Background
Land degradation is a long-term decline in ecosystem functions caused by disturbances from which land cannot recover unaided (Bai et al ., 2008). Land degradation occurs as a result of anthropogenic activities and climatic variations (Ahmed and Pandey, 201. It includes all processes that diminish the capacity of land resources to perform essential functions and services in ecosystems (Hurni et al ., 2010). It is caused by the natural ecosystem and the human social system. Interactions between the two systems determine the success or failure of resource management (Berry, 2003).
Land degradation has become an important concern affecting food security affecting peoples’ livelihood (Bezuayehu et al ., 2002). Over-grazing, deforestation, agricultural expansion and backward agricultural practices are considered as the major causes of land degradation (Stocking and Murnaghan, 2000; FAO 2004; FRA, 2005).
Ethiopia is one of the well-endowed countries in SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa) in terms of natural resources (Gete et al ., 2006). However, land degradation is a major problem. The major driver is the conversion of forest into agriculture and inappropriate agricultural practices. The Ethiopian population has been growing at a fast rate from 12 million at the beginning of the 1900s to 74 million in 2007, i.e., at a rate of <1.3% before 1950 and 2.6% between 1994 and 2007 (CSA, 2008) which is now greater than 110 million (FDRE, 2018). Due to the favorable climatic conditions, the Ethiopian highlands have a long history of settlement and sedentary agriculture, and as a result, the density of the human and livestock population is high (Sonneveld and Keyzer, 2003). The problem is very serious particularly in steep lands where rain-fed agriculture constitutes the main livelihood of the people (Shiferaw and Holden, 2001). This diminished potential productivity and the economic utility of the land (Mitiku et al ., 2006).
Land degradation due to soil erosion and nutrient depletion is considered as the main problem constraining the development of the agricultural sector in Ethiopia (Amsalu and de Graaff, 2007; Tefera and Sterk, 2010). It also directly threatens the long-term growth of agricultural productivity, food security, and the quality of life (Shiferaw et al ., 2009).
Efforts to conserve soil and water resources and prevent land degradation date back to the mid-1970s and 80s in Ethiopia (Bekele and Holden, 1998). Since then many public organizations and NGOs have been involved in addressing the widespread problem of land degradation. SWC works have been carried out through campaign. Incentives like food for work or cash for work were used as instruments to stimulate farmers to put up the structures even in their fields. However, the efforts put towards the promotion of the technologies so far seem to have had a limited impact in increasing the sustained use of conservation measures (Eshetu, 2004). The limited success of the efforts highlights the need to better understand the factors that encourage/discourage the adoption and the sustainable use of conservation practices (Belay, 1992). The adoption of improved technology is for the most part affected by farmer characteristics, farm-specific conditions, technology characteristics, and institutional set up in which production takes place (Bekele and Holden, 1998).
The most important reason for the limited use of SWC technologies is farmers’ low perception and adoption behavior. According to Kessler (2006), SWC measures fully adopted only when their execution is sustained and fully integrated into the household’s farming system.
Soil and water conservation efforts have focused on highly degraded areas with limited production potential in the district. Marginal steep lands have been terraced with a few structural SWC measures (Guduru district agricultural office, 2019). Despite the promotion, the adoption of SWC practices by farmers has been limited. Farmers of the study area have limited information on the management of land degradation and SWC practices. For example, most farmers have not implemented stone bund terraces because they assume it decreases the cropland (Guduru district agricultural office, 2019) as a result, land degradation remains a major threat to agricultural production. Thus, there is a need to assess farmers perception of SWC practices and its implication on land degradation. Therefore, the objective of this study was specifically to assess farmers perception of SWC practices and the causes and consequences of land degradation.