摘要
The Baro–Akobo river basin in southwestern Ethiopia is rich in freshwater resources. In 1984, the government initiated resettlement activities in the basin in anticipation of exploiting the fertile soil and abundant water resources. In order to investigate the causes of post-resettlement floods and their effects on the natural resources, agricultural land and human settlements, field studies and hydrological observations were made during the years 1986, 1988, 1991, 1994 and 1996. It was found that agriculture, both cultivation and grazing land, and human settlements are affected by adverse floods. Abnormal floods in the area are associated with two natural factors—overflow of river banks beyond the normally flooded zones and rainfall storms and their subsequent passage through the drainage system; and also human interference within the catchment due to the absence of proper land use planning. The rapidly growing population can neither divert water to the agricultural fields during drought nor prevent the floods from eroding the region's soil resources. In addition, drinking water of appropriate quantity or quality is not available. It is suggested that environmentally sustainable land use systems and proper utilization of rivers, the introduction of flood amelioration strategies and flood forecasting are all urgently needed for the lower Baro–Akobo river basin.