Abstract:
It is evident that Ethiopia is one of the countries of Africa that is experiencing significant population growth as well as soil degradation. Population growth induced degradation of natural resources is a major challenge to the country’s development. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of population dynamics on soil management practices. Population data that were compiled over time during 1984, 1994 and 2007census were taken from CSA. A total of 324 sample households for questionnaire and 12 key informants and 12 participants for FGD were used. Satellite images of 1986, 1996 and 2016 were also used to generate data on land/use cover changes. The case was investigated through mixed method particularly triangulation approach and as such both qualitative and quantitative data types generated from both primary and secondary sources were utilized. The overall collected data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics: namely cross tabs, figures and chi-square. The results indicated that population has substantially increased, from 3559 in 1984 to 12048 in 2016, mainly due to natural increase. The change on land use/cover shows that from the total land use/cover conversions, which totals 3216 ha of land, settlement and farm lands gains 1028 ha and 270 ha respectively. Grass land, wood and shrub lands were losses 572 ha and 1036 ha within the study time. The study further identified major soil management practices in the study area: crop rotation, ditch drainage; cover cropping, strip cropping, agro-forestry, use of chemical fertilizer, compost; and rehabilitation of gullies through traditional terraces, traditional contour trenches and check dams. Results from chi-square shows that soil management practices have a significant association with parts of socio-demographic variables of population such as age, sex, migration status, marital status and educational level of the household heads. The study also revealed that as population number increases, soil management practices farmer’s uses also increases in quantity. Therefore, any environmental rehabilitation and soil management options should take considerations of population dynamics.
