Transforming Konso towards Green Economy through Integrated Land Management

Academic Paper from the year 2018 in the subject Agrarian Studies, language: English, abstract: This article examines the drivers, pressures, and impacts of land degradation on the ecosystem services and livelihood of the Konso people. To deal with the problem of land degradation, the People of Konso have been practicing well organized and innovative adaptation strategies in the form of indigenous soil and water conservation. The people are well known for their indigenous knowledge and skills of land management. Particularly, the antique and beautiful terraces, traditional agro forestry practices, and efficient irrigation methods are the prominent features of the Konso agricultural system. The people have been a model for the global community and their cultural landscape was registered by the UNESCO as one of the worlds heritage sites. The indigenous soil and water conservation practices have enabled the community to manage and live in a callous natural environment. However, these practices are now under the threat due to multiple factors which requires the attention of all stakeholders, principally of the Konso people (that is primarily responsible to maintain its identity of soil and water conservation).