Effectiveness of sustainable land management initiatives in the highlands of Ethiopia

Soil and water loss, as well as nutrient depletion in croplands and grazing areas, are major problems for smallholder farmers in the highlands of Ethiopia. This review aims to synthesize the main constraints, effectiveness, and potential scenarios of sustainable land management (SLM) initiatives. The findings of the review show that the main barriers to the adoption of the SLM initiatives have been the inability to monitor the conserved catchment through the establishment of an enabled institution at the local administration level (Kebele) and labor difficulties related to composting and terrace maintenance. The discontinuity of poorly constructed terracing, the undervaluing of local knowledge and skills, and the insufficient integration of various soil management techniques all impeded the implementation of the SLM initiatives. Terraces do not effectively control total soil loss, maintain soil moisture, stop nutrient depletion, or increase crop yield, despite their considerable contribution to minimizing soil loss caused by rill and sheet erosion. The most efficient way to keep soil, water, and nutrient losses at an acceptable level while simultaneously increasing production sustainably was to combine the use of terraces stabilized by multifunctional vegetation, drainage ditches, and agronomic methods between terraces. Thus, the planning and implementation of any sustainable land management initiative must be based on the idea that structural, vegetative, and agronomic land management practices at a given field and watershed level should be combined with an appreciation of indigenous skills and knowledge. The application of land management strategies to croplands and grazing areas should be complemented by controlled grazing and a cut-and-carry grazing system.