Land Degradation Assessment in Lake Awassa Catchment Using Gis and Modeling

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Date

2005-06

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Addis Ababa Universty

Abstract

In countries like Ethiopia where agriculture sector has the basic contribution for grosseconomy, land resource plays a major role in the level of production. One form of land degradation is soil degradation and it is often a very slow process and may be almost invisible. Rate and magnitude of erosion at any location is determined by the interaction of the natural and human induced parameters. Identifying the existing natural and human induced parameters control the land degradation level through GIS and Modeling enable to put on remedies that reduce the level of degradation at least to its natural level. At present, Lake Awassa catchment is exposed for land degradation problems that mainly caused from water erosion. The surface water flow in the catchment either directly end up to L. Awassa or to L. Cheleleka and its swamp vicinity. In 2004, the potential soil loss from up land of the catchment towards L. Awassa is estimated to cover 63.6% (950122.3 ton/year) and towards L. Cheleleleka is 36.4 % (544646.8 ton/year). The land cover change and inapplicability of soil conservation are responsible for intensifying the level of potential annual soil loss from uplands.

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Gis and Modeling

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