Local innovations for resilience and survival during war-led crisis in Tembien, Ethiopia

Abstract

The main objective of this article was to examine farmers’ local solutions for resilience and survival strategies during war and siege (2020–2022) in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The study reveals that Tembien communities adopted various strategies to cope with the critical crisis. They paired an ox with a donkey or camel, cultivated labor-efficient and early-maturing crop varieties to produce crops. With the help of the government, the residents initiated the transformation of non-agricultural spaces into croplands to increase root, vegetable, and crop yields. In the absence of agrochemicals, farmers relied on local solutions such as compost, manure, traditional pest control methods, and indigenous seeds to sustain their cultivation. In the low-lying areas, moreover, the consumption of edible fruits provided critical sources of food and income. Particularly, the years-long social cohesion, religious institutions, remittances, and mutual aid networks also played a vital role during the crisis. These local solutions, however, weakened over time in the war-stricken sites of Tembien. Following poor economic intervention before the war, the communities were severely starved during the crisis.  As a response, the implementation of sustainable sand and gold mining, geo-tourism, integration of beekeeping with area exclosures, and proper utilization of indigenous fruits could enhance sustainable livelihoods of the communities, while safeguarding the multifunctional landscapes.