A Study on Deforestation in Ethiopia: Causes, Impacts, and Strategies

This report delves into the critical issue of deforestation in Ethiopia, examining its causes, effects, and potential solutions. It highlights the clearing of forests for agriculture, construction, and fuelwood as major drivers, leading to environmental degradation, soil erosion, and changes in rainfall patterns. The report underscores the impact on food security and the need for sustainable forestry and agricultural practices. It provides background information on Ethiopia's geography, climate, and agricultural practices, emphasizing the role of the agricultural sector in the economy and the impact of soil degradation. The report also mentions efforts to combat deforestation, such as agroforestry and community tree planting, and calls for urgent action to restore degraded lands and promote sustainable practices. The report includes a bibliography of relevant sources.

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Deforestation in Ethiopia
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Introduction
Deforestation is the clearing or cutting of trees, and other plantations for commercial,
agricultural, or housing use without replanting. In Ethiopia, forests have several benefits to
citizens such as income generation, food, and wood. Ethiopians are experiencing rapid
degradation and deforestation. Deforestation has contributed to food insecurity and other benefits
which include fuelwood and fodder in the country. Due to the rapid population growth in
Ethiopia, there have been extreme forest clearing for fuelwood, construction material, and
agricultural use. The activities has led to extensive environmental degradation which has become
a threat to sustainable forestry and agriculture.
Deforestation has also changed the rain pattern in Ethiopia rendering other parts of the
country semi-arid. Rural afforestation and other conservation programs on community land have
been practiced in Ethiopia in the past years. Agroforestry and community tree planting have been
introduced by the ministry of environment in partnership with international and national
organizations to ensure that the forests are protected. This has helped reduce soil erosion and
land degradation. Therefore, to restore a green and productive land, agricultural and forestry
practices should be practiced on the Ethiopian highland.
Background summary
Ethiopia is located in the eastern part of Africa occupying 472,000 sq. mi. Ethiopia is the
most populated country with a population of 62.5 million and a yearly growth rate of 2.9%. The
whole of Ethiopia lies within the tropical attitudes but the climate is warm in the lowlands and
cool in the highlands (Teklewold, Kassie and Shiferaw, 2013, pp.598). The Ethiopian climate is
majorly dictated by the altitude, which dominates all sides of land use. Besides, the nation has a

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wide variation of agro-ecological zones that shows the wide variation in rainfall in terms of
quantity and distribution, topography, temperature, altitude, and soils. According to Getahun’s
study, there are three main agro-ecological zones that are known in the highland areas of
Ethiopia; the high potential perennial zone, low potential cereal zone, and high potential cereal
zone.
Agricultural sector among other sectors dominates in Ethiopia. Rural areas of Ethiopia
comprise 85% of the population which depend on agriculture. According to research, 52% of the
country’s GDP, 90% of its exports, and 80% of its employment are as a result of agriculture
(Lanckriet, et al., 2015, pp.529). The economy is entirely dominated by subsistence agriculture.
Livestock and crop farming are the main farming practices that are carried out in the highlands
(Bishaw, 2001, pp.9). Crops such as teff, beans, barley, and wheat are grown in the higher
altitudes whereas maize and sorghum are grown in the low and mid attitudes of the country.
In Ethiopia, soil degradation has been a direct outcome of past agricultural practices on
the highland. Once deforestation occurs, the high-intensity rainfall cause soil erosion in the
sloppy areas. Therefore, soil degradation is a major environmental issue facing Ethiopia. Loss of
soil fertility due to erosion, loss of soil, the structure of the soil remnants, and storage capacity all
decrease the nation’s agricultural productivity (Villoria, Byerlee and Stevenson, 2014, pp.2012).
The current rate and status of soil erosion in Ethiopia need abrupt action to restore the
degradation process.

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Bibliography
Bishaw, B., 2001. Deforestation and land degradation in the Ethiopian highlands: a strategy for
physical recovery. Northeast African Studies, pp.7-25
Lanckriet, S., Derudder, B., Naudts, J., Bauer, H., Deckers, J., Haile, M. and Nyssen, J., 2015. A
political ecology perspective of land degradation in the north Ethiopian highlands. Land
Degradation & Development, 26(5), pp.521-530.
Teklewold, H., Kassie, M. and Shiferaw, B., 2013. Adoption of multiple sustainable agricultural
practices in rural Ethiopia. Journal of agricultural economics, 64(3), pp.597-623.
Villoria, N.B., Byerlee, D. and Stevenson, J., 2014. The effects of agricultural technological
progress on deforestation: what do we really know?. Applied Economic Perspectives and
Policy, 36(2), pp.211-237.