The entire population of Kerecha Kebabi Administration is 694 or 128 households. Kerecha is one of the kebabi administrative units of Elabered, located within the Anqer-Balwa Landscape. Livelihood of the people depends on crop production, livestock rearing and natural resources for living. They till their land using oxen and practice open free grazing in the landscape. They collect firewood, and cut trees for house construction. For most parts of the year, the population remains food insecure due to drought, land degradation and its consequences.
Consequent to recurrent droughts and land degradation, vegetation cover is decreased even during the rainy seasons, where ground cover is almost absent due to loss of soil seed bank.
Consequently, the forest resources-base is failing to deliver the desired level of products and most of the indigenous species are endangered or almost on the verge of extinction.
Kerecha and its environs (including Gabgabo and Hutsit Villages) is not endowed with adequate water resources; and conservation of water and efficient utilization of the available water resources is required. As it stands now, the population suffers from acute shortage of drinking water and water for irrigation.
Main physical works to be undertaken in the project site of Kerecha kebabi Administrative area include:
• Building of 3,500 M3check dams, 60 Km terraces at watershed level to reduce /control erosion with in 32 Ha of protected area (PA).
• Enhancing in-situ moisture conservation using bench terraces, tied ridges, and bunds at farm levels to improve land productivity and ensure household food security in 80 Ha.
• Roof water harvesting for domestic water supply (Mosque/Church/, school and health station)
• Promotion of alternative energy sources and energy saving stoves to arrest deforestation and to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change for 120 persons.
• Introduction (piloting) of organic resources for enhancing soil fertility at irrigated and non-irrigated farms;
The total budget required for carrying out the entire project activities is Nakfa 750,000 or USD 50,000.
The implementation of activities will start as of March, 2017 and is expected to be completed by December, 2018. The major partners involved are the local community members, Kebabi Admin Office and all relevant line ministries of agriculture, Land, Water & Environment and the regional government.
While the overall responsibility and the actual implementation will be the sole responsibility of the Kerecha Kebabi Administration, NUEW and other stakeholders will provide the Kerecha Kebabi Administration with technical and administrative backstopping.