Impact of Community Based Participatory Soil and Water Conservation

Ethiopia experienced strong and broad based economic growth over the past decade. However the nation is potentially among the countries most severely affected by climate and environmental degradation. To reverse the threats massive public intervention is in operation using a national guideline known as Community Based Participatory Watershed Development where its impact is yet to be measured. Thus to assess the impact of the program the study used both primary and secondary data sources. The descriptive statistics result shows that before matching there were difference between households in demographic and socio-economic characteristics. The logistic regression result shows that program participation status as well as value of crop production was significantly influenced by sex of the household age family size farm size perception of land degradation and off/non farm income. Finally using kernel matching the estimated average treatment effect on treated proof that on average participation on the program had increased the value of crop production per households by 7294.4 Birr (303.9 USD). The result is statistically significant at less than 1% probability level.