Soil and Water Conservation Measures in Ethiopia: Importance and Adoption Challenges

Soil and water are under immense pressure due to ever increasing population thereby ensuing growing demand for food, fiber and shelter. Soil erosion is one of the several major deteriorative processes which results in soil degradation and declining agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. Thus, several efforts to control soil erosion through introduced soil and water conservation measures had been conducted in different time and location in the country. A number of soil and water conservation methods were introduced to combat land degradation, but adoption of these practices did not achieve the target. Different soil and water conservation measures and farmer’s adoption barriers on these conservation measures had been reviewed here. Literature indicated that soil and water conservation measures have promising effects on reducing soil loss, retaining nutrient and soil moisture, improving soil physical and chemical properties. But an intensive labour requirement, poor design, reduced land size and other biophysical and socioeconomic factors discourage farmer’s adoption of soil and water conservation structures. The involvement of Farmers and strengthen extension workers as well as mainstreaming soil and water conservation activity in any agricultural development project has a vital role in these resource conservations.

Keywords: Agricultural production; Farmers adoption; Moisture and nutrient retention