Soil erosion studies in northern ethiopia springerlink. Soil erosion is among the foremost causes of declining soil resources in ethiopia, which in turn affect agricultural productivity. Soil erosion in africa threatens food and fuel supplies and can contribute to climate change. Soil erosion and soil productivity decline in ethiopia soil erosion. Effect of land use and land cover changes on soil erosion in. Using satellite imagery to assess impacts of soil and. Investigating the causes and impacts of gully erosion in auchi, nigeria umar kadiri afegbua1. For over a century, governments and aid organizations have tried to combat soil erosion in africa, often with limited effect. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods of the population in toke kutaye woreda, ethiopia feyera deresa tsetadirgachew legesse mizan tepi university, school of agriculture and natural resource, department of natural resource management. Africa rising in the ethiopian highlands impacts of swc. Rather, they indicate that the problem of land degradation is of a different nature than previously thought. Page 3 irrigation systems inadequate drainage and overirrigation. Climate variability already negatively impacts livelihoods and this is likely to continue.
Spatial modeling of soil erosion risk and its implication for. Soil erosion generally refers to the activity process of detachment transport and loss of the soil and soil materials by water, wind, ice and gravity. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. Impacts on human health over 200 years of industrialisation have caused soil contamination to be a widespread problem in europe. A case study in the denku microwatershed oromia region, submitted for the masters degree in human ecology to the college of agriculture and environmental sciences. The most serious problem of ethiopias land resources is soil erosion. Erosion involves both the losses of the soil itself and loss of organic and material nutrients found in the soil 10. The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land.
The following report will be assessing the socioeconomic as well as the environmental impacts of soil erosion and land degradation impacts in. Distinguished the effects of soil erosion, the government of ethiopia and nongovernmental organizations have commenced soil conservation. For over a century, governments and aid organizations have tried to. The paper estimates the effect of soil degradation on crop yields for dominant cereals in ethiopia at a nationwide level and analyses its relation with population density and fertiliser use. Land 2018, 7, 25 3 of 25 using similar techniques in the holeta watershed in central oromia, ethiopia. Decision makers, scientists, businesses and individual citizens generally accept and understand that air and water pollution can. In the highlands of ethiopia for instance, wide and deep gullies are common features, significantly affecting land used for agriculture 7.
As it is technically and financially impossible to conserve all landscapes affected by erosion, identification of priority areas of intervention is necessary. Soil erosion is a naturally occurring environmental process by which soil materials are displaced, transported, and deposited in downstream areas by wind, water, or gravitational forces. Ethiopia historically passed significant dynamics in land useland cover since long ago to date. Deforestation and land degradation on the ethiopian highlands. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop. The loss of this top soil results in lower yields and higher production costs.
Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods. Soil erosion is a process that involves the wearing away of the topsoil. If all of the soil, or even just the top layer of soil, in your area was suddenly washed away, there would. Apr 25, 2017 mining is the extraction of minerals and other geological materials of economic value from deposits on the earth. Every year the country is losing billions of birr in the form of soil, nutrient, water and agro biodiversity losses paulos 2001. Article information, pdf download for soil erosion and conservation in. Soil degradation is a global environmental problem which started since the innovation of agriculture by human kind. Economic impacts of technology, population growth and soil erosion at watershed level. Impact of physical soil and water conservation structure. Factors influencing the adoption of soil and water conservation technologies. Pdf soil is the most fundamental and basic natural resource for all life to survive. Title page abstract introduction conclusions references tables figures j i j i back close full screen esc printerfriendly version interactive discussion abstract soil erosion is the main driver of land degradation in ethiopia, and in the whole region of east africa. A, mati, b 20 impacts of longterm soil and water conservation on.
The influence of human activities on the landscape has traditionally been deleterious, but this trend seems to have recently reversed in some parts of the country following the. Feb 06, 2020 study session 11 impacts of climate change in ethiopia introduction. Environmental issues in ethiopia and links to the ethiopian. Assessing soil erosion although soil erosion has been taking place very slowly in natural ecosystems throughout geologic time, its cumulative impacts on soil quality over billions of years has been signi. In the context of watercaused soil erosion, removal of soil particles is the result of raindrops, while. The impact of soil and water conservation for improved. Effects of soil and water conservation practices on soil physicochemical properties in gumara watershed, upper blue nile basin, ethiopia mengie belayneh1, teshome yirgu2 and dereje tsegaye3 abstract background. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on soil. Manual and mechanical seed bed preparations are impeded. Demissie, zenebe adimassu, kifle woldearegay, kindu mekonnen, tilahun amede, wuletawu abera, john w. Interventions were taken by introducing soil and water conservation practices. Investigating the causes and impacts of gully erosion in. Study session 11 impacts of climate change in ethiopia.
Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. Land degradation and rehabilitation in ethiopia world bank. Effect of land use and land cover changes on soil erosion. Pdf economic impacts of technology, population growth. This study was conducted at arba minch zuria woreda gamo gofa zone, southern nations and nationalities peoples region snnpr, with the aim of assessing impacts of deforestation on the livelihood of small holder farmers. The following report will be assessing the socioeconomic as well as the environmental impacts of soil erosion and land degradation impacts in the ethopian highlands of tigray. The overall current soil erosion rates are highly variable and large by international standards, and sheet, rill, and gully erosion are the dominant processes. Impacts of swc interventions and land use on discharge and sediment. Impacts of erosion environment, land and water queensland. A row of pigeon pea cajunus cajun will support this soil bund in.
The omission of such ecosystem functions in this analysis, is likely to underestimate the benefits of sustainable land management interventions. The change in land use types played a significant role in this increased rate of soil erosion in ethiopia. Soil erosion affects the physical and chemical properties of soils. It thus assessed costs and benefits related to onsite impacts of soil erosion and deposition in rainfed agricultural. Estimates suggest climate change may reduce ethiopias gdp up to 10 percent by 2045, primarily through impacts on agricultural productivity. Did you ever stop to think about how important soil is to your daily life. One third of the worlds agricultural soils, or roughly 2 billion hectares of land, was reported as being affected by soil. Deforestation and land degradation on the ethiopian. Soil erosion is a serious problem for agricultural production in ethiopia fig. The effect of soil degradation on agricultural productivity. Economics of land degradation eld ethiopia case study. This research investigated the effects of swc practices on soil properties and crop productivity in cultivated. In ethiopia, soil erosion is a severe problem and a major cause of the decline of agricultural productivity. Impacts of deforestation on the livelihood of smallholder.
Apr 30, 2019 soil erosion and nutrient depletion have been the major challenges in ethiopia that adversely affect soil fertility and crop productivity. The soil loss prediction procedures presented in this paper adopt methodologies that combine research information from di erent sources. When top soil is gone, erosion can cause rills and gullies that make the cultivation of paddocks impossible. The potential for soil erosion increases if the soil has no or very little vegetative cover of plants. Distinguished the effects of soil erosion, the government of ethiopia and non governmental organizations have commenced soil conservation. Factors affecting adoption of soil and water conservation.
Plant and residue cover protects the soil from raindrop impact and splash, tends to slow down the. Number of studies published on soil erosion and conservation in ethiopia, as documented in the web of sciencetm database accessed february 2015. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on. Impact and factors on soil quality, crop production. Mining can also trigger the formation of sinkholes. To overcome these problems, efforts have been made to launch afforestation and conservation. Soil erosion and the effects of soil erosion on crop productivity have become emotional issues and have attracted the attention of agriculturists, environmentalists, and the public in general. Magnitude and the impacts of soil erosion on productivity depend on.
Soil erosion and soil productivity decline in ethiopia. This has resulted in soil erosion and land degradation. Report for the economics of land degradation initiative. Soil erosion is a very critical form of land degradation resulting in the loss of soil nutrients and downstream sedimentation of water storages in the highlands of ethiopia. This approach allows selecting soil erosion control practices best 25 suits to the particular requirements of each site and landusers. Estimating landscape susceptibility to soil erosion using. However, the performance of s oil and water conservation structures has not been well studied. Furthermore, israel 70 reported the mean annual soil loss rate of 58. Using satellite imagery to assess impacts of soil and water. Drought is the single most destructive climaterelated natural hazard in ethiopia. Spatial modeling of soil erosion risk and its implication. What is the environmental impact of the mining industry.
Using satellite imagery to assess impacts of soil and water conservation measures. I hereby declare that the dissertation, soil erosion, deforestation and rural livelihoods in the central rift valley area of ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted in ambachara watershed, northern ethiopia to evaluate the effect of soil and water conservation structures in reducing soil erosion and its effect on selected soil properties. Effects of soil and water conservation practices on soil.
In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. Climate change is expected to increase the surface temperature of the earth and the oceans, raise sea levels, alter the global distribution of rainfall, affect the direction of ocean currents and major airstreams, and increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. As a result, poverty and food insecurity are concentrated in rural areas moard 2010. However, the adoption of these practices is far below the expectation. Abstract soil erosion is a significant problem in the ethiopian highlands. Study session 11 impacts of climate change in ethiopia introduction. Soil degradation and sustainable land management in the rainfed agricultural areas of ethiopia. Land use and land cover changes and degradation are increasing at alarming rate generally throughout the country.
A soil degradation index is derived from an ordered qualitative classification on the degree of soil degradation and the area extension. Ethiopia has been described as one of the most serious soil erosion. The effect of soil erosion on bare and vegetated soil had been studied using rainfall simulation. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods of. The influence of human activities on the landscape has traditionally been deleterious, but this trend seems to have recently reversed in some parts of the country following the engagement of the communities in land management. The impact of soil erosion and land degradation in ethiopia. The process involves the loosening of the soil particles, blowing or washing away of the soil particles, and either ends up in the valley and faraway lands or washed away to the oceans by rivers and streams. Sep 07, 2015 number of studies published on soil erosion and conservation in ethiopia, as documented in the web of sciencetm database accessed february 2015. Assessing the impacts of different land uses and soil and. Factors influencing the adoption of soil and water. Increases erosion, leading to soil degradation significant soil loss rates due to erosion in ethiopian highlands. Pdf on nov 28, 2017, temesgen gashaw and others published land degradation in ethiopia. With the aim of curbing land degradation problems, efforts are underway on the implementation of soil and water conservation swc practices.
This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans. Soil erosion occurs when soil is removed through the action of wind and water at a greater rate than it is formed soil the soil covering the surface of the earth has taken millions of years to form and we must learn to respect it. A strategy for physical recovery badege bishaw oregon state university, usa abstract deforestation, accelerated soil erosion, and land degradation are serious problems in ethiopia. Soil erosion is one of the biggest global environmental problems resulting in both onsite and offsite effects. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on livelihood. Mining adversely affects the environment by inducing loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and contamination of surface water, groundwater, and soil. Land degradation is exhibited as deforestation, decreasing biodiversity resources, soil moisture stress as well as soil erosion. Soil erosion and nutrient depletion have been the major challenges in ethiopia that adversely affect soil fertility and crop productivity. The case of watershed in gambela region, ethiopia gatbel chot1, awdenegest moges2 and amanuel shewa3 1department of natural resources management, college of agricultural sciences, arba minch university, ethiopia. Assessing the impacts of different land uses and soil and water conservation interventions on runoff and sediment yield at different scales in the central highlands of ethiopia tesfaye yaekob, lulseged tamene, solomon g. In spite of heavy investments in research and development, the global rates of accelerated erosion are now presumbly higher than ever before. This research investigated the effects of swc practices on soil properties and crop productivity in.
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