Soil erosion in the Ethiopian highlands is considered to be one of the major problems threatening agricultural development and food security in the country. However, knowledge about the forces driving the long-term dynamics in land use is limited. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to analyse the spatial and temporal land use/land cover (LULC) changes and their environmental implications over the period 1964–2014 in the Gelana sub watershed, Northern highlands of Ethiopia. Two aerial photographs (1964, 1986) and a Landsat 8 image (2014) were the source of objective landscape data. The subjective supporting data was collected by group discussion, interview and field visits that include the collection of photographic evidence. Seven LULC types, namely forest, shrub land, cultivated and rural settlement, grass land, bare land, urban built up area, and wet land were identified. The result revealed that during the analysis period shrub land, cultivated and rural settlement, grass land, bare land, and urban built up area expanded at a rate of 0.48, 0.14, 0.62, 4.95, and 28.45% per year respectively. On the other hand, during the same period forest and wet land decreased by 1.28 and 1.09% per year respectively. The observed LULC changes were driven by population growth, growing demand for cultivated and rural settlement and forest for extraction of fuel and construction materials. These aggravate soil erosion and biodiversity loss. This information on LULC changes and possibilities for their optimal use is essential for the selection, planning and implementation of land use schemes to meet the increasing demands for basic human needs and welfare. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design and implement appropriate land management options, coupled with population control and designation of protected areas to preserve natural resources.

Soil erosion is the major environmental problem in Ethiopia. In response to this problem, the country has been in continuous struggle to adopt land management practices. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of farmers’ adoption of land management practice in the Gelana sub-watershed, Northern highlands of Ethiopia. The data was collected from 176 randomly selected farming households using a survey questionnaire and was analyzed using multinomial logit model (MNL). The results showed that education, family size, slope of the plot, tenure security, training, access to farm credit and extension service positively and significantly affect adoption of land management practices while age has a negative and significant influence on adoption. The findings suggest that improving farmers’ education status and increase the availability of credit to reduce poverty and increase income would enhance the adoption of land management practices.

In Ethiopia, soil degradation is one of the major causes of low and declining agricultural productivity. As a result of this challenge, the country has been battling to adopt conservation practices. The main objective of this study was to assess farmers’ adoption decisions of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices. For the survey, 304 farmers were selected from farming communities in Lege-Lafto Watershed, South Wollo,Ethiopia. Information were gathered using a household survey, and through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observation. A binary logistic regression model and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that about 64% of the farmers adopted soil and water conservation practices in the study area. The findings depicted that soil bund, stone bund, stone-faced soil bund, loose stone and brush-wood check dams, hillside terrace, and bund stabilized with vegetation are practiced in the watershed. The analysis result revealed adoption of soil and water conservation practices is significantly and positively influenced by the perception of farmers on erosion problems and SWC practices, family labour, educational level, and membership in local institutions. However, distance from residence to the nearest market and farmland, off-farm activities, and the ratio of cultivable land to family size influenced the adoption of SWC practices negatively. Therefore, improving farmers’ educational status, and strengthening local institutions are vital for sustainable land management practices in the country.

The study was conducted with the objective of estimating the rate of soil loss using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model for sustainable land management planning at the Gelana sub-watershed in northern highlands of Ethiopia. The geographical information system data layers, including factors for rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, cover management, and conservation practice, were calculated to determine their effects on mean annual soil loss. The results indicated that the mean rate of soil loss from the Gelana sub-watershed was 24.3 t h⁻¹ y⁻¹; this is very low compared to the results of previous studies in different parts of Ethiopia. This might be attributed to area closure, and soil and water conservation measures implemented in the study area by the Ethiopian government in the last two decades. Results also showed that soil with erosion severity classes of high, very high, severe and very severe jointly accounted for 84% of the total soil loss of the entire Gelana sub-watershed, but covered only 22% of the total area. This highlights the need for implementation of soil conservation measures in these areas.

This study investigates the temporal variability and trend of temperature and rainfall in Gelana sub-watershed, northern highlands of Ethiopia. The study employed a mixed methods approach, but overwhelmingly relied on gridded monthly rainfall and maximum and minimum temperature data at a resolution of 10 × 10 km. The quantitative data were analyzed using standardized rainfall anomaly, precipitation concentration index, coefficient of variation and Mann-Kendall (MK) trend analysis. The results indicated that rainfall over “Kiremit” and “Belg” seasons is found highly variable in the study area. The annual total rainfall has shown an increasing trend of 0.05 mm per year. The MK test results showed that “Kiremit” rainfall has a positive increasing trend, while Belg rainfall showed a statistically significant decreasing trend. A warming trend of annual maximum and minimum temperature has been observed over the study area. The study suggests strategies to enhance the adaptive capacity of agricultural systems and to reduce the likelihood of production risks.