Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Rate in the Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia

Abstract

Substantial runoff is a feature of the Ethiopian Nile River Basin because its soils are erodible and poorly organized, resulting in high soil loss and sedimentation rates. The rate of soil erosion and sedimentation in the basin was reported to be quite variable, which could be owing to the methodology utilized and data quality used. By reviewing recent studies, this review primarily aimed to give information on the range of soil erosion and sedimentation rates. Recent studies at small watersheds and basin levels were reviewed. Soil loss and sedimentation rates in Ethiopia's Blue Nile River Basin ranged from 16 to 67.37ton ha^-1 year^-1 and 4.2 to 18ton ha^-1 year^-1, respectively. Similarly, at watersheds level soil loss and sedimentation rates were reported to range from 8.25 to 100ton ha^-1 year^-1 and 1.1 to 43.34ton ha^-1 year^-1 respectively. Hence it is concluded that high soil erosion and sedimentation rates are serious problems in the basin. So, appropriate soil and water conservation measures are recommended throughout the basin to reduce both on-site and off-site effects of soil erosion. It is also highly advised to utilize uniform techniques and a common data source for soil erosion and sedimentation rates estimation at different levels.