Effectiveness of Sustainable Land Management Practices on Soil Loss Reduction in Selected Watersheds From the Upper Source of the River Nile, Ethiopia

Abstract

In the highland areas of Ethiopia, farming communities are struggling with severe soil erosion, which is putting significant strain on ecosystems and food production capabilities. Many smallholder farmers in the basin cultivate fragile soils on steep slopes, often without proper management practices, leading to substantial soil loss, ecosystem degradation, and economic setbacks. The study aimed to assess the impact of soil–water conservation (SWC) practices on controlling soil erosion and enhancing soil nutrients in the Abay Basin. Utilizing Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Sentinel 2 sensors available through Google Earth Engine (GEE), the study analyzed historical and recent land use and land cover changes (LULCC). The revised universal soil loss equations (RUSLE) model within the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs (InVEST) application was used for the analysis. The findings indicated that the mean soil loss values were 33.2 tons/ha in 2007, 48.6 tons/ha in 2012, 32.1 tons/ha in 2017, and 31.8 tons/ha in 2022. The higher mean soil loss in 2012 was attributed to significant human intervention in the sample watersheds after 2012, which impacted natural ecosystems. The widespread adoption of sustainable land management (SLM) systems was hindered by factors such as the labor-intensive nature of the technologies, difficulty in identifying the best SWC technologies, and a lack of continuous follow-up and maintenance for physical SWC technologies. The study emphasized that these challenges were largely due to a lack of commitment and weak community participation during the planning and implementation stages. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the involvement of residents and nongovernmental organizations in conservation efforts. The study concluded that expanding the scope and scale of local community participation is essential for future SWC interventions.