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Development of Next-Generation Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Framework to Combat Desertification

Environment / Energy (Global-scale environmental issues)

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Finished

Development of Next-Generation Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Framework to Combat Desertification

An innovative transdisciplinary approach to fighting desertification

Principal Investigator

- Prof.
  TSUNEKAWA Atsushi
  Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University
- Associate Prof.
  Derege Tsegaye Meshesha
  College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Bahir Dar University

ODA Recipient Country

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Research Institutions in Japan

Tottori University / Shimane University / The University of Tokyo

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

Bahir Dar University

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2016

Research Period

5 Years

Overview of the Research Project

Proposing a framework for next-generation sustainable land management (SLM)
The project will propose a framework for next-generation SLM in Ethiopia, incorporating effects such as enhanced prevention of soil erosion, improvement of land productivity and increasing local residents’ income. Research sites will be set up in three different areas (highland, midland and lowland) in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, which suffers from serious soil erosion caused by rainfall so as to develop practices and technologies for improving land productivity by reducing soil erosion and introducing crop-livestock production systems as well as linking such efforts to improving the livelihoods of local residents.

Contribution to reduction of soil erosion, improvement of land productivity and local residents’ livelihoods
Various SLM practices targeted to fight desertification have been implemented in many areas of the world, but their sustainability and effectiveness are being questioned. Hence this project aims to develop improved SLM technologies and approach that could address the major limitations of the currently implemented SLM practices and then to propose them to be used in the study sites and beyond such as to the entire Blue Nile Basin and other arid regions of the world that are experiencing similar problems.