Community perception of watershed management as a strategy for food security improvement: Case study of Qersa District, Ethiopia

The importance of community-based watershed management for food security and rural development is increasingly recognized. However, the comprehensive nature of the strategy is not well understood. The study examined the perspectives of different stakeholders and their level of coordination in implementing the watershed approach. Data was collected from 63 individuals with diverse professional backgrounds at different organizational hierarchies and 337 farmers from three different micro watersheds. The findings of the study showed that professionals and farmers have different views. About 36.0% of professionals and 12.6% of farmers see it as a holistic strategy for rural development, 7.0% of professionals and 40.0% of farmers see it as a way to conserve soil and water, and the rest see it as natural resource management. The chi-square test analysis revealed significant correlations between organizational affiliation, hierarchies, work experience, and field of study among professionals at significance levels of 0.05 and 0.01, with no significant differences observed among farmers in the three micro watersheds. The diverse viewpoints of professionals and farmers highlight the inadequate understanding and lack of consensus among stakeholders regarding watershed management principles, hindering the transformation of this strategy into a comprehensive food security initiative. The study also revealed limited collaboration among various organizations and departments in supporting the management of local watersheds, which can be attributed to the lack of accountability. This highlighted the need for improved collaboration and communication among different groups involved in implementing watershed management plans. The study also identified the need for capacity-building to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals and farmers involved in watershed management. To effectively use the watershed approach as a holistic strategy to address food security, fostering greater coordination and communication among stakeholders, robust institutional arrangement, education, and awareness-creation initiatives must be strengthened at all levels.