IMPACTS OF SOIL EROSION ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND FARMERS LIVELIHOOD

Abstract

Soil erosion is a worldwide challenge for sustainability of agriculture especially in the tropical region of Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world and most of its population lives in the high land area endowed plenty of resources the most severe soil erosion is observed in the eastern high part of the country Soil fertility declines is mainly caused by intensification of agriculture on already fragile land this process steeply dapples nutrients and extremely soil fertility loss through erosion can be precursor to desertification. The rates of soil erosion that exceed the generation of new top soil are a dynamic process which leads to decline in the soil productivity, low agricultural yield and income. The balance between soil-forming and depleting processes is of utmost importance for attaining long-term sustainability in any production system. Land degradation in the form of soil erosion is a major impact in the high land regions of Sire around Eastern zones Sire particularly Lode Benben Keble. To achieve this objective the necessary data’s been collected from secondary and primary source. The primary data’s were obtained from questioners, interview, field observation and focus group discussion, and analyzed in qualitative and quantitative method. Field survey was conducted to collect the necessary data from 66 respondents which were selected by purposively probable sampling techniques.