Meda Welabu
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Meda Welabu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Meda Welabu is bordered on the south by the Ganale Dorya River which separates it from the Borena Zone, on the northwest by Nensebo, on the north by Mennana Herenna Buluk, and on the northeast by Guradamole. The woreda capital is Bidire.
Mount Wanho is the highest point in this woreda; other notable peaks include Mounts Boreda and Coromso. The lowest point is along the Welmel River, which is just under 300 meters above sea level. Other perennial rivers include the Dumal and Iyya Rivers. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 16.9% is arable or cultivable (10% was under annual crops), 45.6% pasture, 34% forest and heavy vegetation, and the remaining 3.5% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. Notable landmarks include Meda, which is 33 kilometers from Bidire. Wheat, barley, teff, corn, sorghum and oats are important crops.[1] Although coffee is an important cash crop, less than 2,000 hectares are planted with it.[2]
No industry has been reported for this woreda, although 4 wholesalers, 4 retailers and 3 service providers are licensed in Meda Welabu. Gold, silver and platinum have been reported in this woreda, but have not been commercially developed. There were 9 Farmers Associations with 4,937 members and 4 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 913 members. Meda Welabu has 75 kilometers of dry-weather road, for an average road density of 8.6 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 13% of the total population has access to drinking water.[3]
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 85,661, of whom 42,321 were males and 43,340 were females; 2,567 or 3.00% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.5%. With an estimated area of 8,726.72 square kilometers, Meda Welabu has an estimated population density of 9.8 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 27.[4]
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2003 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement for farmers from overpopulated areas. Together with Berbere and Gaserana Gololcha, Meda Welabu became the new home for a total of 5219 heads of households and 19,758 family members.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Socio-economic profile of the Bale Zone Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).
- ^ "Coffee Production" Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union website
- ^ Government of Oromia Region, Socio-economic profile.
- ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables B.3 and B.4
- ^ "Resettlement 2003", Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) (accessed 26 November 2006)
