The Impact of Soil Erosion and Land Degradation in Ethiopia

Introduction African soils are extremely poor by nature, they consist of low organic matter as well as all major nutrients. Sub-Saharan Africa does not produce enough food to support their countries even in years of good harvest. Land degradation is exhibited as deforestation, decreasing biodiversity resources, soil moisture stress as well as soil erosion. The following report will be assessing the socio-economic as well as the environmental impacts of soil erosion and land degradation impacts in the Ethopian Highlands of Tigray. The severe land degradation is a result of the soil erosion as well as the nutrient depletion. Throughout the past years soil and water conservation techniques have been comprehensively introduced. The prolonged use of these resources was not as anticipated. The poor performance of agriculture in many low income countries is due to the deterioration of the natural resource base. The major problem which limiting the development of the agricultural sector is the land degradation which is caused by soil erosion as well as nutrient depletion. This is an enormously serious problem especially in the tropical steep lands where rain fed agriculture comprises the major livelihoods of the people. A number of these countries have numerous soil and water conservation programs which have tried to mitigate the land degradation problem but have done so unsuccessfully. In Ethiopia agriculture comprises the biggest share of the national economy; it contributesShow MoreRelatedIntroduction. 1.1 Background. The Sustainable Use Of Natural1373 Words   |  6 Pagesrelationship with world food security and healthy environment. These days the water and land ecosystems are being degraded at an alarming rate (Hannam, 2003 cited in Teketel, 2009). Natural resources, agriculture and human activities are interrelated in developing countries. 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