Temesgen Gashaw:Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

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Palgo Journal of Agriculture, Vol. 2(2) pp. 38 - 48, May, 2015.

Review

SOIL EROSION IN ETHIOPIA: EXTENT, CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND ISSUES OF SUSTAINABILITY

Temesgen Gashaw

Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Author E-mail: gtemesgen114@gmail.com

Accepted 10 March, 2015

Abstract

Soil degradation is a global environmental problem which started since the innovation of agriculture by human kind. One third of the world’s agricultural soils, or roughly 2 billion hectares of land, was reported as being affected by soil degradation. Water and wind erosion account for 84% of this observed damage. The problem is very high in Africa and Asia. Ethiopia is considered to have one of the most serious soil degradation problems in the world. The average annual rate of soil loss in Ethiopia is estimated to be 12 tons/ha/yr, and it can drastically exceed this on steep slopes with soil loss rates greater than 300 tons/ha/year, where vegetation is denuded. The problem is very much serious in the Ethiopian highlands. In mid 1980’s, 27 million ha or almost 50% of the highland area was significantly erchoded, 14 million ha seriously eroded and over 2 million ha beyond reclamation. Recognizing the seriousness of the problem, the Ethiopian government launched a massive soil conservation program beginning the mid-1970s. However, most performance measures of soil and water conservation efforts of the country were failed. In 1980s, the concept of watershed management was implemented as a way of redressing the degradation of the natural resource base and increasing land productivity. From its introduction up to know, watershed management has being implementing in the country. Some success of conservation efforts following watershed management was reduced run off, soil erosion and associated downstream siltation, increased vegetation cover and surface roughness, increased soil depth, increased recharge of groundwater table, increased production area and green environment, increased crop production and productivity and improvement in fodder availability. The successes are indicators of sustainable resource conservation.

Keywords: Soil erosion, Extent, Conservation, Sustainability

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Palgo Journal of Agriculture