Revista de biodiversidad y especies en peligro de extinción

Assessment of Socio-Economic Role of Yushania alpina in Dawuro Zone, Essera District, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Abstract

Bekele Tona Amenu

Bamboo (Yushania alpine) known as highland bamboo is a perennial, multipurpose and fast-growing plant that supports local livelihoods in many ways. However, for long its uses have been limited to traditional applications. Although bamboo has quit high distribution and widely utilized by a large number of local communities in Ethiopia, little baseline information on its livelihood support and domestication status exist for several areas. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic roles of Yushania alpine in the Essera district, Zadi Shamity kebele of Dawuro Zone, SNNP Region. The study used a combination of methods to achieve the set objectives. The socio-economic survey involved formal and informal interviews and observations. On the farm, the bamboo stock was assessed using farm-level inventory. For socio-economic data collection, a formal (questionnaire) survey was administered on 60 respondents. The respondents were selected from one peasant kebele; this kebele was purposefully selected among the 29 kebeles within the district. This selection was based principally on accessibility and abundance of bamboo resources, use and marketing history. The results showed that the aggregated contribution of bamboo to the gross household income is found to be only 11% of the total, which is very less than the income from agriculture (30%). The income generated from bamboo ranks second in importance as sources of household income. Bamboo is used for a variety of traditional applications include construction, fencing, fodder, household furniture, fuel-wood and as a cash source. Almost 96% of households have been started bamboo cultivation on their land and wasteland. Among these, almost above the average respondents (71%) of the respondents) had inherited their bamboo stands from parents. The major push factors for cultivation/domestication in their order of importance are increasing bamboo use for different household purposes, income generation and depletion of bamboo in the natural stand. In conclusion, promotion, training and market facilitation for better economic incentives from bamboo may win increased local people participation bamboo cultivation, which may ultimately lead to better conservation and utilization of bamboo.