Land degradation, Seasonal Rural Out-Migration and Sustainable Land Management in the Dry Land of upper Tekeze basin, Northern Ethiopia
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2024-11-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study explores the interplay of land degradation, seasonal migration, and
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) dynamics in the Upper Tekeze River Basin, Ethiopia,
with a focus on land use and land cover change (LULCC), drought monitoring, soil erosion,
and the impacts of migration on SLM. The study investigates the temporal and spatial dynamics
of LULCC over 31 years (1990-2021) using advanced remote sensing techniques such as
Google Earth Engine (GEE) and the Random Forest (RF) algorithm, using primary data from
Landsat surface reflectance images. The findings reveal significant changes in LULC,
including a decrease in forest, bushland, shrubland, and bareland, while water bodies,
farmland, urban settlements and dry riverbeds and streams showed substantial gains. These
shifts indicate ongoing land degradation and highlight the future vulnerability of the basin,
emphasizing the need for SLM practices and afforestation efforts to mitigate further
degradation. In parallel, the study assesse spatio-temporal drought dynamics from 1981 to
2021 using multiple indices like the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI), Vegetation Condition
Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), and Vegetation Health Index (VHI). The
result shows that the basin has experienced multiple episodes of moderate to extreme drought,
particularly in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Soil erosion rates assessment was
carried out to estimate soil erosion rates and map soil erosion in the Upper Tekeze Basin, by
integrating Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) with GEE. The study showed that
the mean soil loss rate is 25.5 t ha-1 yr-1. About 63% of the basin is experiencing soil erosion
above the maximum tolerable rate. Specifically, 55% of the study area, which is covered by
unprotected shrubland is experiencing mean annual soil loss of 34.75 t ha-1 yr-1. Shrublands,
particularly in lowland agroecologies are the most vulnerable areas. The study also revealed
evidence that high mean soil loss rate of the basin can be reduced by implementing integrative
watershed management and exclosures. The study further showed that that seasonal migration
is triggered by factors such as drought, land scarcity, and economic pressures. The finding
showed remittances and migration earnings are primarily used for basic consumption rather
than investment on agricultural inputs or SLM practices, and migration is leaving behind
women with the responsibility of managing less productive and degraded farmland. Labor,
input, and skill limitations are also challenges faced by women in managing farmland. Finally,
the study employs two-stage least squares (2-SLS) regression and Propensity Score Matching
(PSM) to analayze the impact of migration on the adoption of SLM practices. The findings
suggest that migration has a significant negative impact on the adoption of SLM practices.
Overall, the study underscores the complex interplay between land degradation, seasonal rural
outmigration, and SLM practices in the Tekeze River Basin, calling for integrated and context
specific interventions to promote SLM while considering the seasonal mobility of farm
households.
Keywords: Land use/cover dynamics, drought dynamics, soil erosion severity and extent,
determinants of seseanal out-migration, response to land degradation
Description
Keywords
Land use/cover dynamics, drought dynamics, soil erosion severity and extent, determinants of seseanal out-migration, response to land degradation