Assessing the Impacts of Soil erosion on Farm-land and Conservation Practices in Sululta Woreda, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study was conducted on assessing the impact of soil erosion and conservation practices
in Sululta woreda Oromia regional state, Ethiopia with the objectives of assess people’s
perception on the extent, and consequences of soil erosion and conserving soils by
constructing soil conservation measures. To address the objectives of the study both primary
and secondary data were collected. The primary data were collected from 131 sample
households who are selected from 3 kebele Administrations in Sululta woreda and household
sample was obtained using a simple random sampling technique. Interview was conducted with
expert of woreda, elder and leader person in selected kebeles, field observation and
discussion was made among different communities about the impact and soil conservation
practices were constructed.
Farmers perceived the causes of soil erosion in their lands as slope steepness of cultivation
fields, overgrazing and absence of fallowing with many time preparations of soil for
cropping and similarly, they perceived indicators of the existence of erosion. For them, poor
crop production, absence of fertile top soil, gully development and stoniness of soil were
main indicators to soil erosion on their land. Severity of soil erosion in the study area
explained as severe, moderate, minor soil erosion and cultivation fields had severe erosion
risk. Consequently, farmers well understood the impact of soil erosion on their farms and
recognized as loss of topsoil, reduction of yield over time, requiring high input and
management, lack of farm land and grazing field, and out migration.
Soil conservation measures practiced in the study area included stone bunds, cutoff drains,
soil bunds, waterways, check dams. Yet farmers have been using biological and agronomic
soil conservation measures either separately or in combination with structural soil
conservation measures. Practices of structural soil conservation measures have been
influenced by many factors. Aged farmers have practiced structural soil conservation less
likely than young farmers. Female farmers also showed high interest towards structural soil
conservation, yet they invested little and rarely practiced. On the contrary, educated farmers,
household sizes, farmers involved in off farm jobs, perceiving soil erosion well, having
contact with DAs and training provide a fertile ground for increased practice of structural
soil conservation measures.
Thus, the important recommendations which are found to be of paramount importance from the findings of this study include: bottom-up participatory planning, implementation and monitoring by the real stakeholders at grassroots, publicity on land management practices,
which should be done mostly on mass media, training the farmers and others.
Key words:- Soil erosion, impact of soil erosion, soil conservation
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Keywords
Soil Erosion, Impact of Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation