INTEGRATED LAND USE PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY
1. Background
The enormous and all-rounded Growth and Development of the Country in particular and East Africa in general demands highly qualified Organizations and associated personnel. In line with this, the former “Oromia Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise” (OWWDSE), has restructured itself to Engineering Corporation of Oromia (ECO) in 2020 in order to gratify its vision and mission (to be a competent organization in East Africa). This structure comprises three operational Divisions, two operational Directorates, and three Supportive Directorates. The Integrated Land Use Planning and Environmental Study Directorate is therefore one of the two Operational Directorates of ECO. Our directorate has so far conducted Integrated Land Use Plan ( ILUP ) projects in Oromia, Somali, Gambela and Afar Regional States. Currently, we can assertively say that ECO is the only government organization that undertakes Integrated Land Use Planning projects and has qualified professionals and equipment in the country for the past 15 years.
2. Clients/Partners
During our dealings, the Oromia Land Administration and Use Bureau; Oromia Pastoral Commission and Oromia Environment; Forest and Climate Change Authority are our major Clients where we have conducted / conducting more than 11 mega projects in harmony in the last 15 years. Also, we have been working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Somali Regional State, and Amhara Design and Supervision Enterprise as clients and partners too.
3. Major Activities of the Directorate
The major activities of this Directorate are:
- Conducting Integrated Land Use Planning in the Oromia Region and other regions of the country.
- Conducting Socio-economic studies of various projects
- Conduct Social & Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) of different undergoing projects comprise
4. Man Power
The Directorate is organized in Land Use Plan Study and Socio-Economic and Environmental Study Teams. The Land Use Plan and Environmental Study Directorate have more than 62 professionals comprising Phd, MSc & BSc level of Education. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of ILUP, these experts are composed of more than 18 in terms of their professional backgrounds.
5. Planning Approach
The methodological approach employed for the land use planning study project is sub-basin approach. In addition, integrated and holistic approach to land use planning were employed that combine all the biophysical, social, economical and environmental factors, i.e., holistic and multi sectoral issues considered and all stakeholders are involved from the outset stage up to the final land use plan preparation. Our land use planning process and approach is based on FAO guidelines published at various time and is FAO standard.
6. Planning Process
Series of steps like identification of issues, opportunities, and constraints (and formulation of objectives), inventory of data and information collection (studying the framework condition for land use plan), analysis of resources and evaluating for specific use, formulation of alternative options, evaluation of alternatives, selection of preferred alternative(s), preparation of the draft land use plan document, stakeholders consultation, preparation of a final integrated land use plan document will be thoroughly followed during planning.
7. ILUP Projects Conducted by ECO In Oromia, Somali, Afar and Gambela Region
| No | Name of the projects | Area/ha | Region |
| 1 | Borena zone | 6,393,688 | Oromia |
| 2 | East& west Harghe | 4337800 | Oromia |
| 3 | Oromia special S Zone | 490520 | Oromia |
| 4 | Dhedhesa -Dabus Sub Basin ILUPP | 3584968 | Oromia |
| 5 | Uppert Awash Sub Basin ILUPP | 1993700 | Oromia |
| 6 | Guji-Bale Sub Basin ILUPP | 9923580.92 | Oromia |
| 7 | Baro Sub Basin ILUPP | 2665834 | Oromia |
| 8 | Gudar-Abay Sub Basin ILUPP | 2418061 | Oromia |
| 9 | Gibe Sub Basin ILUPP | 2056398 | Oromia |
| 10 | Wabe-Genale-Rift Valley Sub Basin ILUPP | 3,158,393 | Oromia |
| 11 | Erer-Denbel Sub Basin ILUPP | 3,380,000 | Somali |
| 12 | Genale Dawa Sub Basin ILUPP | 3,400,000 | Somali |
| 13 | Uper Fafen Sub Basin ILUPP | 367,971 | Somali |
| 14 | Gilo Sub Basin ILUPP | 650,000 | Gambella |
| 15 | Middle Awash Sub Basin ILUPP | 1,510,800 | Afar |
| Total |
8. Major Components of the Study
8.1, Soil Survey
Major Activities
- Determination of Soil Chemical Conditions
- Determination of Soil Physical Condition
- Soil Classification
- Determination of Soil Workability.
8.2, Agro-climate
Major Activities
- Determination of Thermal Zones
- Determination of Length of Growing Period
- Determination of Agro-Climatic Zones Maps
- Determination of Frost Hazard Assessment
8.3 Hydrology Hydrogeology
Major Activities Tackled
- Delineate all the main sub-basins of the drainage system in the study area.
- Estimation of surface runoff and groundwater recharge using swat model
- Estimation of the various water balance components of the sub basin, such as evapotranspiration surface runoff, precipitation, etc. on monthly bases,
- Analysis and interpretation hydro-meteorological data and carry out formulation and catchment water balance analysis for sub basins.
- Groundwater recharge and runoff quantification.
- Conduct groundwater investigation
- Delineate potential groundwater zones.
- Groundwater Quality Assessment
- Aquifer characterization and mapping
8.4 Land Use Land Cover And Change Detection
Major Activities
- Land Use type
- Land cover
- Change Detection
8.5 Livestock Production and Rangeland Assessment
Major Activities
- Livestock feed Resource Assessment
- Rangeland Condition Assessment Parameters
- Livestock health
- Rangeland and Livestock Production Constraints
8.6 Agronomy
Major Activities Tackled Here
- The existing Land Use Farming Systems
- Production Systems
- Rain-fed Cropping
- Irrigated cropping
- Cropping Pattern – Rainfed + Irrigated
- Agronomic practices(seedbed preparation to harvesting)
- Agricultural input supply
- Research and extension
- Crop yields
8.7 Land Degradation, Erosion Hazard Assessment
Major Activities
- Identify the extent of land degradation in the sub-basins.
- Identify the major causes of types of land degradation in the sub-basins
- Assessing the major causes of land degradation in the Sub basins
- prepare potential and actual soil erosion hazard maps using GIS technologies
- Evaluation of some existing mitigation measures and proposed measures to correct land degradation and erosion hazards in different slopes, land uses, and Agro-ecological zones.
8.8 Forestry, Wildlife Conservation, And Ecotourism
Major Activities
- Conducting a study on forest resources, their existing and potential in project areas to identify forest composition, type, and structure;
- Conducting a study on Wildlife resource potential of the project area to identify Wildlife abundance, species diversity, and habitat requirements;
- Carry out the assessment of existing and potential eco-tourism areas in the sub-basin;
- Identify potential and constraints related to existing forestry and wildlife resource bases
- Establishing suitability analysis to forest land in the project area;
- Conducting forest and wildlife management options related to the identified study area
- Identify existing and proposed Forest and Wildlife Conservation areas in the identified study area.
- Conducting appropriate recommendations on the best ways to solve constraints identified in the study area.
8.9 Land Evaluation
- Selection/Determination of land utilization type
- Determination of land quality land characteristics
- Land suitability evaluation
8.10 Socioeconomic Study
- Investigation of the current socio-economic conditions of the area and
- Identifying potential and major constraints and development intervention areas of the rural community in particular for land use planning.
- Identify and describe the major socioeconomic aspects (demographic characteristics, livelihood forms, social services, infrastructures and institutions, etc.;)
- Identifying major development potential and constraints regarding the livelihood of the people in the area;
- Examining the general attitude of the community towards appropriate land use plan for development interventions to be implemented in the study area
- Forward the necessary planning proposals that can help to design feasible development interventions in the study area.
8.11 Proposed Land Use Plan
Major Activities
- Identify issues, opportunities and constraints that have the potential to influence land management and resource development;
- Produce an integrated land-use plan that considers biophysical, socioeconomic that meet the interests of the Government Development Program.
Propose land management options/actions on the basis of an inventory of land resources and an evaluation of limitations and potentials.
8.12 Strategic Environmental Assessment
Major Activities
- Review the existing policy and legal framework pertinent to the proposed plan
- Assessment and analysis of environmental issues of present land use of the sub basin
- Identification and analysis of environmental problems arise from land use plans.
- Prediction of impacts of the proposed land use plan on Bio-physical, Socio-economy and Culture of the area.
- Determination of and propose possible alternatives to mitigate adverse impacts and enhance positive impacts on the environment caused by proposed land use plan.
- Propose Strategies, monitoring and evaluation procedures of impact mitigation option
- Identify the roles and responsibilities of implementing sectors