Soil erosion is the most dangerous ecological process observed in ethiopia, degrading. Factors affecting adoption of soil and water conservation. Status of soil and water conservation practices in tigray region, ethiopia. A major argument is that what has been constructed often at great expense has seldom been maintained by the beneficiaries. The article shows results of an international and interdisciplinary project with the title rainfall and its erosivity in ethiopia. Guidelines for development agents on soil and water conservation in ethiopia this introductory chapter describes the aim of this book and how it can be used in the field when you carry out soil and water conservation. Impact and problem of soil and water conservation on. In the lake alemaya catchment soil erosion is caused by the intense rainfall, steep topography, and poor vegetation cover coupled with cultivation of steep. Soil erosion and nutrient depletion have been the major challenges in ethiopia that adversely affect soil fertility and crop productivity.
It has a negative impact on agricultural economy and the natural environment taddese 2001 clearly explained that the major causes of land degradation in ethiopia are the rapid population increase, soil erosion, deforestation, low vegetative cover and unbalanced crop and livestock production. The article contains information about the traditional soil conservation practices, the reasons for intervention with traditional soil conservation technologies, the historical background of instutionalized soil conservation activities, the institutional. Pdf the role of agronomic practices on soil and water. This research investigated the effects of swc practices on soil properties and crop. Land degradation and rehabilitation in ethiopia society at large is also suffering from uncertain information about the rates of land use change and land degradation. Determinants of adoption of soil and water conservation practices at household level in aletawendo district, sidama zone, snnpr, ethiopia 2. The appendices include compiled equations for determining runoff, flow in pipes, conduits and channels, drain design, conversion constants, generally useful formulae and design of filters. A case study article pdf available november 20 with 45 reads how we measure reads.
Impact of physical soil and water conservation structure. However, information on iswc is patchy and scattered. Land degradation is a major concern in ethiopia since it leads to declining agricultural productivity, poverty and food insecurity. The guidelines for development agents on soil conservation in ethiopia has been in use for 30 years. The different agroecological zones control land use practices, population and settlement characteristics, and economic activities hurni et al. The article contains information about the traditional soil conservation practices, the reasons for intervention with traditional soil conservation technologies, the historical background of instutionalized soil conservation activities, the. This is a way of tapping as much water as possible and storing it in tanks or reservoirs. This research was conducted in the koga watershed, near lake tana, in the catchment of a recently constructed dam. In the present day ethiopia soil and water conservation occupies a very important place. This revised edition of the guidelines for development agents on soil and water conservation in ethiopia is more than timely. The paper suggests some rules of thumb for identifying the priority areas for government and donor intervention, including the need for targeted research on the productivity. Today these techniques of soil and water conservation are being prac ticed in many countries with much benefit to great numbers of people. Soil and water conservation in ethiopia springerlink.
Soil and water conservation engineering pdf free download. Determinant factors affecting crop production and adoption of soil and water conservation practices in semein mountain national park, ethiopia. Technical guides used in each field office are localized so that they apply specifically to the geographic area for which they are prepared. Methods for sustaining soil and water conservation. Hence, to the scope of the research finding, it is utmost important to consider the factors. Nigatu dabi, kalkidan fikirie and tewodros mulualem, 2017. Factors influencing the adoption of soil and water.
Soil and water conservation effects on soil properties in. Water harvesting techniques gather water from an area termed the catchment area and channel it to the cropping area or wherever it is required. Soil erosion assessment of lake alemaya catchment, ethiopia. The 19741975 famine has made the turning point for the country to conserve her natural resources 6. Although indigenous swc techniques date back to 400 bc, institutionalized swc activity in ethiopia became significant only after the 1970s. The states of soil and water conservation in ethiopia in any developing country understanding the framers willingness to use soil and water conservation practices is mandatory. Factors influencing the adoption of soil conservation. The omission of such ecosystem functions in this analysis, is likely to underestimate the benefits of sustainable land management interventions. In debre mewi, ethiopia, stone bund and soil bund reduced soil loss by 72. Where adequate maintenance is lacking, conservation works quickly dilapidate and accelerate erosion instead of. In ethiopia soil conservation has been carried out with limited success.
Soil erosion is a major environmental and agricultural problem facing human beings blanco and lal, 2008, hurni, 1988, world economic forum, 2010. Thus, soil conservation is vital to the achievement of food. Construction of soil conservation structures for improvement of crops and soil productivity in the southern ethiopia abay ayalew email. Pdf status of soil and water conservation practices in. Soil and water conservation in ethiopia hurni h, berhe wa, chadhokar p, daniel d, gete z, grunder m, kassaye g.
However its implementation has not been successful in most cases, due to various barriers. Perception of farmers toward physical soil and water. The main objective of the soil conservation research project scrp is to support, through research, experimentation, and training, soil and water conservation. Since then a huge amount of money has been invested in an attempt to introduce soil and water conservation measures particularly in the areas where the problem of soil erosion is threatening and food deficit is widespread. They contain technical information about the conservation of soil, water, air, and related plant and animal resources. With the aim of curbing land degradation problems, efforts are underway on the implementation of soil and water conservation swc practices. Moreover, the respondents among major threats hindering practices of swc generally believed that erosion can be controlled 100%. The study guide can effectively contribute to emerging participatory research and extension approaches, while addressing one of the critical constraints in the smallholder production systems in the region. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on soil. Appraisal on soil and water conservation and its implication on food security are crucial. Regarding the treatment of gullies, which are a serious environmental and social problem in the highlands of ethiopia, researchers recommend to give priority to gullies on the valley bottom, to start treatment before gullies become severe, to improve the. The impact of soil and water conservation for improved. In the last appendix, a table listing the currently used computer models and programs for soil and water conservation engineering is given.
In ethiopia, there was no governmental policy on soil and water conservation and natural resource management prior to 1974. For conservation tillage practices, the control of weeds is a major con. Technical guides are the primary scientific references for nrcs. As always, tables of contents and abstracts are available without a subscription. Besides, soil erosion is a major contributor to the prevailing food insecurity of ethiopia.
Additionally, farmers frequently reject newly introduced soil water conservation practices. Indigenous soil and water conservation in africa introduction many parts of africa are experiencing annual population growth rates between 2 and 4 %, degradation of the natural resource base, recurrent droughts and a growing dependence on food aid as well as the import of cereals to cover food deficits. It allows water to sink into the soil increasing soil moisture levels. Participatory evaluation of soil and water conservation practices on cultivated land in the beressa watershed of the ethiopian central highlands. It ensures a protective cover of vegetation on the soil surface, slowing down the flow of running water and spreads the water over a large area. Assessment of farmers perception towards soil and water. Conservation techniques conserve water within the biomass and the soil by reducing runoff and keeping the water where it falls, as much as possible. Their willingness is highly dependent on their knowledge of the problem of soil erosion 5. The role of agronomic practices on soil and water conservation in ethiopia. Determinants of adoption of soil and water conservation. Pdf soil and water conservation in ethiopia guidelines for. Soil and water conservation practices on crop productivity and its economic implications in ethiopia. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on livelihood.
Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop. In northern ethiopia, especially in tigray, stone bund effective in reducing soil loss by 68%. Mowo1 and kidist hilemichael ethiopian institute of agricultural research, p. Methods for sustaining soil and water conservation measures in ethiopia. In ethiopia, this approach is new and requires appropriate strategies to overcome the barriers and practice effective integrated and sustainable watershed management. Land degradation due to soil erosion is the major problem facing ethiopia today. Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on. Soil degradation is one of the crucial issues in mountainous areas of ethiopia which needs efforts to reduce it. Soil and water conservation 265 life on this planet, as the so il is an essential resource to suppor t plants for producing food, and to provide shelter to insects and animals. Yet most soil and water conservation projects in subsaharan africa have failed. Determinant factors affecting crop production and adoption. Soil conservation stores more of the runoff from excess rainfall in the reservoir of the soil for subsequent crop use. Assessment of the effectiveness of watershed management.
Data were collected through interviews and participant observation. Constraints, decision making, effectiveness, land degradation, soil erosion citation. In the country, efforts towards soil conservation were started since the 1970s and 1980s. Pdf soil and water conservation in ethiopia guidelines. Even though a number of soil and water conservation methods were introduced to combat land degradation, adoption of these practices remains below expectations. In ethiopia, there are many soil and water conservation practices that are important to reduce the damaging effects in associated with erosion and water loss but. This case study explores factors involved with the adoption of swc technologies within the study areas of magersa and konso. Soil degradation in the highlands is caused primarily by soil erosion.
There is lesswillingness to accept and maintain the extensively introduced practices of soil conservation. 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. Ethiopia ethiopia is a large country having 1 million hectares that is endowed with diverse climatic and physiographic condition, with a huge potential of water resource it accounts 122 bmc annual surface runoff and 2. Box 2003, addis ababa, ethiopia 1world agroforestry centre, p. A sequel to the deforestation is typically large scale. Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the top most layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination slashandburn and other unsustainable methods of subsistence farming are practiced in some lesser developed areas. Soil and water conservation practices in ethiopia are very old as evidenced by the existence of traditional measures in some parts of the country. In the last two decades, various soil and water conservation interventions had been introduced in to different parts of ethiopia. Tesfaye 2008 reported that annual soil loss from croplands with level soil bunds reduced by 51% when compared to the control plot. Effect of soil and water conservation measures and. Watershed development planning with the aim of natural resource conservation and development. Factors affecting adoption of soil and water conservation practices in the case of damota watershed, wolaita zone, southern, ethiopia. Soil and water conservation practices on crop productivity. Therefore logistic regression model is also employed to.
113 379 64 1284 894 1007 479 743 435 470 1132 368 710 586 747 227 234 40 160 1047 602 201 1047 740 458 925 914 1097 1397 806 285 908 600 774 456 214 1274