MA.

Thesis proposal on: Assessment of the Impacts of Small-Scale Irrigation Developments for Household Livelihood Development Abstract In Ethiopia, irrigation development is a priority for agricultural transformation, but poor practices of irrigation management relegate efforts to improve livelihoods, and expose people and environment to risks. The objectives of this study is therefore, to assess the impacts/roles of small-scale irrigation development in ensuring rural household livelihood development, to determine the difference in prevalence of poverty between small-scale irrigating and non-irrigating households; to identify major constraints of small-scale irrigation development, and to identify the efforts to be made to improve the performance of two selected small-scale irrigation schemes in Gubalafto Woreda of North Wollo Zone. For the purpose of this study, two irrigation schemes will be purposively selected from the many small-scale irrigation schemes of the woreda. These irrigation schemes are; Sanka and Gimbora/Gidober irrigation schemes. Sample populations will be classified into two groups: irrigators and non-irrigators. To achieve the stated objectives, data will be collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources of data will be gathered through; transect walks, household survey, focused group discussion and key informant interview. The secondary data will be collected from; unpublished records and reports will be obtained. The qualitative data will be analyzed and interpreted through systematically organizing the information and giving attention to local situations, opinions, perceptions and preferences of households and institutions operating in the study area. Quantitative data will be analyzed and interpreted by using SPSS; simple and relevant statistical methods such as average, percentage and frequency distribution, Test Statistics and T-test for means. To compare the annual mean income of the two different small-scale irrigation schemes, as well as to compare the annual income level of irrigation users and nonusers, a single factor analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) will be applied. For delineation of the study area and to map the sampled irrigation schemes that are found in the study area, GIS and ERDAS software and GPS data points will be used. Therefore, the results of this study believed to be; create awareness among communities about the impacts/roles of small-scale irrigation developments towards rural livelihood development in the study area, contribute towards the understanding of the smallholder irrigation sub-sector, and provide realistic information on the overall impacts /roles of small-scale irrigation Prepared by: Dereje Mengistie University of Gondar Feb. 2012

development for household livelihood and rural transformation in the study area and expected to be informative for all concerned bodies of the agricultural sector, either governmental or non-governmental, and policy makers. Even further, it may open an opportunity of getting different kinds of support from different governmental and non-governmental organizations including the current government of the country for the woreda in general, and for the selected small-scale irrigation schemes in particular.