Abstract
Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa countries. The rapid population growth in country leads to land degradation; it includes soil degradation, vegetation degradation and water degradation, and natural resources degradation as whole. Diverse scholars indicated, decreasing tendency of forest cover in Ethiopia over time with the population increment. In Ethiopia, the high population growth leads to soil erosion and soil fertility loss; it accelerates soil erosion due to foot path, overgrazing and others, which is meanly estimated 12 tons/ ha/ yr. and, People are using animal dung and crop residue for household fuel rather than being added to the soil to improve soil fertility, which leads to soil quality declination. And, the population pressure leads the water courses to dry up, reduced the volumes of surface water, depletion of aquifers and pollution. If this rapid population growth of Ethiopia continues like the current situation, the land degradation problem is likely to be even more challengeable in the future. Therefore, this paper aims to explore rapid population growth as foremost cause land degradation in Ethiopia by taking typical evidence from different parts of the country and to suggest solutions. Keywords: Rapid Population Growth, Foremost Cause, Land Degradation DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-8-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2021
Highlights
Sub-Saharan African countries are characterized by very high rates of population growth, with average annual rate of 2.8 percent (Teklu 2016).Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a growth rate of 2.73 percent between 2000- 2005 (CSA 2008).This rapid population growth in the country is leading to land degradation (Teklu 2016)
The foremost cause of land degradation in Ethiopia is rapid population growth, which plays a significant role in rushing land degradation by deforestation, soil loss and eco- system degradation as general (Girma 2001)
In Ethiopia, the dependence of the rapid population growth on unmannerly types of existence agriculture and natural resources use are the key reason for the those land degradation forms(forest, soil and water degradations) (Gebreyesus and Kirubel 2009)
Summary
Sub-Saharan African countries are characterized by very high rates of population growth, with average annual rate of 2.8 percent (Teklu 2016).Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a growth rate of 2.73 percent between 2000- 2005 (CSA 2008).This rapid population growth in the country is leading to land degradation (Teklu 2016). Land degradation is a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land (Paulos 2001) It includes soil degradation, vegetation degradation and water degradation, and natural resources degradation as whole (Hurni et al 2010). Studies at large scales and long term have shown that rapid population growth has enormously major cause of land degradation (Lambin et al 2003). In Ethiopia, the dependence of the rapid population growth on unmannerly types of existence agriculture and natural resources use are the key reason for the those land degradation forms(forest, soil and water degradations) (Gebreyesus and Kirubel 2009). This high annual deforestation area is due to the rapid population growth in the country, which leads to growing demand for more agricultural land, fuel wood, construction material and other forest products
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
