Abstract:
ogeraflootl pluin wetlands lie 1.1(!iar.•e11t so ea.i:t ofLake Tana shore line and JVor1.!ta town on the rood
.fi'm11 Bahir Dar to Gonder. The main objective of the .rfucly was 111 assess the opponunittes, challenges
(4J_d prospects for sustomable wetlana management in the study area. Differen: methods ,,,.ere used 10
-c;,lle<'I primary and secondarv data. The primary dam were collectedfrom 121 respondems ' iuterviews
and 3 focus group discussions with differem social groups. and 21 key informants. 711e sample
respondents wer~ drawn from 3 kcbelcs of Fogra flood plain wetland kebeles. As the study result
indicated, the area wetlands are the main livelihood for the local community hecause more than 95% of
the loca] c:omn11111i1;• used wetlands {IS source of livetthood. The main product hie .food consumpnou and
market oriented crops in Fogeraflood plain wetlands are rice which accounts 33.6% of the total crops
)?YOW/I in the Woreda mid 93.4% i11 the sampled kebeles. In uddition 10 rice it is a usual acttvuy. the
selling(~{ green maize from wetlands cluring summer season when 1U<'Sf poorfarmer . sfinished their food
crops from their store. JI indicates lh(I/, economico! opportunity of green maize cobs al critical foc,d
shortage oftime is 3 times greater 1ha11 dry land husked maize price d11rin}1, winter season. '/'he area also
provides grazing itJnd for livestoek, ""f!f!(Y offish, habitat for wi/diifc, center of biodiversity; waret
supply, and rcnv materials .. /loocl mttigation and erosion control. .~11pp!7· '?.f livestock production.
irrigation, and advantage of double cropping. ln the year 2013/J.I from 2, /68.Ji5ha about
91,071. 75quimals of yield was produced in om< irrtgauon crop cycle excluding the second cycle. ll also
supports cm indigenous breed of caule that have high body frame and high pment ia! miik production.
S11cct1fi1ve drainage off ogera flood plain wettands particularly We/la/a and Shesher wetlands for food
production has teen undertaken for decades. Bui currently. the area wetlands facing chaltenge» are
restless crop harvesting (52.9%), over grazi11g (19%). sediment deposition (/ 3.2%j, d1ying o] wetlands
stream feeders (/ 1.6%) and destructive invasive weeds (J.3%). The other significance disturbances of
wetlands ecology are lack of farmland (79.3%), search offertile soil {12.4%), and lack of grazing land
(IU%j. The ecology was more disturbed by irrigatinn u.ters (63.6%), nearby farm ownerships (34. 7%j
and fishermen (1.6%). Hence, us the result indicated Fogera fltwcl plain wetlands which are main
lrvetihoodsfor thousands of peoples and encompass high biodtversities in ifs nuturul bodies need spedal
attention from grass root level to }1igh policy makers to avoid the vulnt r rable resources before
disoppcured.