Population Growth Nexus Land Degradation in Ethiopia

Abstract

Land degradation is one of the challenging environmental problems of Ethiopia. In addition, land degradation, low and declining agricultural productivity and poverty are severe and interrelated problems in the country. Land degradation is caused by many factors such as rapid population increase, deforestation, step topographic features, intensive rain fall, unbalanced crop and livestock production to mention few of them. The relation of population growth and land degradation is quite different in many parts of the world. In some parts of the world, population is considered as a problem. While, in other parts of the world it is considered as a resource.  In Ethiopia, population growth is the repeatedly mentioned cause of land degradation in general and soil erosion in particular. Thus, this paper aims to give an overview on population growth and land degradation in Ethiopia by taking typical evidence from different parts of the country.

Key words: Population growth, soil erosion, soil fertility loss