The implications of land use and land cover changes for rural household food insecurity in the Northeastern highlands of Ethiopia: the case of the Teleyayen sub-watershed

• Published in: Agriculture & food security 2017-10, Vol.6 (1), p.1-14, Article 56
• Main Authors: Agidew, Alem-meta Assefa, Singh, K. N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Agricultural production; Agriculture; Climate change; Deforestation; Drought; Economic development; Ethiopia; Farms; Food; Food insecurity; Food security; Food supply; Highlands; Households; Land cover; Land degradation; Land management; Land use; Land use planning; Population; Remote sensing; Rural areas; Rural land use; Studies; Watersheds
• ISSN: 2048-7010; 2048-7010
• DOI: 10.1186/s40066-017-0134-4

[...]farmers in the area are encroaching and cultivating sloppy and marginal areas, which exacerbated land degradation and soil erosion, which in turn results food crop reduction. [...]FGDs were conducted in 2016 in order to get information on the implications of LU-LC changes on rural household food security in the study area, because focus group discussions are an effective ways for understand the local conception of community in the area. [...]it is desirable to raise awareness among relevant stakeholders, such as land use planners, agricultural expertise and decision- or policy-makers, about the speed and degree of land degradation and its long-term consequences, particularly on food security. [...]stakeholders and other developmental organizations should work hard on improving the country’s SLM policy, planning and physical implementation, such as integrated natural resource management at watershed level, which are needed to protect potential agricultural lands in this part of the country from further deterioration through loss of soil productivity. [...]these changes need urgent response because it has unquestionable consequences in relation to the livelihood of the communities dwelling in the sub-watershed in particular and in the region in general. [...]it is clear from the results of this study that the government and other stakeholders should work on redesigning appropriate land management policy and make small-scale farmers adapt farming practices and land tenure systems that will take care for the growing population and natural resource utilization.