Indigenous Science: Knowledge of Soil Conservation Among the Gedeo People of Southern Ethiopia (106th KUASS: Kyoto University African Studies Seminar)

Indigenous knowledge systems encompass what people know about their natural resources and environment in their surroundings. Among others, for small holding farmers the knowledge about how to manage natural resources is one of the critical aspects to ensure their livelihoods. This holds true for farming households in Africa and Ethiopia in particular. For their livelihoods, Gedeo people of southern Ethiopia are entirely dependent on subsistence agriculture. In the face of climate change, resources degradation, and environmental calamities that we see elsewhere, the Gedeo have maintained their natural resources management unique to them and this can be considered as a lesson for others. This presentation is concerned with Gedeo's indigenous knowledge of natural resources management in general and their soil conservation techniques in particular that they maintained for the healthy nature of soil so as to make it suitable for their agricultural production. Relevant data were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Key informants and in-depth interviews respectively with community elders and farming household heads; focus group discussions with local residents and observation were conducted at three kebeles (local level administration) of Wonago Woreda (district).