Review

The implications of watershed management for reversing land degradation in Ethiopia

Temesgen Gashaw

Abstract

Ethiopia is one of the well endowed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of natural resources and valuable diversity in the production environment. However, land degradation is a treat for its natural resources for centuries. High human and livestock population pressures, highly variable and unreliable rainfall, and steep topography have accelerated the process of land degradation. To combat resource degradation and increase food production, different soil and water conservation measures have being implemented since 1970s. However, they are less effective to control resource degradation. Another alternative for resource conservation which has being implemented since 1980s was watershed management. For decades, the government of Ethiopia in collaboration with international donors implemented watershed management in various parts of the country. Some of the outcomes include 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. These imply watershed management show encouraging impacts.

Key words: Watershed management, land degradation, rehabilitation, Ethiopia.

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