People's attitudes and perceptions towards area enclosure in Ethiopian central rift valley: Implications for land restoration and livelihood improvement

Land degradation is a common environmental problem affecting the ecological functions and ecosystem services leading to biodiversity loss and impoverishment of rural livelihood. This study explores people's attitudes and perceptions in central rift valley, Ethiopia. We interviewed 384 households using semi-structured questionnaires, conducted focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The results showed that 92.1% of the respondents were aware of the role of area enclosure in degraded land restoration; 94.5% had a positive opinion of the establishment of new enclosures; 94.5% agreed to maintain the existing enclosures whereas 88.1% support the expansion. The benefits gained from the enclosure increased significantly with increased vegetation cover (OR = 41.961, P < 0.001). An improvement in the local communities' attitude towards the area enclosure is directly correlated with the economic benefits they obtain from the enclosures. Our results showed that farmers were optimistic to perceive that area enclosure plays a positive role to restore degraded lands thereby improving the livelihood of the local community. We found that the socioeconomic profile of farmers affects their attitude, and perception of the role of area enclosure to improve and restore the degraded area.