The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Agricultural productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia is threatened by severe land degradation, resulting in significant reductions in agricultural GDP. In order to mitigate ongoing erosion and soil nutrient loss, the government of Ethiopia initiated a Sustainable Land Management Program (SLMP) tar...

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Autores principales: Schmidt, Emily, Tadesse, Fanaye
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: John Wiley & Sons 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145927
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author Schmidt, Emily
Tadesse, Fanaye
author_browse Schmidt, Emily
Tadesse, Fanaye
author_facet Schmidt, Emily
Tadesse, Fanaye
author_sort Schmidt, Emily
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Agricultural productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia is threatened by severe land degradation, resulting in significant reductions in agricultural GDP. In order to mitigate ongoing erosion and soil nutrient loss, the government of Ethiopia initiated a Sustainable Land Management Program (SLMP) targeting 177 micro-watersheds in six regions of the Country. This study evaluates the impact of SLMP on the value of agricultural production across diverse agro-ecological zones by using a panel survey from 2010 to 2014. Results suggest the need for long-term engagement in SLM activities regardless of underlying biophysical endowments and environmental characteristics. The analysis finds that the SLMP is not associated with significant increases in household-level agricultural value of production after 4 years of program participation regardless of agro-ecological zone or landscape type. However, SLM investments and agricultural value of production increased significantly in both treatment and nontreatment areas between 2010 and 2014. Although data suggest positive trends in agricultural productivity and SLM activities during program years, past soil and water conservation programs in Ethiopia have failed to maintain momentum in rural communities after programs ceased funding. Given the results presented in this paper, SLM programs should place emphasis on SLM infrastructure maintenance over the medium to long term in order to reap sustainable effects of SLM on agricultural productivity in critical watersheds.
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spelling CGSpace1459272025-02-24T06:49:25Z The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia Schmidt, Emily Tadesse, Fanaye land management agricultural production water management water conservation sustainability soil conservation watershed management agricultural development land degradation Agricultural productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia is threatened by severe land degradation, resulting in significant reductions in agricultural GDP. In order to mitigate ongoing erosion and soil nutrient loss, the government of Ethiopia initiated a Sustainable Land Management Program (SLMP) targeting 177 micro-watersheds in six regions of the Country. This study evaluates the impact of SLMP on the value of agricultural production across diverse agro-ecological zones by using a panel survey from 2010 to 2014. Results suggest the need for long-term engagement in SLM activities regardless of underlying biophysical endowments and environmental characteristics. The analysis finds that the SLMP is not associated with significant increases in household-level agricultural value of production after 4 years of program participation regardless of agro-ecological zone or landscape type. However, SLM investments and agricultural value of production increased significantly in both treatment and nontreatment areas between 2010 and 2014. Although data suggest positive trends in agricultural productivity and SLM activities during program years, past soil and water conservation programs in Ethiopia have failed to maintain momentum in rural communities after programs ceased funding. Given the results presented in this paper, SLM programs should place emphasis on SLM infrastructure maintenance over the medium to long term in order to reap sustainable effects of SLM on agricultural productivity in critical watersheds. 2019-02-27 2024-06-21T09:05:21Z 2024-06-21T09:05:21Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145927 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148501 Open Access John Wiley & Sons Schmidt, Emily; and Tadesse, Fanaye. 2019. The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Land Degradation and Development 30(7): 777-787. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3266
spellingShingle land management
agricultural production
water management
water conservation
sustainability
soil conservation
watershed management
agricultural development
land degradation
Schmidt, Emily
Tadesse, Fanaye
The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
title The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
title_full The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
title_fullStr The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
title_short The impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
title_sort impact of sustainable land management on household crop production in the blue nile basin ethiopia
topic land management
agricultural production
water management
water conservation
sustainability
soil conservation
watershed management
agricultural development
land degradation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145927
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