Tamrat, Emiru (PhD)Antoine, Belachew2019-06-072023-11-082019-06-072023-11-082005-05http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/18430Ethiopia being predominantly an agrarian COIIIIIIY, the peljormance of agricultural sector significantly influences the peljonnance of other seClOrs o/i/le economy. There is an agreement that Elhiopian agriculture is in a velY bad shape. /-1 -is still as vulnerable as it was 20 or 30 years ago. The COu/llly is listed among the.food d~ficil countries of the world. The Iraditional fanning practices wilh lillie or no soil conservation measures have signijicalllly eroded the fertility o/Ihe soil. Environmental degradation in Ethiopia is enormous and increasing at an alarming rale. The major environmental problem in our COUlltly loday is land degradation. The problem is mainly caused by lack oUnveslment on indigenous land conservation techniques and abandoning land improvement and management practices such as terracing, bunding, lIlulching, fallowing, crop rotation, plall/ing nutrielll:fixing crops. ele. In light 0/ Ihe foregoing Ihis paper allemplS 10 examine Ihe relalionship belween environmental condilion and land lenure. The paper mainlains Ihat land tenure can promote land use practices Ihat serve 10 enhance Ihe environmel1l or il can harm the environment. Insecure land tenure is linked to poor land use which in tum leads 10 land degradalion. Lack of clear righls 10 land can reduce Ihe incentive 10 implemenl longIeI'm conservalion measures. II discourages peasanls 10 use such long-Ierm measures and inslead leads Ihem 10 concenlrate on getting whalever they can I/OW \vilhoullooking inlo the .fillw'e. The paper argues that in the Ethiopian context tenure insecurily is 10 a large eXlent attributable 10 periodic land redistribulion which is carried oUIji'om lime 10 time. The paper .fill'lher argues Ihat Ihe underlying cause of lenure insecurity is Ihe policy of public ownerslnj) of rural lands, which policy makes land redislribulion possible and suggesls Ihal the practice 0/ land redislribulion should be halted immed ialely.enImpact of Security of Rural Land TenureThesis