BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
Soil degradation and nutrient depletion have been the major challenges that adversely affect soil fertility and crop productivity in Ethiopia. With the aim of curbing the problems, governmental and nongovernmental institutions have been investing huge financial and labor resources to tackle it.
Various soil and water conservation technologies have been adopting in the country. Improved land management practices like soil and water conservation are a key strategy to reduce land degradation, and sustain soil quality and increase crop productivity.
Tefera Tadesse, Natural Resources Management and Utilization Director at Ministry of Agriculture told The Ethiopian Herald that integrated and sustainable natural resource development works continued strengthened to improve the productivity, protect soil erosion and land degradation, generate income as well as to build green economy.
Ethiopia introduced a yearly mass campaign where communities get tighter and implement various soil and water conservation and water harvesting practices to reduce soil erosion and enhance surface and ground water. This year, over 2.5 million hectares of land soil and water conservation (1.5 mln. hectares of land) and area closure (1 mln. hectares of land) activities will be covered across the country, he said.
Soil erosion is a severe constraint for land resource productivity. Soil and water management practices have been promoted according to the land’s physical limitations and erosion risks. This year, to foster to mobilize huge number of people, prior works such as identification of drainage (work places), tools and man power are carried out.
According to Tefera, to enable to fill the previous gaps and to foster the campaign, various technical and other trainings at all levels have been providing for professionals, leaders and others across the country. The implementation will commence in January. However, it doesn’t mean the training and preparation is similar in all regions. For instance, in Oromia and Amhara, the training has offered and underway respectively.
In recent years, government’s plan of climate-smart environment has integrating climate change into the planning and implementation of sustainable agricultural strategies to improve its productivity and develop green economy.
Sustainable agricultural production, adapting and building resilience to climate change and developing opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emission from agriculture have been supporting to mitigate the effect of climate change.
To mobilize the increased number of communities this year, various activities are carrying out especially training and awareness creation activities. Every year, Ethiopia mobilizes more than 13 million people to participate in soil and water conservation activities. Soil and water conservation, terraces and contour bunds have widely been practicing in the country, Tefera underlined.
The implementation of these practices differ area to area due to different obstacles and challenges especially awareness creation. According to documents, terracing is believed to be on average of 11.5 times more efficient at controlling erosion than non-terraced plot areas.
On the other hand, contour bunds practice implementation provides a positive effect on water utilization and soil conservation. They are the most efficient when used in combination with other soil water management practices.
Soil and water conservation methods are bearing fruits. The activity is should be well accepted throughout the country. Farmers, environmentalists, government organs and others should give due priority for it.
As to him, government is working to widen the experiences to the whole community designing its proclamation that allows local community to be the owner and active player in the soil and water conservation practice campaigns in their localities. This is enabling local communities to generate income, protect soil erosion and increase production.
Now, people are progressing in soil and water conservation, increasing production and ensuring green economy, he stated. Institutionalizing the whole efforts ensuring the ownership and other systems is important to realize the practices and enhance practices. Modern technologies and systems are highly advisable to sustain agricultural sector’s contribution to the national economy.
Managing soil and water conservation practices is timely response to rehabilitate soil fertility by controlling erosion, acidity and solidity level in soil through curbing chemicals application.
As soil issue is a critical agenda of everyone witnessing changes will in the sector is critical to mitigate climate change to enable to boost agricultural productivity. Hence, some of the farmers are practicing traditionally and others in a modern way.
Applying soil and water conservation system is effective when used with the combination of with the other modern technologies. Some regions of Ethiopia have faced one of the worst droughts in decades. According to UN estimates, about 10.2 million farmers were in need of food assistance at the end of the 2015/16 meher season. The pathway through which soil and water management practices may offer a buffering effect when a drought occurs.
Studies have demonstrated that at the global level, climate variability accounts for one third of observed cereal yields variability due to climate change.
The Ethiopian Herald December 5/2020
