Farmers’ Perception of Integrated Watershed Management as a Climate Solution in Northern Ethiopia

Since 1997, the concept of using Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change has been recognized in the Ethiopian development strategies. While IWM has proven effective in reducing land degradation and enhancing socio-economic benefits, there is limited scientific evidence on local farmers’ perception of its role in adapting and mitigating climate change. This study, therefore, examines four micro-watersheds, two of which have implemented various IWM practices. Data were collected from 84 individuals using semi-structured questionnaires, focusing on climate change indicators such as temperature and precipitation fluctuations, desertification, drought, unexpected floods, land degradation and productivity. The data were stratified, grouped, and tabulated numerically. Results revealed that 83% of the respondents perceive areas near to the treated watersheds as more productive, resilient and less affected by the climate change variables compared to the untreated areas, even though both groups showed high awareness of climate change impacts. Respondents attributed the positive impact of the treated watersheds to increased community awareness of environmental management and the effectiveness of IWM practices in mitigating climate change. Overall, farmers believed that IWM practices have reduced the impacts of climate change and recommended scaling up the approach in areas that have not yet adopted the approach. Keywords: Soil and Water Conservation, Climate change indicators, Vulnerability, Resilience, Small-scale farmers