Abstract:
The study was conducted on Impacts of Soil degradation on Socio economic household
farming in West Dembiya Woreda, Ethiopia. The main objective of this study was to assess of
impacts Soil Degradation on socio-economic conditions of farming households in the study
area. A total of 339 representative sample households were selected from2237through simple
random sampling technique from a sample frame made by kebele experts. In this study
questionnaire, interview and focus group discussions were used as a means of primary data
collection tools while secondary data were collected from relevant authority reports and
records. The data was analyzed by both qualitative method and quantitative method. The
findings of the research showed that the study area is suffering from Soil degradation. It is
caused by population pressure, continuous cultivation; overgrazing, deforestation, heavy
rainfall and steep slope cultivation. Land management strategies of farmers include:
terracing, soil bunds and contour plaguing are mostly practiced. The researcher concludes
that Age of the HHs, educational status, carrying capacity of the livestock had been
positively and significantly related with the household’s the impact of land degradation,
whereas influence sex, crop residue, soil erosion problem and agricultural extension service
were negatively impact on land degradation. The researcher recommends that Woreda
should intensively work on provision of better alternative measures of natural resource
conservations like agro-forestry and work on capacity building of farmers to do so.
Government, NGOs, Institutions and community at large should work on the issue of land
management cooperatively on permanent manner. Different opportunities and supportive
activities are recommended for off farm activities and so on.
