The learning watersheds vividly illustrate how erosion of soils can be contained and even reversed with appropriate measures. In the heart of Debre Yakob Learning Watershed, for example, deep erosion gullies and degraded hillsides were successfully rehabilitated over the course of three years.
New opportunities for diversified agriculture
The measures have positively impacted the soils, environment, and availability of water. This development has created new opportunities for the local population, most of whom practice traditional subsistence agriculture. “When the watershed is properly managed, the farmers can not only increase their yields, but also diversify what they grow”, explains Isabelle Providoli.
(Inter)national efforts have helped rehabilitate 7.7 million hectares of land
The knowledge about how to improve conditions in the Ethiopian highlands continues to circulate and grow. It’s been taken up in lessons and trainings for hundreds of students, researchers, and practitioners.
It has also attracted the interest of international donors such as the UN World Food Programme, the World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Norwegian Government, and the German GIZ, who have invested extensively in the management of Ethiopian watersheds. As a result, soil and water conservation measures now cover approximately 7.7 million hectares in the Ethiopian highlands. That represents 23 percent of the land area that needs to be restored.