MADDA WALABU UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

TITLE OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON

ASSESSING THE LAND SLIDE CONDITIONS ALONG GOHATSION

DEBREMAKOSE ROAD WITH EMPHASIS TO ABAY RIVER BRIDGE

– DEJEN TOWN AND YETNORA AREAS

Submitted Buy : Alene Tarekegn

Submitted To: Dr. Mersha Alemu

2019 Madawalabu University

Bale -Robe, Ethiopia

Acknowledgements

Above all, I would like to thank “Almighty God” who made it possible to begin and finish
this work successfully. I am especially thankful to my advisor Dr. MershaAlemu for his
unlimited support and guidance to draft the first research proposal and encouragements to
accomplish and finalize this research proposal.
I am grateful to all staff members in Department of Geography and environmental studies
Instructors who shares their knowledge and skill which helps to do so.
I am grateful to my brother Mr. Alebel Tarekegn (MA) who supports material especially
computer and show the method to prepare this first drafting of proposal.
I would like to thank Dejenwereda agricultural and rural development office who gives
adequate evidence to do this work
Last but not least, I sincerely appreciate all my friends who guides computer skill and
knowledge to success this work.

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 Table of contents

Contents page
Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................i
Table of contents...................................................................................................................................ii
Abstract For proposal...........................................................................................................................v
Acronyms/Abbreviation.......................................................................................................................vi
List of tables........................................................................................................................................vii
CHAPT ER ONE.................................................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................1
1.1BACKGROUND..............................................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the problem.............................................................................................................6
1.3 Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................7
1.3.1 General objectives....................................................................................................................7
1.3.2 Specific objectives....................................................................................................................7
1.3.3 Research Question....................................................................................................................7
1.4 Significance of the study..............................................................................................................8
1.5 Scope of the study........................................................................................................................8
1.6 Organization of the study.............................................................................................................8
CHAPTER TWO...................................................................................................................................9
2. REVIEW LITRAURE.......................................................................................................................9
2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OFLAND SLIDE..................................................................9
2.2 THE CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK OF LAND SLIDE:........................................................9
2.1 Types of Landslide....................................................................................................................10
2.1.1 Rock fall.................................................................................................................................10
2.1.2 Topple.....................................................................................................................................10
2.1.3 Slide........................................................................................................................................10
2.1.4. Rotational landslide...............................................................................................................11
2.1.5. Translational landslide...........................................................................................................11
2.2 Landslide Classification.............................................................................................................11
2.2.1 Debris Flow............................................................................................................................12
2.2.2 Earth flow...............................................................................................................................13
2.2.3 Mudflow.................................................................................................................................13

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 2.2.4 Creep......................................................................................................................................13
2.2.5 Lateral Spread.........................................................................................................................13
2.3 Overview of the General Causes of Landslides.........................................................................14
2.3.1 Physical cause.........................................................................................................................14
2.3.1.1 Geological Causes includes...............................................................................................14
2.3.1.2 Morphological Causes.........................................................................................................14
2.3.1.3 Hydrogeology facto.............................................................................................................14
2.3.1.4 Slopes..................................................................................................................................15
2.3.2 Human Causes........................................................................................................................15
2.3.2.1 Land use and land cover......................................................................................................16
2.4 Effects of land slide...................................................................................................................17
2.4.1 Impacts on Morphology of the Earth’s Surface......................................................................17
2.4.2 Loss of Soil Resources............................................................................................................17
2.4.3 Coastal Cliff Retreat...............................................................................................................18
2.4.4 Submarine Landslides.............................................................................................................18
2.4.5 Effects of Landslide Damming...............................................................................................19
2.4.6 Effects of Landslides on Forests and Grasslands....................................................................19
2.4.6.1Forest Destruction.................................................................................................................19
2.4.7 Effects on Fish Populations....................................................................................................20
2.5 Mitigation of landslide...............................................................................................................20
2.5.1 Mitigative Measures...............................................................................................................21
2.5.2 Post-Landslide Measures.......................................................................................................21
CHAPTER THREE.............................................................................................................................22
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA.......................................................................................22
3.1 Location and Accessibility.........................................................................................................22
3.2 Climate......................................................................................................................................23
3.3 Agro-Ecology of the study area.................................................................................................23
3.4. Topography and major land feature..........................................................................................23
3.5. Soil and vegetation cover of the study area...............................................................................23
3.6. Population size of the study area...............................................................................................23
3. 7 Major Economic Activities.......................................................................................................24
3.8. Agricultural land Management Practices..................................................................................24
3.9. Land use and land cover...........................................................................................................24
3.10. Target population....................................................................................................................24
CHAPTER FOUR...............................................................................................................................25

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4. METHODS AND MATERIALS.....................................................................................................25
4.1 Research Design........................................................................................................................25
4.2. Sample design...........................................................................................................................28
4.3. Data type and sources...............................................................................................................28
4.4. Methods of data collection........................................................................................................29
4.5 Methods of Data analysis...........................................................................................................29
Work Plan............................................................................................................................................30
LOGISTICS AND BUDGET BREAK DOWN...................................................................................30
3. WORK PLAN’S TIME FRAME (Tentative)..................................................................................32
REFERERECE....................................................................................................................................33

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Abstract For proposal
Ethiopia’s landslide-generated hazard is one of the major geo-environmental problems that
cause considerable damages on built infrastructures and natural environment. Therefore, this
research will attempt to assess the landslide conditions of the study area with emphasis to
assessing the land slide conditions along Gohtsion –Debremarkos road with emphasis to
Abay Riveer bridge-Dejen Town and Yetnora areas in DejenWoreda. The study will also
try to forward possible mitigation measure that may help to alleviate the landslide problem.
Therefore, the researcher preferred to conduct this research proposal in order to assess the
conditions which is exposed by the land slid problem in the study area.
There are three specific objectives that researcher to conduct the research.
 To analyze the factors that caused the landslides of these areas
 To assess the spatial distribution and characteristics of the landslides of the study area
 . To analyze the impact of the landslides on the road and local communties
The study is generally focused on assessing land slid conditions along road, factors
that cause and impact of road landslide problem from Gohatsion to Dejen town and
aroun yetnora areas , East Gojam, central Ethiopia. To save time, energy and to
escape from budget constraints and the coverage of the study area is limited to Dejen
woreda

The target population of the selected woreda has 94617 residents. The total household of the
study area is 55349.Among them the researcher will select 123 different governmental and
nongovernmental households, especially, who have an entire relation with land slide in the
study area. Based on these considerations, the researcher also targeted different institutionally
responsible personnel's who are assigned for increasing the effort of the community towards
land slide protect along the study area should be given a great emphasis to come up the best
solution in the given area. Because land slid is the one among the series natural hazards in
the world.

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Acronyms/Abbreviation
DSGSDs Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations
DEM Digital elevation model
GIS Geographic Information System
DWAO Dejenwereda agricultural office
MWU Maddawalabu university

vi
List of tables
Table 1: - Stationery Materials’ expense

Table 2: -Transport fee

Table 3: - Miscellaneous expenses

Table 4:- Cost summary

Table 5: - Time classification Frame

vii
 CHAPT ER ONE
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1BACKGROUND
The term Land slide describes the variety of processes that result in down ward movement
of slope forming, materials, soil, including rock, artificial fill, or combination of these.

A land slid occurs when stability conditions of the slope is disturbed either by the increase of
stress imposed on the slope and / or by the decrease in strength of the earth material building
up the slope and it involves downward movement of earth material under the influence of
gravity. It is important to determine the causes of the landslides, as this will help in
formulating effective remedial measures. Determination of causative factors of landslide in
any given area will also help in demarcating the landslide exposed areas. Each year,
landslides initiated by rainfall are responsible for considerably greater economic losses and
casualties than is generally recognized, and these losses are expected to increase worldwide
due to the pressure of population expansion towards unstable hillside areas of a country. The
international literature widely recognises that rainfall is the most common trigger of
landslides ( Corominas, 2000; Crozier, 1986), even though the relationship between rain and
slope instability is not direct. Differences in geologic, geomorphologic, climatic and
geotechnical factors make it difficult to identify a universal amount of rain that is able to
trigger landslides everywhere. Nevertheless, for different landslide categories (shallow,
medium deep, deep) and in geologically homogeneous contexts, triggering scenarios can, in
fact, be defined (Gull`a et al., 2008; Terranova et al., 2007). Difficulties increase when the
problem is extended both in space and time by analyzing a sequence of landslides triggered
through prolonged periods on a wide region instead of a restricted study area (or a single
landslide) in a limited period (or during a single activation phase). In fact, historical landslide
series show that sequences of slope instabilities can affect wide areas during almost the entire
rainy season ( Pasqua and Petrucci, 2008).

It is well know that the deformation and the dislocation of rock masses are mainly connected
to internal forces that exert themselves regionally or on more limited sectors over long
periods of time and mainly in a discontinuous way, and that are, in any case, not controlled
by the local morphological setting (tectonic or tectonic gravitational phenomena).

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On a local scale and during shorter periods of time, analogous but less visible effects can be
produced by gravity alone. In fact, it was possible to recognize with difficulty and not always
surely landforms not directly attributable to tectonic deformation to which these, in the
situation of uncertainty, often were generically associated. They consist of deep and wide
deformation phenomena of the bedrock which strictly depend on the geological setting itself
and on the geometry of the slope: such that the phenomena are called deep-seated
gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs).

These phenomena, which constitute the preparatory phase of the activation of huge
landslides, rarely reach collapse. This can occur, reasonably, by means of high magnitude
seismic shocks or, more rarely, due to extreme meteorological events. Similar deformation
mechanisms that involve more limited portions of the slope are predisposing factors to the
genesis of gravitational phenomena, which are differentiated from the previous ones for the
presence of well-defined shear planes (Cotecchia, 1978; Varnes, 1978; Savage and Varnes,
1987; Hutchinson, 1988; McInnes and Jakeways, 2002; Rybar et al., 2002; Natau et al.,
2003). From these latter, mass transport phenomena, such as debris flows and mud flows,
must be distinguished (Brunsden, 1984; Costa, 1984; Pierson and Costa, 1987; Takahashi,
1991).

Important results have been achieved with relation to the recognition of activation and
evaluative control factors of the phenomena and to the definition of various kinematics. To
these a specific and exhaustive nomenclature has been given, which overrides localisms and
has been accepted at an international level.

The studies cited, besides, have clearly demonstrated that amongst the exogenous agents that
realize the remodeling of the past and present landscape, gravity has gotten a position of
primary importance in the evolution of the slopes. In particular, this happens when the slopes
are characterized by sufficient relief to activate and develop specific kinematics within
favorable geological and cliSmatic contexts.

In this framework, the predominant role held by mass movements amongst the various
gravitational phenomena was pointed out, even if sporadically, from the first half of the 20 th
century. Afterwards, the topic was carried out and developed in a particularly significant way,
also as a result of the increasing applicative interest associated to it. In fact the high level of
risk for human activities represented by the gravitational phenomena favored ever more
specific and in-depth analyses.

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The latter are fundamental not only for the correct and complete understanding of the
phenomena themselves, but also for the mitigation of the risk connected to them. These are
essential operations for a correct and modern territorial planning and management.

Slopes are characterized by: un efficient energy to activate the phenomena in question are
common throughout much of the country’s territory as they are in other zones on the earth
characterized by tectonic activity. The neo tectonic activity and the intense Quaternary
exogenous dynamics have articulated the two systems into minor physiographic units:
tectonic basins on the western side of the chain; thrust fronts characterized by sub-vertical
slopes on the eastern side; transversal valleys cutting into the whole area; coastal cliffs. The
present study constitutes a synthesis of the most important results obtained in about thirty
years of research done to define the importance of gravitational morphogenesis in the
geomorphologic evolution of Central Italy, particularly of the Adriatic side. Starting from a
critical analysis of previous studies, it discusses the predisposing and evaluative control
factors of the mass movement which cause the dislocation of bedrock and/or of aluvial-
colluvial deposits, specific of the different physiographic units mentioned. The relative
kinematics are illustrated by geological models built for a number of type-phenomena
recently recognized and analyzed, or with reference to previous works of the authors. As far
as the kinematics and nomenclature used in the study cases are concerned, given that they
make implicit reference to the authors cited above and since they constitute solid scientific
acquisitions, the authors of the reference will not be repeatedly cited.

The first ever national hazard assessment of Sierra Leone, which was developed in 2004 has
indicated the vulnerability of the country to the impacts of flooding and landslide, among
other climatic disasters (ONS 2004).

Landslide is one of the measure destructive natural cause which can affect different parts
of injuries, life loss as well as damages on buildings , local communities and topographical
structure of the study area . In the Ethiopian highland landslide-generated hazards have
claimed about 300 lives, damaged over 500 km asphalt road, 200 homes and devastated in
excess of 500 hectares of agricultural land farm, including in the Abay Gorge (Lulseged
Ayalew, 1999).

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According to the above, the researcher information landslides have widespread distribution in
our country and exposed by different hazard level and faced in hilly and mountainous
terrains and they were motivated by different influencing factors, such as rugged
morphology, physically weak lithologies, very scarce land cover (barren land), poor land use
practices sandy soil which can easily degraded and wide distribution of surface and
groundwater associated with seasonal floods ,topographical structure the slope ,the nature of
the soil in which the area can be made. Therefore, most parts of Ethiopian highlands
landslide-induced hazards are the most destructive natural phenomena that cause and
devastates property and damages both living and none living things including human
sufferings, environmental degradation and loss of fertile agricultural farm lands .

Recent flooding and landslide events in urban contest in the world have further highlighted
the need for assessing geo-environmental hazard and risk in urban planning and management.
This is particularly significant for developing countries where the understanding of natural
and human induced environmental processes is the indisputable basis for any development
project. Following research developed in the Ethiopian Highlands within the framework of
the Ethio-Italian Cooperation, this paper presents the preliminary results of an
interdisciplinary geo environmental analysis carried out in the Dessie town area (Wollo,
Ethiopia), one of the medium-sized urban settlements of Ethiopia with about 200,000
inhabitants. In this urban area, landslide processes of different typology and magnitude
interact with a disorderly expanding human settlement. Therefore, the structural vulnerability
of private and public buildings and infrastructures, the absence of public awareness in urban
planning and deregulated private behavior, and, possibly, the effects of climate change (Billi
and Dramis2003), induce high risk conditions for lives, buildings, infrastructures and
economic activities.

This paper portrays the results of a geo-environmental study on landslide susceptibility,

hazard and risk carried out in the Dessie town area with the purpose of providing a solid
background to a possible plan of risk mitigation.

The present study area is located in Dejen woreda, just on the way between Gohatsion and
Awabal woreda, within the road section from Gohatsion Debremarkos Abay river bridge-
Dejen Town and around Yetnora areas in DejenWereda, Central Ethiopia. Mesozoic
sandstone, gypsum, limestone and overlain by Tertiary basalt cover the area. The outcropped
lithologies of the area are highly weathered limestone inter bedded with soft rocks silt, shale

4
and marbles. Meanwhile, the colluvial deposits are overlying the clay and shale, which are
practically impermeable.

In order to minimize these threats and/or damages due to landslides and thereby safeguard
life and property losses from, damage geo-hazard events, it is critically essential to identify
and in detail investigate the affected areas so as to acquire adequate knowledge that helps to
develop and implement appropriate mitigation measures (Anbalagan, 1992).
Therefore, this research is attempted to map the subsurface conditions of the landslide
affected area from Gohtsion-Debremarkos road with emphasis to Abay river bridge-Dejen
Town and Yetnora areas Road especially the tip of kurarkebele (Abay Gorge) up to Dejen
Town and Yetnora areas. To find out the possible solution measure that may help to
alleviate the observed difficulty the researcher will have a great responsibility to recommend
the exposed problem in the study area.

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 1.2 Statement of the problem
The term Land slide describes the variety of processes that result in down ward movement of
slop forming ,materials, soil, including rock, artificial fill, or combination of these. According
to and (Bekele Abebe et al. 2010 and Kifle Woldearegay, 2013) stated that the widespread
distribution of landslides in Ethiopian highland is mainly related to the occurrence of several
predisposing factors such as rugged morphology, high relief energy, and the nature of the
outcropping rocks. Landslide-generated hazard is also one of the major geo-environmental
problems that cause considerable damages on built infrastructures and natural environment. It
endangers the wellbeing of the society, particularly the local peoples living near the toe of
steep slopes prone to active land. Many active landslides exist along road section and
surrounding with different level and mode of failure (GSE, 2010 and, Lulseged
Ayalew,1999). Often landslides occurred during rainy season, from mid-July to August.
There are many cases which supports to expose the landslide problem in the study area. Such
as; the nature of soil, the topographic structure, seasonal fluctuation. The frequent damage of
the road and other social utilities has significantly increased maintenance costs. Besides,
wastage of fertile farm lads make local peoples life very difficult, even unbearable though
due to lack of alternative they still live and continued farming in highly landslide-susceptible
slopes. Hence, adequate understanding of the locations, extents, and landslide triggering /
aggravating factors is essential to develop mitigation measures that contribute to safeguard
human life and built sustainable engineering structures.
The main land slide inducing factors are; rainfall, presence soft(weak) lithologies ,high
slope angle presence of Groundwater and human activities that severely affecting poor land
cover and land use practice. It is one of the most destructive natural hazards that cause
different level of injuries, life loss as well as damages on built and natural environment (Pan
et al., 2008; Kanungo et al., 2006). In the Ethiopian highland landslide-generated hazards
have claimed about 300 lives, damaged over 500 km asphalt road, 200 homes and devastated
in excess of 500 hectares of agricultural land farm, including in the Abay Gorge (Lulseged
Ayalew, 1999).

Landslides have widespread distribution in Ethiopia and result in different hazard level and
extents often they occur in hilly and mountainous terrains and they were triggered by
different influencing factors, such as rugge morphology, physically weak lithologies, very
scarce land cover (barren land), poor land use practices and wide distribution of surface and

6
groundwater associated with seasonal floods (Kifle Woldearegay, 2013 and Bekele Abebe et
al, 2010).

As a consequence in many parts of Ethiopian highlands landslide-induced hazards are the

most destructive natural phenomena that cause property damages, including failures of
engineering structures, human sufferings, environmental degradation and loss of fertile
agricultural farm lands (Lulseged Ayalew, 1999, kifle Woldearegay, 2013, Tenalem Ayenew
and Giulio Barbieri, 2005, Lulseged Ayalew and HiromitsuYamagishi, 2004 and Lulseged
Ayalew 2000). Topographical change ,land cover change,(vegetation or grassland), land
degradation, mass wasting(soil and rock), socio-economic crisis, destruction infrastructure,
reduction of agricultural productivity, disruption of traffic flow, suffering future life local
people and famine and poverty. Even though researchers try to search and recommend
asphalt road failure around kurar kebele(Abay gorge),these, researchers do not touch the
whole parts of my study area ,even spatial distribution, the causes of vehicles on local
communities, the destruction of vehicles due to sliding down of asphalt road in their study
area is not described well. Therefore the researcher try to touch and describe the rest points
which cannot be searched by them and also searching and recommending the study areas like
kurar kebele to dejen T own as well as Yetnora area by discussing with local communities
based on factors, spatial distribution and impacts on local communities, vegetation
distribution, animal distribution, nature of soil fertility and the influence of natural
environment of the study area will be studied in detail.

1.3 Research Objectives

1.3.1 General objectives
The main objective of this research is to assess the landslide conditions of Gohatsion
Debremarkos road with emphasis to Abay river bridge-Dejen Town and yetnora areas. .

1.3.2 Specific objectives

 To analyze the factors that caused the landslides of these areas.
 To assess the spatial distribution and characteristics of the landslides of the study
area.
 To analyze the impact of the landslides on the road and local communities.

1.3.3 Research Question

 How to analyze the factors that caused the landslides of these areas?

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  How to assess the spatial distribution and characteristics of the landslides of the
study area?
 How to analyze the impact of the landslides on the road and local communities?

1.4 Significance of the study

This research has the following significances. To improve the information and to get better
awareness about the causes of landslide problem particularly along the road and it provides
that helps to show early hazard warnings and thereby reduce causalities (deaths and injuries),
suffering and environmental destruction ,to acquire tangible data /information that
demonstrate how human activities can facilitate and increases land slide hazard and based on
which it will be possible educate them on how to minimize the socio-economic loss and
natural environment damage due to dangerous land slid in the study area. Generally the study
assists to reduce the social and economical impacts of assessing road land slid problem along
road that can aggravated in the study area.

1.5 Scope of the study

The study area is generally focused on assessing the conditions along Gohatsion
Debremarkose road with emphasis to Abay river Bridge –Dejen Town and yetnora areas in
the case of Dejenwereda East Gojam central part of Ethiopia is selected in this area. This
woreda is selected from dry kola, sub tropical woinadega and temperate dega from three
agro-ecological zones of the Woreda. And, study focused more on farming dependent
segment of population and engaged in various minor fields of works. The study area is
selected to assess the conditions of road land slid faced from Gohatsion Debremarkos Abay
bridge-Dejen Town and Yetnora areas are selected purposely based on the researcher’s
previous and current knowledge for the faced areas in order to discuss with the
communities based on the series issue and to recommend the societies who are living there
to escape from danger.

1.6 Organization of the study

The study paper will consists of five main chapters, chapter one:- introduction ,statement of
the problem, significance of the study, objective of the problem, the study area, scope of the
study, limitation of the study, and time schedule and budget breakdown. Chapter two deals
with related to literature review, chapter three consists of description of the study area;
chapter four consists of data presentation and data analysis.

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 CHAPTER TWO
2. REVIEW LITRAURE

2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OFLAND SLIDE

Landslides are among many natural disasters causing massive destructions and loss off lives
across the globe. Land slide sometimes known as land slip or slop failure is un controllable
downhill flow off rocks, earth debris or the combination of these. When the ground becomes
saturated, it can become unstable, losing its equilibrium in the long run. When people are
living down these hills or mountains, it is usually a matter off time before disaster happens.

The term ‘landslide’ describes a wide variety of processes that result in the downward and
outward movement of slope-forming materials including rock, soil, artificial fill, or a
combination of these. These materials may move by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading or
flowing (USGS 2008).

Landslides hazard problem are one of the major natural disasters in the world. It is a common
phenomenon especially in a tectonically fragile and sensitive mountainous terrain like
Ethiopia. wide spread distribution of landslides in Ethiopian highland is mainly related to the
occurrence of several predisposing factors such as rugged morphology, high relief energy,
and the nature of the outcropping rocks. These due to complexes in geomorphologic,
hydrological, and geological setting, the hilly and mountain a terrain of the Ethiopian
landmass has been frequently affected by landslides (Kifle Woldearegay, 2005 and Lulseged
Ayalew, 1999).

2.2 THE CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK OF LAND SLIDE:

While landslides are considered as naturally occurring disasters, human induced changes in
the environment have recently caused their upsurge. Although landslides have two aspects in
common, they are driven by forces of gravity and result from failure of soil and rock
materials that constitute the hill slope. There are two major causes of landslides: These are
natural and human causes. The natural causes of landslide includes climate, earthquake,
weathering, erosion volcanoes forest fires, gravity and human causes of landslides include
mining, clear cutting or deforestation bade practice farming. There are many impacts of
landslides. These are: lead to economic decline decimation of infrastructure, loss of life,
affects beauty of landscapes destructs river ecosystems.

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 2.1 Types of Landslide
Landslide may be classified into various categories based on mode of movement, material
involved, speed of movement and other. According to (Varnes, 1978) landslide is classified
based on the types of material involved (Rock, Earth, Soil, Mud and Debris) and types of
movement (fall, topple, slide, spread, flow) and complex class of movement which contains
two or more different mode movement acting down slope movement of the landslide mass.

2.1.1 Rock fall

Abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials, such as rocks and boulders that become
detached from steep slopes or cliffs. Separation occurs along discontinuities such as fractures,
joints, and bedding planes and movement occurs by free-fall, bouncing, and rolling. Falls are
strongly influenced by gravity, mechanical weathering, and the presence of interstitial water.

Fall is the detachment (freely down movement) of soil or rock or both from a steep slope or
cliff along a surface on which little or no shear displacement has occurred.
It triggered might be by natural process under cutting of slope, drainage erosion, weathering
and human activity like excavation the toe of slope during road construction and repairs and
increases agricultural practice along the landslide susceptible area.
Since the falling material has high speed down the slope, it can damage engineering structure
(road, pavement), damage vehicles; livestock’s and damage all objects on the falling-line
(USGS, 2004).

2.1.2 Topple
Toppling failures are distinguished by the forward rotation of a unit or units about some
pivotal point, below or low in the unit, under the actions of gravity and forces exerted by
adjacent units or by fluids in cracks. A topple is a forward rotation out of the slope of a mass
of soil or rock around a point or axis below the center of gravity of the displaced mass. It may
occur due to rain water percolated in to cracks of rock and human activities (like
undercutting, excavation) and natural activity (like weathering) (USGS, 2004).

2.1.3 Slide
A slide is a down slope movement of a soil or rock mass occurring on surface of rupture due
to different factors. According to (Varnes, 1978) slide was classified as rotational and
translational slide.

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 2.1.4. Rotational landslide
This type of landslide is occurs in the very weak rock mass or regolith material is moved
slowly when due to rotational mechanism is self-stabilizing as the gravitational driving force
weakening with increases displacement (Vernas, 2013). Rotational landslide is not controlled
by structure. The morphology is characterized by a prominent main scarp, a characteristic
back-tilted bench at the head and limited internal deformation. Usually slow to moderately
slow and may common in the area.

2.1.5. Translational landslide

In this type of landslide rock mass and soil is moved along the planar rupture surface.
According to Vernas (2013) translational landslide is structurally controlled and has little or
no internal deformation. Also he stated that planar sliding mechanism is not self-stabilizing
and sliding is rapid when compared to rotation sliding and lead high damage to properties and
natural environment.

2.2 Landslide Classification

The landslides are generally classified or differentiated based on the types of material
involved and the mode of movement. A more detail classification can be conducted based on
the additional variables, such as the rate of movement and the content of water, air or ice in
the landslide material (Varnes 1978, USGS 2008). This requires more data and usually is not
used as part of the rapid assessment.

The most used classification of landslide is the one that was proposed by Varnes, 1978. The
classification consists of a comprehensive categorization of landslide process that includes
falling, topping, siding, spreading and flowing; all of which constitute conditions of causal
effects and slope characteristics

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Types of landslide (Varnes 1978)

2.2.1 Debris Flow

A form of rapid mass movement in which a combination of loose soil, rock, organic matter,
air, and water mobilize as a slurry that flows down slope. Debris flows include <50% fines.
Debris flows are commonly caused by intense surface-water flow, due to heavy precipitation
or rapid snow melt ,that erodes and mobilizes loose soil or rock on steep slopes.

Debris flows also commonly mobilize from other types of landslides that occur on steep
slopes, are nearly saturated, and consist of a large proportion of silt- and sand-sized material.
Debris-flow source areas are often associated with steep gullies, and debris-flow deposits are
usually indicated by the presence of debris fans at the mouths of gullies.

Fires that denude slopes of vegetation intensify the susceptibility of slopes to debris flows.

Of derbies fans at the mouths of gullies. Fires that denude slopes of vegetation intensify the
susceptibility of slopes to debris flows.

2.2.2 Earth flow

Earth flows have a characteristic “hourglass” shape. The slope material liquefies and runs
out, forming a bowl or depression at the head. The flow itself is elongate and usually occurs

12
in fine-grained materials or clay bearing rocks on moderate slopes and under saturated
conditions. However, dry flows of granular material are also possible.

2.2.3 Mudflow
A mudflow is an earth flow consisting of material that is wet enough to flow rapidly and that
contains at least 50 percent sand-, silt-, and clay-sized particles. In some instances, for
example in many reports, mudflows and debris flows are commonly referred to as
“mudslides.”

2.2.4 Creep
Creep is the imperceptibly slow, steady, downward movement of slope forming soil or rock.
Movement is caused by shear stress sufficient to produce permanent deformation, but too
small to produce shear failure. Creep is indicated by curved tree trunks, bent fences or
retaining walls,

Tilted poles or fences, and small soil ripples or ridges.

2.2.5 Lateral Spread

Distinctive type of landslide because they usually occur on very gentle slopes or flat terrain.
The dominant mode of movement is lateral extension accompanied by shear or tensile
fractures. The failure is caused by liquefaction, the process whereby saturated, loose,
cohesion-less sediments (usually sands and silts) are transformed from a solid into a liquefied
state. Failure is usually triggered by rapid ground motion, such as that experienced during an
earthquake, but can also be artificially induced. When coherent material, either bedrock or
soil, rests on materials that liquefy, the upper units may undergo fracturing and extension and
may then subside, translate, rotate, disintegrate, or liquefy and flow. Lateral spreading in fine-
grained materials on shallow slopes is usually progressive. The failure starts suddenly in a
small area and spreads rapidly. Often the initial failure is a slump, but in some materials
movement occurs for no apparent reason. Combination of two or more of the above types is
known as a complex landslide.

2.3 Overview of the General Causes of Landslides

Although, landslides are preliminarily associated with mountainous region, they can also
occur in areas of generally low relief.

13
The causes of such incidence may be caused by various geological and morphological causes,
i.e. factors related to water and land interaction, especially in the areas where river actions are
involved. The information from this section bring an introduction on the triggers and the root
causes of landslide in August 2017 in Freetown.

2.3.1 Physical cause

The following factors as the physical causes / triggers of landslide (USGS 2008):such as
intense rainfall, rapid snowmelt, prolonged intense precipitation, rapid drawdown(of floods
and tides), earthquake, volcanic eruption, thawing, freeze-and –thaw weathering, shirink-and-
swell weathering and flooding.

2.3.1.1 Geological Causes includes

weak and sensitive material, weathered materials, sheared, jointed, or fissured materials,
adversely oriented discontinuity (bedding, schistosity, fault, unconformity, contact, and so
forth), contrast and permeability and\or stiffness of materials.

2.3.1.2 Morphological Causes

The following causes can be considered as morphological causes. Such as, tectonic or
volcanic uplift, Glacial rebound Fluvial, wave, or glacial erosion of slope toe or lateral
margins, Subterranean erosion (solution, piping), Deposition loading slope or its crest,
Vegetation removal (by fire, drought), Thawing, Freeze-and-thaw weathering.

2.3.1.3 Hydrogeology facto

Groundwater is one of the triggering factors directly or indirectly involved in inducing of
landslides activities. Rain water which recharges the soil and increases lateral and vertical
movement of groundwater within the slope material is controlled by the characteristics of the
underlying geological material.
Results of field investigations, specifically geological and geophysical, and already available
drilling data indicate that the slope material within the study area show significant variations
in grain size and properties of earth materials down the slope and within the depth. As a
result, the upper part of the area is covered by unconsolidated coarser materials (gravels and
boulders) act as recharging zone due to their high permeability and morphological
appearance.
However, silt clay and shale’s are impeding the vertical percolation of rain water due to their
low permeability, and hence forces the rain water to flow laterally.

14
Because these fine grained materials acts as impermeable bed, during the rainy seasons
(between July and August) the groundwater level rises and saturates the slope and causes
sudden rise in pore water pressure. This phenomenon completely reduces the shear strength
of the sliding material on the slope and resulting in slope failure or slope material sliding.
Emerged springs and seepage zone observed within the landslide affected zone or along
critical slope section are clear evidence that justify the groundwater to be the main agent that
triggers the landslide in this area.

2.3.1.4 Slopes
Slope gradient, which directly proportional to gravitation pull, is important topographic
factors influence the occurrences of landslide activity (Ayalew and Yamagishi, 2004). For
present study, the slope gradient is divided based on the topography of the area into five
classes as: steep slope (350-450), moderate steep slope (250-350), gentle slope (150-250),
and very gentle slope (5-150), relatively flat (0-5). The steeper slope found northwestern to
north margin and the flat covers south central of study area. The slope map was extracted
from DEM (digital elevation model) of 30m resolution using Arc Map-GIS tool. The most of
destructive landslide were occurs within slope between moderate steep to steep slope (150-
350) and some were between very slop to gentle slope (50-150) with low damage.

2.3.2 Human Causes

Human activities may result directly or indirectly triggering landslide phenomenon during
work to modify their lives. The increasing human activities, such as intensive agriculture,
removing bushes (vegetation) from slope, modify slope and land use changes, slope
excavation for improper ways to repair road or maintenance were increases the potential
instability of the slope. All of this activity reduces the shear strength of the slope and
increases both density of slide and the amount of material moving down the slope. The
increasing in number of population maximize human activity along the landslide prone area
which multiple the intensity of landslide hazard and raises effect on natural environment and
socio-economic at high rates.

2.3.2.1 Land use and land cover

Land use and land cover types were indirect indication factors influencing landslide activity
due to barren and sparsely vegetation are susceptible to erosion and weathering of rock units
or soil (Anbalagan, 1992). As a result, most of the present study area covered by sparsely and
barren land and used for extensive agricultural practice which increases the moisture content

15
of the soil of the slope material. Hence, the absence of deep rooted and moderate vegetation
around critical slope, increasing of extensive agricultures practice due to rapid growth
number of population in the area, above and below landslide affected area main causes for the
increases the landslide occurrence. These activities easily facilitate for the saturation of slope
materils and resulting slope failure or slide. Such as, excavation of, slope , Loading of slope
or its crest, drawdown (of reservoirs) deforestation irrigation, mining artificial vibration,
water leakage from utilities, other human activities(informal plowing), these and others are
the most important human activities which can aggravate the sliding down of soil nutrients
from its origin. n addition to natural factors (geology and geomorphology), the various
human intervention is another factor that would be analyzed further, which exacerbates the
incidences of landslide. This will bring some debates and consequently, evidences need to be
presented on how this August 2017 landslide disaster should not be seen as a mere natural
cause.
Many of the landslides are natural phenomenon that occurs independently of any human
actions. There are also landslides that have been induced by the very actions taken to make
land suitable for some human purposes. Landslides can be triggered due to external causes or
internal causes
The external causes are :- Undercutting of the foot of the hill slope due to river erosion,
quarrying, excavation for canals, and road etc, . External loads such as buildings, reservoirs,
highway traffic, stockpiles of rocks, accumulation of alluvium on slopes, etc., . Increase in
unit weight of slope material due to increased water content,. Vibrations due to earthquakes,
blasting, traffic, etc., causing increase in shearing stresses, Authropic changes caused by
deforestation . Undermining caused by tunneling, collapse of underground caverns, seepage
erosion, etc and
The internal causes are: Increase in pore water pressure, reduction in cohesive strength
caused by progressive laterization, hair cracks due to alternate swelling and shrinkage from
tension, Presence of faults, joints, bedding planes, cleavage etc., and their orientation,
Freezing and thawing of rocks and soils. Presence of faults, joints, bedding planes, cleavage
etc., and Material properties such as compressive strength, shearing strength, the earth’s
materials.

16
2.4 Effects of land slide
2.4.1 Impacts on Morphology of the Earth’s Surface
The surface of the Earth, both on the continents and beneath the oceans is continually
modified by internal forces and the forces of gravity; both, particularly the latter, produce
landslides. The net morphologic effect of landslides is to reduce slopes to angles at which
they possess long-term stability. “The processes involved vary enormously from extremely
large rapid movements to extremely slow micro-displacement. The result is denudation in the
source area, frequent erosion along the transport path, and then deposition, the degree of
whose permanence varies widely.” (Small and Clark, 1982, p. 27). We have made no attempt
to quantify the worldwide, or even regional, morphologic significance (i.e., the average rate
of down cutting) of landslides, an amount that is extremely difficult to determine for large
areas.

However, we do present case histories of some of the world’s largest landslides, which
provide useful information on the maximum effects of individual or regional landslide events,
and which have provided local information on rates of slope recession and cliff retreat.

2.4.2 Loss of Soil Resources

In major landslides, all of the soil/colluviums down to bedrock is carried down slope, taking
all of the trees and other vegetation with it. Because no soil is left for new plants to grow on,
the bare tracks of landslides can remain visible for hundreds of years. There have been a few
attempts to quantify losses of soil resources due to landslide activity. Noteworthy is the study
by Wright and Mella (1963) of the affects of the aforementioned 1960 earthquake-induced
landslides in south-central Chile on the soil resources of the area. They noted the complete
destruction of: “steep land soils that plunged, in the form of landslides, debris avalanches,
and mudflows, directly into the depths of various lakes. The total area involved is probably in
the neighborhood of 20,000 hectares. Practically none of this land was well adapted to
agriculture, although about 10% (2,000 hectares) of the lower slopes had been partly cleared
by farmers living along the lake margin, in an effort to provide additional grazing for the
livestock on their small farms.” (Wright and Mella, 1963, p. 1395).

Also noted was the “partial destruction” of some 15,000 ha of steep-land soils that were
“transported” from hill slopes to valley floors by mudflows and debris flows where they
formed a: “rumpled heap of soil and forest debris of far lower agricultural value, for the
moment, than the original valley soils that they overwhelmed. In some places the debris is

17
spread out more evenly and in time may rapidly be developed into useful farmland. Some of
the area damaged by this type of transportation was of little real agricultural value, but of the
total area involved, some 10% (or 1,500hectares) represents useful agricultural land now
buried under debris.” (Wright and Mella, 1963, p. 1397).

2.4.3 Coastal Cliff Retreat

With wave action serving as the primary trigger, landslide activity is the main process in the
retreat of coastal cliffs. The most common landslide types in the failure of coastal cliffs are
rock-and-soil fall, slides, and avalanches. However; topples and flows also occur
occasionally. Many examples of coastal cliff retreat have been documented in the literature.

The amount of cliff retreat is based primarily on the type of geologic material from which the
cliff is composed and the strength of wave action.

The higher values result in significant changes in coastal morphology over relatively short
spans of geologic time. An even more extreme example was provided by the southeast coast
of the Island of Curtsey (Iceland) during the winter of 1967-68. During the harsh winter, this
coastline, which consists of 12-24-m high lava cliffs underlain by easily eroded tempura,
retreated an average of 75 m, with a maximum of 140 m (Norrman, 1970). A shoreline about
one half kilometer long lost an estimated 2 million m3 of volcanic material. However, such
extremes are considered to be local and of relatively short term.

2.4.4 Submarine Landslides

Submarine landslide is a general term to describe a down slope mass movement of geologic
material from shallower to deeper regions of the ocean floor. In doing so, the submarine
landslide process affects major changes in offshore topography.

The recent development of well-integrated surveying techniques of the seafloor has enabled
study of many previously undiscovered submarine-landslide masses worldwide. These
studies have found that the compositions, mechanics, and morphologies of mass movements
above and beneath the surface of the sea have many similarities, as well as significant
differences (Hampton et al., 1996). Materials involved in submarine mass movements are as
diverse as those on land, i.e., rock, soil, mud, and mixtures of all three (Locat and Lee, 2002).

The largest submarine landslide yet discovered, the prehistoric Agulhas slump off the coast of
South Africa, is 750 km long and 106 km wide (Dingle, 1977). It has an estimated volume of

18
20,000 km3 – about 150 times as large as the aforementioned sub aerial Samar Island
landslide and about 700 times as large as the Mount Shasta debris avalanche. A seismic
triggering mechanism has been proposed for this post-Pliocene slumped mass.

2.4.5 Effects of Landslide Damming

Large landslides often completely block river valleys, impounding lakes. Most landslide
“dams” fail by overtopping and breaching due to erosion. However, if they don’t fail, the
geologic “short-term” effect on morphology is the impoundment of a lake. Landslide dams
can affect valley morphology in the following ways:

Deposition of lacustrine and deltaic sediments in the lake impounded by the dam, resulting in
changes of stream gradient, surface morphology, and sacrificial geology, upstream from the
dam, Formation of aversively-shifting channels downstream from the dam by the ,
introduction of high sediment loads from erosion of the landslide deposits, secondary land
sliding along the shore of the impounded lake due to reservoir filling or to rapid drawdown if
the natural dam fails (Schuster, 1995).

2.4.6 Effects of Landslides on Forests and Grasslands

2.4.6.1Forest Destruction
Widespread stripping of natural forests and jungle cover by mass movements has been noted
in many parts of the world, but especially in tropical areas as the result of large-scale
earthquake-induced landslide activity. In September 1935, two shallow earthquakes (M=7.9
and 7.0) in the Torricelli Range, north coast of Papua New Guinea, caused “hillsides to slide
away, carrying with them millions of tons of earth and timber, revealing bare rocky ridges
completely void of vegetation” (Marshall, 1937). Approximately 130 km2 (8 percent of the
region affected) was denuded by the landslides (Simonett, 1967; Garwood et al., 1979).

On the south slope of the Torricelli Range, Montgomery and Eve (1935, p. 14) reported:
“Soiland sub-soil with their covering of tropical jungle had disappeared from 60% of the
slopes, baring the underlying bedrock.” In November 1970, a M=7.9 earthquake triggered
landslides along the north coast of Papua New Guinea that removed shallow soils and tropical
forest vegetation from steep slopes in the Delbert Range (Pain and Bowler, 1973). Vegetation
was stripped from about 25 percent of the slope surfaces in the 240-km2 area that was
affected by land sliding. Similarly, in 1976 two shallow earthquakes (M=6.7 and 7.0) struck
the sparsely populated, jungle-covered, southeast coast of Panama, causing huge areas of land

19
sliding. Garwood et al. (1979) estimated that the slides removed approximately 54 km2 of
jungle cover (12 percent of the affected region of 450 km2).

2.4.7 Effects on Fish Populations

Although most kinds of wildlife are able to retreat fast enough to prevent direct injury from
all but the fastest-moving landslides, all wild creatures are subject to habitat damage and
destruction. Fish are probably most affected because they depend on stream access and water
quality for their livelihood, both of which are commonly influenced in the short term by
landslides. However, “Survival of fish over long periods (102 – 103 yrs) and over large land
areas (102 – 105 km2) is framed in the context of environmental risks, refuges, and biological
adaptations.” (Benda et al., 1997). Thus, although landslides, on one hand, create a hostile
stream environment for fish, on the other they may provide long-term stream refuges that aid
survival.

2.5 Mitigation of landslide

The mechanism of slope movement (landslide) are controlled by slope gradient, thickness of
overburden (colluvial material) and moisture content of fine grained underlies material. Rain
fall and the abscesses of vegetation (barren land) are the main factors determine the
occurrences and intensity of landslide activity in the present study area. Thus, to determine
the mechanisms (types) of landslide movement in the area about seven parameters has been
analyzed above.
Accordingly in the soft litho logical material like highly weathered fine grained (clay, silt and
shale) overlies by thick collegial deposits area, rotational sliding, debris slide and others were
expected during rainy season (Vernes, 1978; Dikau et al., 1996).
Hence, in the study area rotational slide and debris slide manifestation triggered by rain fall
were identified during the field investigation and by analysis slope material and
morphological analyzed.
Thus, the presence of coarse grain, low or no cohesive of shallow depth (1.5-3m) colluvial
deposit develop on moderate to steep slope (250-450) and leads debris types of landslide
shown on. This type of movement has been seen at the northern margin of the study area.
The morphological appearances characterized by main scarp, back-tilted bench at the head
and concave upward, found between 50-250 or very gentle to moderate steep slope gradient
and thickcolluvial material (10-14m) which moved slowly considered as rotational
mechanism triggered by rain fall. This type of movement was common in the southern

20
margin of present study area and in some part of central. Colluvial material (10-14m) which
moved slowly considered as rotational mechanism triggered by rain fall. This type of
movement was common in the southern margin of present study area and in some part of
central.

2.5.1 Mitigative Measures

Certain steps can be taken to reduce the risk or damage from the landslides:
Demarcating landslide prone areas and accordingly plan the future development activities,
Reduce the slope angle, Place additional supporting material at the foot of the slope, Stabilize
near-surface soil by preferably fast growing plants with sturdy root system , Build thick
retaining walls at the toe of the slope (high thin walls have been less successful covering the
surface.

2.5.2 Post-Landslide Measures

Clear the debris, especially the huge rock boulders and tree trunks on the slopes, Stabilize the
depositional area (characterized by loose soil, small rock boulders, etc.) by fast growing
trees/plants and Rehabilitate the affected people.

21
 CHAPTER THREE

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA

3.1 Location and Accessibility

The research area is situated within Amhara region, east Gojjam in Dejenworeda surrounded
by four neighboring woredas. Such as Enemay and Debay Tilat in the north, Shebelberenta in
the east, Oromia region in the south and Awabal in the west. The Abay Gorge, in
KurarKebele to Bechet River around yetnora town along asphalt road in DejenWoreda of
East Gojam Zone, Central Ethiopia. It is about 275 km from Addis Ababa, approximately at
the 40 km mark from Gohatsion town and can be accessed through Gohatsion- Bechet River
from Dejen asphalt road. A total areal coverage is about 633 km2. Due to difficult terrain
conditions, most of the traverses were made following foot paths and landforms with gentle
slopes.

22
3.2 Climate
According to National Meteorological Agency the selected Woreda has a landscape that
causes varied micro climatic zones of an area. This accounts for the possibility of producing a
variety of crops. Climate plays decisive role on the activities of agriculture. These districts
are characterized by a great diversity of thermal zones as result of its wide ranges of
altitudinal extent. It classified as follows: the climate of the present area is considered as
Subtropical (Weyna-dega75%), tropical (kola23%), and temperate (Dega2%) with average
mean annual rainfall 800 mm to 1200 mm (DWAO). Rainfall plays a great role in increases
of groundwater, moisture content and initiate landslides phenomenon in the area which has
thick alluvial underlies by soft geological material. (DWAO, 2014).

The climate zones of the study areas are kola and weinadega agro ecology. The mean annual
average temperature of the selected woreda is 220c. The average minimum and maximum
temperature of the woreda is 110c and 320c respectively. The annual average rainfall of the
selected woreda is 850mm whereas the minimum and maximum rain fall is 1060 and
1148mm respectively. (DWAO, 2014).

3.3 Agro-Ecology of the study area

Agro ecology of the study area is dominated by the climate zone occupied hottest kola and
weinadega(DWAO,2014).

3.4. Topography and major land feature

The dominant feature of the topography of the selected woreda includes both gentle and steep
slope area. (DWAO, 2014).

23
 3.5. Soil and vegetation cover of the study area
In the selected woreda there are four types of soil (according to Atlas of East gojjam zone,
Jun 2005) have been identified. These are red soil, black soil, gray soil and<ashalma> soil
(composed from varieties of soils (DWAO, 2014).

3.6. Population size of the study area

The study areas are some of among 22 kebeles in Dejenwereda. According to Dejenwereda
Agricultural Office, the total populations of the study areas are estimated to be 94617 and the
total household of the study area is 55349(58.49%). From the total population, the male
population is about 45536(48.1%) and the female population is 49081(51.9%). (DWAO,
2014).

3. 7 Major Economic Activities

The majority of the population of the study areas practice agricultural crop cultivation and
animal rearing are the main source of economic activity, crop farming practices on the basis
of traditional farm implement and tools. The dominant crops are maize, teff, orange, banana,
sorghum, tomato, cabbage, onion, carrot etc. (DWAO, 2014).

3.8. Agricultural land Management Practices

Crop cultivation and animal rearing due to the traditional farming practice and miss
management of land resource agricultural productivity a diminished in the past few years, but
now rehabilitees the land to some extent. In the study area surface erosion occurring on farm
land, grazing land and forest bush land. (DWAO, 2014)

3.9. Land use and land cover

The land use pattern of study area is classified as follows: 8% of land covers under crop,
58.5% cover with crop production of land 6% cover with grazing land , 4.7% of land covered
with forest and bush, 12.9% of land cover with Arable land and 9.9% of land covered with
others (for construction, rivers, gorges and other). In other way from the total area of the
district about 38.8% is plain land, 49.4% is mountains and 11.8% is valley and gorge.
(DWAO, 2014).

3.10. Target population

The target population of the selected woreda has 94617 residents. The total household of the
study area is 55349.Among them the researcher will select 123 different governmental and

24
nongovernmental households, especially, who have an entire relation with land slide in the
study area. Based on these considerations, the researcher also targeted different institutionally
responsible personnel's who are assigned for increasing the effort of the community towards
land slide protection.

CHAPTER FOUR
4. METHODS AND MATERIALS
This research was prepared by using both primary and secondary data sources (published and
unpublished articles) and observation and experience with the crop farming community of
Ethiopia.

4.1 Research Design

The approach what the researcher used to deal the faced problem area was both quantitative
and qualitative approach. The researcher also describes in the description study areas what
he was going to deal by using the following techniques. These: includes the researcher used
questionnaire, interview focus group discussion field observation (primary data) through
descriptive types of research design. Descriptive type was a study design to illustrate the
participation in an accurate way and all about describing people who took part in the study.
The researcher would use descriptive research design in order to analyze the data would be
gathered from both primary data ( interview, questionnaire, field observation, focus group
discussion) and secondary data ( Articles, journals, government reports, books, websites).

The researcher would provide base line information on the role of road landslide problem in
the focusing area, by using both qualitative and quantitative design. The concerned area in the
research design includes drivers, local communities; like farmers, teachers’ health office
workers, non- governmental organization workers. The researcher would also use objective
and subjective questionnaire for the educated people in order to get clear information. Focus
group of discussion was also applied with un educated people. Field observation also could
be greatly implemented practically by the researcher. This was because of the main target of
the researcher was to find out the solution after he or she was being observed. The other

25
method what the researcher going to describe was secondary data by reading journals,
government reports, books, in detail.

4.2. Sample design

It was a segment of population selected to represent the population as a whole. The entire
target population of the study area was 55349 and from these households the researcher
purposely took the sample size of 123 populations.

To select the sample size the researcher used the random sampling technique. The reason
why the researcher used this technique was that, this technique was free from any bias than
the rest. From different sample size determination approaches the researcher would use
Yamane’s (1967), sample size mathematical formula. That is shown in the following ways

N
n= where, n= sample size
(1+ Nxe2 )

N= total population

e= level of significance

Given N= 55349

e= if 9%

N 55349
Solution: - n= 2 n= 2 =123
(1+ Nxe ) (1+55349 x 0.09 )

4.3. Data type and sources

The researcher would use both primary and secondary data. The primary data sources would
be collected through using interview, field observation, questionnaires, focus group

26
discussion and secondary data sources such as Articles, journals, government reports, books,
and websites are gathered from written materials to get relevant information.

4.4. Methods of data collection Tools

The researcher would collect the reliable data through interview, field observation,
questionnaires, focus group discussion, articles, journals, government reports, books, and
websites are gathered from written materials to get relevant information.

To get more data from the selected sources, the researcher would use the following data
collection tools:
Questionnaires: Close ended and open ended questions would be prepared to the selected
119 sample households to get data about local communities’ perception on climate change,
mitigation and adaptations practices. The closed ended format questions enable to the
respondents to select one option that best meet the reviews, while the open ended question
was included in order to give opportunity to the respondents to express their perceptions and
ideas concerning the problem under study and often they are only feasible way to reach a
number of reviews large enough to allow statistically analyses the results.

Interview: It is aimed obtain detail information on the issues (Mikelson , 2005). To get
detail information, the concerned body would use these method due to it was flexible and
makes clear at any time when there is ambiguity. The key informant interviewer particularly
includes local communities who uneducated to give enough response the given questionnaire
around the study area.

4.4.3 Focus group discussion

Focus group discussion (FGD): helps to generate data on group dynamics, and allows
a small group of respondents who were guided by a skilled moderator, to focus on key issue
of the research topic (Mwanje, 2001).

The researcher will select six respondents in who were socially respected within society and
are known to have better knowledge on the present and past environmental, social and
economic status of the study area. At each Keble, one focus group discussion would be
conducted. The focus group discussions will be made with member of33 educated persons,
one local elder, two religious leaders, one women, and one young farmer of the sample
‘kebele’s. The main purpose of focus group discussion is to understand the level of
perception of the people about climate change impacts, its mitigation and adaptation. The
major discussion topics are on the local community understanding of climate change and its
mitigation and adaptation strategies effectively.

27
 Field observations: Robson, (1995) indicates that field observation was used as a
supportive technique to collect data that may complement or set in perspective data obtained
by other means. In the time of staying in the study area, the researcher would observes
vegetation covers, topography/relief, major development interventions, people’s perception
and related things

GPS: The researcher would use the global positioning system to indicate the road land slide
conditions along the study area Therefore, the study area would be described by the owner
of the research through the help of this scientific mechanism.

4.5 Methods of Data analysis

After the data has been collected the study area would be analyzed briefly through the help of
SPSSR VERSION 22 statistical software. The study also analyzed the data through
quantitative method by using percentages, table’s frequency, pie charts, graphs mean and also
the researcher would analyze the data through qualitative method by descriptive mechanisms.
the researcher used random sampling method in order to be free from any bias. The
instrument or the tool what the researcher used to find out the solution is interview,
questionnaire, and focus group discussion.

Thus tools are performed by the concerning body. Example focus group discussion and
interviews were done by local communities particularly for those people who could not read
and understand the given questionnaire. Questionnaires are given to answer the concerning
questions by the educated societies like teachers, health office workers, agricultural office
and others.

Ethical issue: The ethical issues should be considered about the participants. This means
first the researcher should ask the permission to got successful answer through interview
focus group discussion, questionnaire and field observation.

Work Plan
This section will describe the sequence of activities necessary to conduct the research. It will
include the time necessary to complete each activity. After reading this section the reader will
have a clear understanding of what steps will be taken, the order in which the will occur, and
the time each step would require. It could be presented in a Gantt chart (Table)

28
 LOGISTICS AND BUDGET BREAK DOWN
Table 1: - Stationery Materials’ expense

Unit price Total

No Items Unit Quantit
Birr cents Birr Cents
y
1 Duplicating paper Ream 2 120 00 240 00

2 Pen Peaces 10 5 00 50 00

3 CD-Disk Peaces 4 35 00 140 00

4 Binding Binds 9 15 00 135 00

5 Secretary services Per sheet 150 7.9 00 1185 00

Subtotal of cost 1750 00

Table 2: -Transport fee
Means of Cost
No From To Purpose transport single trip total trip
1 yetnora Dejenwereda For internet access Bus/taxi 10× 13 130.00

2 yetnora Debremarkos For data gathering Bus/taxi 70×5 350.00

4 “ MWU To submit the
proposal Bus 600×1 600.00
5 “ MWU To submit final
report 600×2 1200.00

Subtotal of cost 2280.00

Table 3: - Miscellaneous expenses

Unit price(average) Total price

No Items Duration Birr X duration Birr Cents

1 Breakfast 18 times 15.00 15.00×18 270 00

2 Lunch 18 times 30.00 30×18 540 00

3 Diner 18 times 30.00 30×18 540 00

4 Bed 18 times 90.00 150×18 2700 00

5 Secretary’s payment 1000 1000 00

6 Fee for Teachers 2 500 500.00×2 1000 00

supporters
questionnaire 1 40.00 40.00×123 4920 00

Subtotal of cost 10970 00

29
Table 4:- Cost summary

The total requested budget for the research is around 8370.00 (Ethiopian birr) that 5000.00
would

N0 Service Cost Cent

1 Stationery Materials’ expense 1750 00
2 Transport fee 2280 00
3 Miscellaneous expenses 10970 00
Total 15000 00

Budget sponsor(s)

The total requested budget for the research would around 15000.00 (Ethiopian birr) that
would expected to be sponsored by MaddaWalabu University.

3. WORK PLAN’S TIME FRAME (Tentative)

Table 5: - Time classification

DATE ACTION
01-03 July 2018 Submitting research topic to the coordinator office
04-14 August 2018 Receiving the approved topic from advisor
15 September 2018- -Reading related Materials (literature search) for proposal
January 2019 writing and talk to relevant people
-Gathering information about study subjects from record
03-24Feb- may 30/2019 OfficeWoreda and zone police offices.
-Writing the first draft proposal and submitting to the
July 10-30/2019 advisor
August 15- 30/2019 -rewriting the final proposal following advisor’s feedback and
resubmitting to advisor
October 5-15/ 2019 -Preparing for oral presentation and presentation (Tentative)
December 15-30/ 2019 -Developing questionnaires for sample studies and
administering the questionnaires to the pilot samples
-Literature search (cont…)
January 15-30/2020 -Analyzing pilot questionnaires and improving the
questionnaires by categorization
-Literature search (cont…)

30
Feb 10-25/2020 -Administering the questionnaires to the sample subjects
-Literature search (cont…)
March 1-16/ 2020 -Organizing the test result and analyzing it
-Writing the report( first draft)
-Literature search (cont…)
April 1-5/2020 -Submitting the first draft to advisor
April 15- May 30/ 2020 -rewriting final report from the view of feedback given.
-Literature search (cont…)
Jun 15-25/ 2020 -Resubmitting the finalized report for further advice
July 5-20/ 2020 -Final work of report writing and submission for further
comment(if any)
August 10-15/2020 -Prepare for oral presentation (defense) (tentative)

31
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APPENDEX ONE
MADAWALABU UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY THE SAMPLE SELECTED IN DEJEN
WEREDA.
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HOUSEHOLD HEADS
Dear Respondents: My name is ALENE TAREKEGN, a graduate student of Madawalabu
University. I am conducting a research for the partial fulfillment of master degree in
geography and environmental studies. The main objective of this questionnaire is to
investigate assessing the land slid condition along Gohatsion to Debremarkos particularly
Abay river brdge-Dejen town and Yetnora areas in DEJEN District . This type of study is
important for planners as well as decision makers at different level. Therefore, the
information that you provide is believed to help the concerned bodies in understanding
farmers’ knowledge on Land slide, its factors and their impacts. Hence, taking the above
objectives into consideration, you are kindly asked to provide the appropriate answer for the
following questions.
N.B.
1. The response you give will not have any negative impact on you.
2. No need of writing your name on the questionnaire.
3. Please respond for in feeling free wary on think is correct.
Thank You In Advance
ALENE TAREKEGN
Part I Background information of household head

You can ask the researcher any questions if there is an ambiguity and expect to receive
satisfactory answers.

36
Date of Interview_________________________ Questionnaire Number _______________
Name of enumerator________________________
Kebele----------------------------------------------
1. Sex of household head: _______________
2. Age of household head _______________
3. Religions of household head ___________
4. Marital Status A. Married B. Single C. Divorced D. Widowed
5. Educational Status A. Illiterate B. Read and write C. Primary education completed
D. High school complete E. Higher education complete
6. Family size Male…………. Female………….Total …………
7. Type of agriculture practiced A. Rain fed B. Irrigated C. Both
8. If you used irrigation estimate the size of cultivated land _______ hectare
The major factors that lead for the formation of the land slid along the study area.
1. Do you think that it is possible to adapt the cause of the land slid condition in the study
area?
A. Yes B. No
2. Who is responsible to adaptation practice? (Multiple answers is possible)
A. Government Organization C. Local community
B. Non-government Organization D. Local Community and GOs
3. What is your copping mechanism when you faced this kind of challenge?
(Multiple answers are possible) A. planting trees B. shifting crops per year C. making a
dame D. all
4. Who receives this major challenge of land slid condition? A/ vehicles B/ human beings C/
animals D/ plants
5. Do you think that the type of soil is the one among the factor which leads to this hazardous
problem? A. Yes B. No
6. What will be the major factor for the occurrence of this challenge in your locality?
A/ nature of soil B/ types of slope C/ topographical structure D/ all will be possible answers
7. Do you practice to overcome this challenge? A/ Yes B/ No
8. What seems like population distribution in your area? A/ densely populated B/sparsely
populated C/ moderately populated
8. Have you made adjustment in livestock management to escape from this danger? A. Yes B.
No,
9. If your answer is yes, the kind of adjustments
37
A. Destocking B. Changing type of livestock C. Other specify______________
10. What are the hindrances for use of adaptation options of combating techniques of land
slid?
A Lack of money to implement B. Lack of technical knowledge C, Lack of awareness about
this condition
11. What is the determinant causes that follow climate change/ variability through land slid
along asphalt road?
A. Nature of soil B. Fastness of the driver
C. Poor investigation of geologists D. Internal force
12. What are the impacts of land slid along the study area?
A. devastation of animal life B. Death of human life
C. destruction of vehicle D. all are possible answers
13. What will be the best solution for the community who are settling in the study area?
A. leaving those area C. giving sufficient awareness for farmers
B. giving advice for drivers D. giving gap between settlement and asphalt road
14. Now a day how many of the vehicles has been crushed?
A. Two B. three C. five D. unknown
15. Who is responsible body to assess this hazardous condition?
A. government B. non government C. community D. agricultural office
16 Do you think that sinking of the land is the one among the major cause?
A. Yes B No
17. What is your responsibility to overcome this condition?
A. high B. low C. medium
18.Is there any advice from governmental office?
A. yes B. yes
19. How long your home is distant from your house?
A.20cm B. 10cm C 30cm D. UN known
20. Have you planted varieties of vegetations around your home? A. yes B. No
21. Have you seen other areas affected by this condition? A. yes B. No
22. Who pays a great scarification to reduce this dangerous condition?
A. agricultural office sector B. Financial sector C. communication sector D. Municipality
sector

38
Appendix Two
Questions for Key Informant Interview (KII)
1. Is there any variability of temperature and rain fall in Dejen District in the past?
A. Yes B. No
2. What do you think the household contribution of the study area?
3. What is the household perception of land slid adaptation strategies?
4. What are the local peoples coping mechanisms used to reduce these impacts?
5. Who is responsible to give response to eradicate this condition?
6. What is the responsibility of the households?
7. What is the response of government organization?

39
 Appendix Three
Questions for Focused Group Discussion (FGD)
1. Do you think there is land slid condition in your locality?
2. What do you think the household contribution to reduce this danger?
3. What are the household activities to resist this problem?
4. What are the barriers that hinder for the formation of land slid?
5 Do you have an awareness this condition is occurred out of asphalt road?
6. What is your final plan or decision if this condition will continue?

40
Appendix Four
Check list for Field Observation
The researcher will observe if there is:
1. Crop production and livestock husbandry
2. Governmental and Non-governmental activities on environmental conservation
3. Tracing and small scale irrigation
4. Major people economic activities in their environment

41