characterized by the remains of a drainage network and regenerating cheffe vegetation, the area having been cultivated with maize as recently as 1997. This area and the fringes of the upper cultivated wetland area, which are dominated by grasses, are now used as communal grazing areas.

Soils in Supe wetland range in texture from silty clay in the topsoils (0 – 16 cm) with a dominance of clay below this depth (up to 180 cm) throughout the wetland. The pH of the soils varies spatially and with soil depth, although the overall pattern is one of decreasing pH with depth (between 4.31 to 4.91 in the topsoils decreasing to 3.42 at a depth of 102 – 160 cm).

Drainage and cultivation were initiated on the instructions of the landlord some 70 years ago, during the Haile Selassie era. According to farmers, the landlord first became interested in a wetland farming demonstration site set up by a Koran teacher who was living in the area. He then ordered his tenant farmers to adopt this new technology on their wetlands and at the same time he gave them ownership of half their wetland as motivation for guarding against pests. If a farmer did not plough his allocated wetland area, it was given to someone else. The present day allocation of wetland plots dates back to the Derg government when farmers say, only the wealthier households were allotted a wetland plot. Consequently, many of the farmers in the Supe catchment are not wetland owners.

The present day utilization of Supe includes the cultivation of maize, sugar cane, beans and vegetables. Cheffe is also harvested from the areas marginal to those under cultivation and during the dry season, cattle are given access to these areas. In addition, springwater is collected for human consumption. During the 1997 – 1998 season, the fertility of the wetland is perceived as poor, which is also indicated by the presence of the plants komate and tufo guracha.

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