Rehabilitation of degraded lands (Ethiopia)

Yetegoda Meret Magegem (Amharic)

Description

Activities that help maintain the productive potentials of soils through prevention and reduction of erosion, enhancing of rehabilitation rate by practicing measures such as microbasins, trench, eyebrow terrace, terraces, pitting and plantation of trees.

The SWC technology comprises a combination of measures, which include agronomic, vegetative, structural and management measures. This means that in implementing the SWC technology combination of measures such as contour cultivation, grass strips, soil and stone bunds, area closure and improved grazing are applied in integration to rehabilitate degraded lands and restore their productivity. The purpose is to improve food security by reducing erosion and enhance the productivity of land by planting useful trees and fodder species. Unproductive land is changed to productive land by the practicing of the technology. The SWC technology is continously maintained and improved to meet the standards and qulity such that erosion is minimized. The technology is suitable to degraded and unproductive lands which were abondoned as result of low productivity and were previously under cultivation or grazing land. Closure of the area is followed by vegetative and structural measures to speed up the recovery / regeneration rate.

Location

Location: Alaba special woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia

No. of Technology sites analysed:

Geo-reference of selected sites
  • 38.19, 7.48

Spread of the Technology:

In a permanently protected area?:

Date of implementation: more than 50 years ago (traditional)

Type of introduction

Classification of the Technology

Main purpose
  • improve production
  • reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
  • conserve ecosystem
  • protect a watershed/ downstream areas – in combination with other Technologies
  • preserve/ improve biodiversity
  • reduce risk of disasters
  • adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
  • mitigate climate change and its impacts
  • create beneficial economic impact
  • create beneficial social impact
Land use
Land use mixed within the same land unit: Yes - Agro-silvopastoralism

  • Cropland
    • Annual cropping: cereals - maize, cereals - rye, cereals - sorghum, legumes and pulses - other, pepper, teff, chat, haricot beans, wheat
    • Perennial (non-woody) cropping
    • Tree and shrub cropping: avocado, citrus, coffee, open grown, mango, mangosteen, guava, Eucalyptus, sesbania, grevillea, acacia
    Number of growing seasons per year: 2
  • Grazing land
    • Semi-nomadic pastoralism
    • Cut-and-carry/ zero grazing
  • Forest/ woodlandsProducts and services: Timber, Fuelwood, Fruits and nuts, Nature conservation/ protection
Water supply
  • rainfed
  • mixed rainfed-irrigated
  • full irrigation
Purpose related to land degradation
  • prevent land degradation
  • reduce land degradation
  • restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land
  • adapt to land degradation
  • not applicable
Degradation addressed
  • soil erosion by water - Wt: loss of topsoil/ surface erosion, Wg: gully erosion/ gullying
  • chemical soil deterioration - Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content (not caused by erosion)
SLM group
  • improved ground/ vegetation cover
  • cross-slope measure
  • water harvesting
SLM measures

Technical drawing

Technical specifications
SNNPR

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high

Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate

Main technical functions: increase of infiltration, water harvesting / increase water supply

Secondary technical functions: control of raindrop splash, control of dispersed runoff: retain / trap, improvement of ground cover, increase / maintain water stored in soil, reduction in wind speed, improvement of soil structure, increase in soil fertility

Better crop cover
Material/ species: teff, wheat
Quantity/ density: 10,000,000
Remarks: broad casting

Early planting
Material/ species: maize, sorghum
Quantity/ density: 60,000
Remarks: row planting and broad casting

Relay cropping
Material/ species: maize-haricot bean
Quantity/ density: maize-hari
Remarks: row planting

Mixed cropping / intercropping
Material/ species: maize and haricot bean
Quantity/ density: 120,000
Remarks: row planting

Contour planting / strip cropping
Material/ species: maize, sorghum
Quantity/ density: 50,000
Remarks: strip cropping

Green manure
Material/ species: legumes
Quantity/ density: 100,000
Remarks: broad casting

Manure / compost / residues
Material/ species: leaves, cow dung

Mineral (inorganic) fertilizers
Material/ species: DAP, UreaTillag

Aligned: -contour
Vegetative material: G : grass
Number of plants per (ha): 10,000,000
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 1.5
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.3
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.25

Aligned: -against wind
Vegetative material: T : trees / shrubs
Number of plants per (ha): 40000
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 1
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 1
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5

Scattered / dispersed
Vegetative material: F : fruit trees / shrubs
Number of plants per (ha): 111
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 6
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 6

In blocks
Vegetative material: T : trees / shrubs
Number of plants per (ha): 40000

Trees/ shrubs species: sesbania, grevillea, acacia

Fruit trees / shrubs species: mango, avocado, orange

Perennial crops species: coffee, chat

Grass species: vetiver, elephant grass

Slope (which determines the spacing indicated above): 8.00%

Diversion ditch/ drainage
Vertical interval between structures (m): 1
Spacing between structures (m): 50
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.8
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.6
Length of ditches/pits/dams (m): 80
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): 0.8
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): 0.5
Length of bunds/banks/others (m): 80

Terrace: forward sloping
Vertical interval between structures (m): 1
Spacing between structures (m): 50
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Length of ditches/pits/dams (m): 10
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): 0.5
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): 1

Terrace: backward sloping
Vertical interval between structures (m): 1
Spacing between structures (m): 50
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Length of ditches/pits/dams (m): 10
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): 0.5
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): 1

Bund/ bank: level
Spacing between structures (m): 40
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 1
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): 0.8
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): 1

Bund/ bank: graded
Spacing between structures (m): 20
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 1
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): 0.8
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): 1

Slope (which determines the spacing indicated above): 20%

If the original slope has changed as a result of the Technology, the slope today is: 8%

Vegetation is used for stabilisation of structures.

Change of land use type: degraded land to forest land

Major change in timing of activities: structure in dry season, plantation in rainy season.

Other type of management: change of management / intensity level - protection of the closed area by site guards.

Establishment and maintenance: activities, inputs and costs

Calculation of inputs and costs
  • Costs are calculated:
  • Currency used for cost calculation: Birr
  • Exchange rate (to USD): 1 USD = 8.6 Birr
  • Average wage cost of hired labour per day: 0.70
Most important factors affecting the costs
Tools and transport facilities (motorcycles), fuel and food grain.
Establishment activities
  1. Seed collection (grass, trees) (Timing/ frequency: dry season)
  2. Seed bed preparation (Timing/ frequency: on set of rain)
  3. Sawing & Planting (Timing/ frequency: rainy season)
  4. Site selection (Timing/ frequency: dry season)
  5. participatory planning (Timing/ frequency: dry season)
  6. Area closing (Timing/ frequency: dry season)
  7. Trench, microbasin bund construction (Timing/ frequency: dry season)
  8. Plantation (Timing/ frequency: rain season)
  9. Site selection for closure area (Timing/ frequency: dry period)
  10. Closing the degraded land (Timing/ frequency: dry season)
  11. Construction of structural measures (Timing/ frequency: onset of rains and dry seasons)
Establishment inputs and costs
Specify input Unit Quantity Costs per Unit (Birr) Total costs per input (Birr) % of costs borne by land users
Labour
Labour ha 1.0 387.0 387.0 26.0
Equipment
Tools ha 1.0 85.0 85.0
Plant material
Seeds ha 1.0 33.0 33.0
Seedlings ha 1.0 5.0 5.0
Construction material
Stone ha 1.0 2.0 2.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology 512.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD 59.53
Maintenance activities
  1. Tillage/plough (Timing/ frequency: dry season / annual)
  2. Compost making and application (Timing/ frequency: before dry season / annual)
  3. Sawing and planting (Timing/ frequency: / each cropping season)
  4. Plant protection (Timing/ frequency: wet season / annual)
  5. Harvesting (Timing/ frequency: dry season / each cropping season)
  6. Replanting (Timing/ frequency: rainy season /once a year)
  7. Weeding (Timing/ frequency: after rains /once a year)
  8. Cutting the matured trees (Timing/ frequency: dry season /once a year)
  9. Replanting (Timing/ frequency: rainy season/once a year)
  10. Reconstruction of structures (Timing/ frequency: dry season/once a year)
  11. Planting trees (Timing/ frequency: rainy season / once a year)
  12. plant and harvest grass (Timing/ frequency: / before and after rains)
  13. Replanting (Timing/ frequency: / once a year)
  14. Terench and structural measures stablization with plantation (Timing/ frequency: / once in a year)
Maintenance inputs and costs
Specify input Unit Quantity Costs per Unit (Birr) Total costs per input (Birr) % of costs borne by land users
Labour
Labour ha 1.0 46.7 46.7 5.0
Equipment
Tools ha 1.0 3.0 3.0 60.0
Plant material
Seeds ha 1.0 6.6 6.6
Seedlings ha 1.0 3.6 3.6 10.0
Construction material
Stone ha 1.0 41.4 41.4 2.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology 101.3
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD 11.78

Natural environment

Average annual rainfall
  • < 250 mm
  • 251-500 mm
  • 501-750 mm
  • 751-1,000 mm
  • 1,001-1,500 mm
  • 1,501-2,000 mm
  • 2,001-3,000 mm
  • 3,001-4,000 mm
  • > 4,000 mm
Agro-climatic zone
  • humid
  • sub-humid
  • semi-arid
  • arid
Specifications on climate
850-950 mm
Slope
  • flat (0-2%)
  • gentle (3-5%)
  • moderate (6-10%)
  • rolling (11-15%)
  • hilly (16-30%)
  • steep (31-60%)
  • very steep (>60%)
Landforms
  • plateau/plains
  • ridges
  • mountain slopes
  • hill slopes
  • footslopes
  • valley floors
Altitude
  • 0-100 m a.s.l.
  • 101-500 m a.s.l.
  • 501-1,000 m a.s.l.
  • 1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
  • 1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
  • 2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
  • 2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
  • 3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
  • > 4,000 m a.s.l.
Technology is applied in
  • convex situations
  • concave situations
  • not relevant
Soil depth
  • very shallow (0-20 cm)
  • shallow (21-50 cm)
  • moderately deep (51-80 cm)
  • deep (81-120 cm)
  • very deep (> 120 cm)
Soil texture (topsoil)
  • coarse/ light (sandy)
  • medium (loamy, silty)
  • fine/ heavy (clay)
Soil texture (> 20 cm below surface)
  • coarse/ light (sandy)
  • medium (loamy, silty)
  • fine/ heavy (clay)
Topsoil organic matter content
  • high (>3%)
  • medium (1-3%)
  • low (<1%)
Groundwater table
  • on surface
  • < 5 m
  • 5-50 m
  • > 50 m
Availability of surface water
  • excess
  • good
  • medium
  • poor/ none
Water quality (untreated)
  • good drinking water
  • poor drinking water (treatment required)
  • for agricultural use only (irrigation)
  • unusable
Is salinity a problem?
  • Yes
  • No

Occurrence of flooding
  • Yes
  • No
Species diversity
  • high
  • medium
  • low
Habitat diversity
  • high
  • medium
  • low

Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Market orientation
  • subsistence (self-supply)
  • mixed (subsistence/ commercial)
  • commercial/ market
Off-farm income
  • less than 10% of all income
  • 10-50% of all income
  • > 50% of all income
Relative level of wealth
  • very poor
  • poor
  • average
  • rich
  • very rich
Level of mechanization
  • manual work
  • animal traction
  • mechanized/ motorized
Sedentary or nomadic
  • Sedentary
  • Semi-nomadic
  • Nomadic
Individuals or groups
  • individual/ household
  • groups/ community
  • cooperative
  • employee (company, government)
Gender
  • women
  • men
Age
  • children
  • youth
  • middle-aged
  • elderly
Area used per household
  • < 0.5 ha
  • 0.5-1 ha
  • 1-2 ha
  • 2-5 ha
  • 5-15 ha
  • 15-50 ha
  • 50-100 ha
  • 100-500 ha
  • 500-1,000 ha
  • 1,000-10,000 ha
  • > 10,000 ha
Scale
  • small-scale
  • medium-scale
  • large-scale
Land ownership
  • state
  • company
  • communal/ village
  • group
  • individual, not titled
  • individual, titled
Land use rights
  • open access (unorganized)
  • communal (organized)
  • leased
  • individual
Water use rights
  • open access (unorganized)
  • communal (organized)
  • leased
  • individual
Access to services and infrastructure

Impacts

Socio-economic impacts
Crop production
decreased
x
increased

fodder production
decreased
x
increased

fodder quality
decreased
x
increased

wood production
decreased
x
increased

production area (new land under cultivation/ use)
decreased
x
increased


decrease of grazing land

farm income
decreased
x
increased

Socio-cultural impacts
community institutions
weakened
x
strengthened

national institutions
weakened
x
strengthened

conflict mitigation
worsened
x
improved

Ecological impacts
surface runoff
increased
x
decreased

Quantity before SLM: 75
Quantity after SLM: 25

soil moisture
decreased
x
increased

soil cover
reduced
x
improved

soil loss
increased
x
decreased

pest/ disease control
decreased
x
increased

wind velocity
increased
x
decreased

Off-site impacts
reliable and stable stream flows in dry season (incl. low flows)
reduced
x
increased


structural measures

downstream flooding (undesired)
increased
x
reduced

downstream siltation
increased
x
decreased

Cost-benefit analysis

Benefits compared with establishment costs
Short-term returns
very negative
x
very positive

Long-term returns
very negative
x
very positive

Benefits compared with maintenance costs
Short-term returns
very negative
x
very positive

Long-term returns
very negative
x
very positive

Climate change

-

Adoption and adaptation

Percentage of land users in the area who have adopted the Technology
  • single cases/ experimental
  • 1-10%
  • 11-50%
  • > 50%
Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have done so without receiving material incentives?
  • 0-10%
  • 11-50%
  • 51-90%
  • 91-100%
Number of households and/ or area covered
52000
Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?
  • Yes
  • No
To which changing conditions?
  • climatic change/ extremes
  • changing markets
  • labour availability (e.g. due to migration)

Conclusions and lessons learnt

Strengths: land user's view
  • SWC knoweldge is gained

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? through training and practical works
  • additional income is created

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? diversification of SWC measures with in the same plot
  • group work is encouraged/introduced

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? strengthening group formation
  • food value has increased

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? from vegetables and fruits
Strengths: compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
  • degraded lands are rehabilitated and covered with plantation.

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? through increased participatory planning approach
  • crop production has increased.

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? apply more combined technologies to enhance production
  • wood production has increased

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? planting multipurpose plant species increased
  • extensive grazing is changed to intensive grazing

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? to some extent number of animals are reduced
  • the community is aware of the technilogy

    How can they be sustained / enhanced? land users construct SWC technologies on their farm land by their own
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: land user's viewhow to overcome
  • shortage of grazing land use cut and carry system
  • destruction of crop by wild animals making farmers group to protect them
  • shortage of incentives practicing more community participation works.
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: compiler’s or other key resource person’s viewhow to overcome

References

Compiler
  • Unknown User
Editors
Reviewer
  • Fabian Ottiger
  • Alexandra Gavilano
Date of documentation: May 30, 2011
Last update: Sept. 10, 2019
Resource persons
Full description in the WOCAT database
Linked SLM data
Documentation was faciliated by
Institution Project
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International