The Impact of the Expansion of Large-Scale Agriculture in Drylands of Ethiopia; Implications for Sustainable Natural Resources Management

Abstract

Dryland areas in Ethiopia encompass pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in the country and have long been regarded as peripheries especially in economic terms. Expansion of large-scale agricultural investments (land grabbing) in these areas is the current government’s focus and resulting in the loss and unsustainable utilization of natural resources. For instance, foreign investment in Ethiopia’s forestry sector is currently limited, but agricultural investments that affect forests largely through forest clearing are common in the country. Therefore, the objective of this review paper looks at the impact of large-scale agricultural investment expansions on natural resources and factors affecting it in drylands of Ethiopia. A literature search was conducted through the use of different search engines to organize this paper. Natural resource degradations such as rangelands fragmentation, soil salinity, water scarcity, deforestation, and seasonal wildlife migrations are the main problems resulting from large agricultural investments in dryland areas of Ethiopia. Government policies, climate variability and the weakening of customary rules are the main factors causing natural resources degradation in dryland Ethiopia. Large agricultural expansion investment in dryland areas of Ethiopia is currently affecting not only natural resources but also cannot improve people’s livelihood by far. Given the key roles forests play in rural livelihoods, new tenure arrangements will have significant implications for communities located at the forest farm interface in its dryland areas. Therefore, development of sound strategic policy that contributes to environmentally more sustainable and socially inclusive large-scale agricultural expansion in dryland areas of Ethiopia should be recommended.