Causes and Consequences of Land Degradation in Ethiopia: A Review
Amanuel Tadesse, Hailu Worku
Abstract
The term "land degradation" refers to the deterioration of the land's quality and that of its surrounding components due to either natural or artificial factors. The most frequent cause of land deterioration in Ethiopia is water-induced soil erosion. Due to decreased agricultural soil fertility, land degradation has a detrimental effect on Ethiopia's economy as well as agricultural production. It is now a significant issue impacting all aspect of Ethiopians' social, political, and economic lives. It is one of the main obstacles to the nation's agricultural growth and food security. Rapid population growth, significant soil erosion, deforestation, overgrazing, insufficient vegetative cover, uneven crop production on steep slopes, erosive rainfall patterns, a lack of fallowing, and inadequate conservation measures are the main drivers of land degradation in Ethiopia's highlands. The consequences of land degradation include the loss of fertile soil, which reduces the amount of land that can be used for agriculture. The state of family food security is negatively impacted by land degradation, which also directly lowers livelihoods in rural areas and has catastrophic effects on Ethiopia's sociocultural context and ecological setting. Lower crop yields are the direct result of soil degradation, and agricultural households experience increased rates of poverty as a result.