TY - JOUR
T1 - The dynamics of farmer migration and resettlement in the Dhidhessa River Basin, Ethiopia
AU - Teweldebrihan, Meseret Dawit
AU - Pande, Saket
AU - McClain, Michael
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The Dhidhessa River Basin (DRB), in the Abbay River Basin in Ethiopia, is undergoing large-scale dam construction for sugarcane irrigation. We focused on the dynamics of population migration, settlement, relocation and water resource development in the DRB using primary and secondary data. Two major migration waves were observed in the basin: the first in 1984–1986 during a severe drought and the second during 2005–2017. Most rural migrants were “pulled” by government initiative in the period 1984–2017, while a few migrated of their own accord due to famine. We found that the first migration wave from eastern Ethiopia (Harar) to DRB was due to scarcity of water, land and rainfall and the migration positively affected migrant livelihoods. In the second phase, dam construction displaced settled farmers and migrants, adversely affecting their livelihoods. Analysis is needed that considers the wellbeing of the displaced agrarian society and the migrant population in the dam-affected area.
AB - The Dhidhessa River Basin (DRB), in the Abbay River Basin in Ethiopia, is undergoing large-scale dam construction for sugarcane irrigation. We focused on the dynamics of population migration, settlement, relocation and water resource development in the DRB using primary and secondary data. Two major migration waves were observed in the basin: the first in 1984–1986 during a severe drought and the second during 2005–2017. Most rural migrants were “pulled” by government initiative in the period 1984–2017, while a few migrated of their own accord due to famine. We found that the first migration wave from eastern Ethiopia (Harar) to DRB was due to scarcity of water, land and rainfall and the migration positively affected migrant livelihoods. In the second phase, dam construction displaced settled farmers and migrants, adversely affecting their livelihoods. Analysis is needed that considers the wellbeing of the displaced agrarian society and the migrant population in the dam-affected area.
KW - Arjo-Dhidhessa Dam
KW - Dhidhessa River Basin
KW - drought
KW - migration
KW - relocation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088445944&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02626667.2020.1789145
DO - 10.1080/02626667.2020.1789145
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85088445944
SN - 0262-6667
VL - 65
SP - 1985
EP - 1993
JO - Hydrological Sciences Journal
JF - Hydrological Sciences Journal
IS - 12
ER -