The Cost of Land Degradation in Ethiopia : A Review of Past Studies

This paper reviews past studies on the costs of land degradation in Ethiopia, with a view to drawing implications for policies, programs, and future research on sustainable land management (SLM). Given the wide range of methods and assumptions used in the studies, their findings concerning annual costs of land degradation relative to agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP) are of remarkably similar magnitude. The minimum estimated annual costs of land degradation in Ethiopia range from 2 to 3 percent of AGDP. This estimate does not take into account downstream effects such as flooding, suggesting that actual total costs are possibly much higher than the 2-3 percent range. A onetime occurrence of a 2-3 percent reduction in AGDP might be manageable, but the cumulative losses to land degradation over time are very serious for an agriculturally based economy. Such cumulative losses represent a significant drag on rural growth and poverty reduction and jeopardize long-term, sustainable development.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	Washington, DC 2007-04
Subjects:	ACTUAL YIELDS, AFFORESTATION, AGRICULTURAL INPUTS, AGRICULTURAL LAND, AGRICULTURAL MARKETING, AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, AGRICULTURE, AREA UNDER CULTIVATION, BENEFIT ANALYSIS, BIODIVERSITY, BIOMASS, CARBON, CARRYING CAPACITY, CATCHMENT, CATCHMENTS, CEREAL CROPS, CEREAL YIELDS, CEREALS, CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS, CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, CONSERVATION STRATEGY, CROP, CROP LOSSES, CROP MIX, CROP PRICES, CROP PRODUCTION, CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, CROP RESIDUES, CROP YIELD, CROP YIELDS, CROPLAND, CROPLAND USE, CROPPING, CROPS, CULTIVATED LAND, CULTIVATION, DISCOUNT RATES, DUNG, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC EFFECTS, ECONOMIC IMPACT, ECOSYSTEMS, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ERODED SOILS, EROSION CONTROL, EVAPOTRANSPIRATION, EXTERNAL INPUTS, FAO, FARM, FARM EMPLOYMENT, FARM EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMING SYSTEMS, FARMS, FERTILIZER, FERTILIZER USE, FLOODING, FOOD DEMAND, FOOD POLICY RESEARCH, FOOD PRODUCTION, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD SUPPLY, FOREST, FUEL, FUELWOOD, GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS, GRAIN, GRAIN PRODUCTION, GRASSLAND, GRAZING, GROUNDWATER, INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INTERNATIONAL WATERS, LABOR FORCE, LAND DEGRADATION, LAND MANAGEMENT, LAND PRODUCTIVITY, LAND QUALITY, LIFE CYCLE, MALNUTRITION, MANURES, MARKET PRICES, NATURAL CAPITAL, NATURAL RESOURCE, NATURAL RESOURCE BASE, NATURAL RESOURCES, NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, NITROGEN, NUTRIENTS, OVERGRAZING, PERENNIAL CROPS, PHOSPHATE, POLLUTION, POPULATION GROWTH, PRESENT VALUE, PRICE CHANGES, PRODUCE, PRODUCTION SYSTEM, PROGRAMS, PURCHASING POWER, RAINFALL, RAINFED AREAS, RANGELAND, RECLAMATION, RIVERS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, SEA, SEDIMENT, SILT, SOCIAL COSTS, SOIL, SOIL CONSERVATION, SOIL DEGRADATION, SOIL EROSION, SOIL FERTILITY, SOILS, STREAMS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, TEMPERATURE, UNEP, VEGETATION, WATER RESOURCE, WATERS, WATERSHED, WHEAT, WOODLAND, YIELD LOSS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/04/14059854/cost-land-degradation-ethiopia-review-past-studies https://hdl.handle.net/10986/7939
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