Abstract

Origin and effect of ecosystem problems are often not easily definable. Ecosystem degradation has already resulted in noticeable and wide-ranging effects on the Ethiopian community-both rural and urban. Due to depletion of forests and the resultant increase in runoff, the storage of water has greatly diminished and a large number of water points for human and animal use have dried up. Ecosystem degradation leads to decrease in both the quality and number of livestock due to absence of fodder; any change in livestock sector has tremendous effects on the living standards of the rural people as a whole. Where agricultural land livestock production reach very low levels as a result of reduced cultivable land and yields, a situation will be created where there is insufficient land leading to shrinkage of average farm size which, in turn, creates a disguised unemployment. Ethiopia may stand number one in Africa (perhaps in the world) to witness the power of land degradation deriving people out of their homes. In 1984/85, more than half a million people were forced to leave their homes mainly in the highly eroded northern regions to the south and southwestern parts, which are less degraded so far. Plots have been abandoned and given up to grazing owing to the persistent erosion. The consequence is use of marginal lands on steep slopes or relatively unsuitable soils. New plots tend to be in remote areas, so more time has to be spent for travelling. Burning of dung as a result of depletion of forest resources reduces Ethiopia’s crop production while decline in the humus content of the soil causes a further fall in crop production of about one percent. The consequence is obvious: shortage of food and malnutrition. Where there is no forest resource at all, one cannot simply talk about the economic cost of getting fuel wood because there is no possibility to get it even if money is available. Over much of northern Ethiopia most of the land is absolutely treeless, so much so that in some rural areas only stones are used for building houses, and cow dung for fuel. Conflicts between different pastoralist communities have occurred frequently in history and continue up to date. They can have serious consequences too but are covered even less by the press. Keywords: Ecosystem degradation, drivers/causes of degradation, Ethiopia, Agricultural expansion, soil /land degradation, deforestation, population growth.