Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 5 No.

1 2012

LAND USE PATTERN, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR FOOD SECURITY IN
ETHIOPIA: A REVIEW
Hamza, I.A.1 and Iyela A.2
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v5i1.4

Received 7th December 2011: accepted 30th January 2012

Abstract
Climate change is perhaps the greatest challenge facing the world today. In Africa, a continent which is
and still remains vulnerable to the impact of climate change, the effects cannot be overemphasized in
view of the already existing pathetic conditions of most developing countries in Africa. In Ethiopia, 85%
of the population is directly supported by agricultural economy. However the productivity of the
economy is threatened by land use changes and unsustainable land management practices which had
impacted seriously on Ethiopia’s rich biodiversity, crop production and livestock grazing lands. While
Ethiopia has always suffered from climatic variability like droughts and consequently food shortage and
famine, climate change is set to make the lives of the poorest even harder. Climate change has the
potential to adversely affect net farm revenues of small holders with increasing land fragmentation due
to population growth translating to worsening food security situations. Since food security brings in
additional socio-economics, geographical and political factors, focusing on measures of vulnerability,
adaptation options and the development of adaptive capacity to reduce the adverse impacts of climate
change in the rural areas of Ethiopia, this paper therefore reviewed the effect of climate change on land
use pattern and the implication for food security in Ethiopia.
Key words: Climate change, Land use pattern, and Food security.

Introduction
Agriculture has been the mainstay of the and water erosion in the low and highlands areas.
economy of Ethiopia’s economy, and will remain (Sonneveld 2002).
so in the foreseeable future. Until recently, In 1984, an FAO (Food and Agricultural
Ethiopia’s agriculture met nearly the food needs of Organization) assisted survey of land use, using
the population, at least at the subsistence level. satellite imagery and ground checks shows that
Agriculture provides about half of the gross livestock grazing covers 51%, rain-fed crop
domestic product (GDP) and 85% of foreign cultivation, 14.7%, woody vegetation, 11.7% with
exchange earnings of the country (Sonneveld, one third of this covered by natural forest, while
2002). Almost 80% of the population lives in rural unproductive though potentially fertile land covers
areas and depending on crop production and/or 3.8% and the remaining 18.5% of the land
keeping livestock as means of livelihood. declared as unusable. The report also identifies
Livestock are a dominant feature of both crop excessive livestock population as the primary
production and pastoral agriculture, as well as the cause of land degradation in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is
principal rural means of acquiring and holding said to have the largest number of livestock in
wealth (Haile lul Tebicke, 1985). In the last three Africa (Berry, 2003.). Livestock density is beyond
decades, Ethiopian agriculture has expanded the carrying capacity of the grazing lands;
dramatically, but not without the constraints consequently the competition for land is keen
arising due to massive land degradation between livestock and crops. Apart from the
occasioned by the natural topography as well as constraints of land resources, Ethiopia has always
the increase in population, which has led to the experienced unstable climatic condition; rainfall
expansion of agriculture into marginal lands. Most varies from year to year, especially in the semiarid
parts of arable lands in Ethiopia are prone to wind lowlands. A rising rainfall patterns in the late 70s
1
Department of Plant Sciences, Ambo University, was interrupted by the drought of 1983-1984
Ambo, Ethiopia. (Daba, 2003). Prolonged droughts are a recurring
2
Federal College of Education, P. M. B. 1026, Okene,
Kogi State, Nigeria
Corresponding author Email:haiayi@yahoo.com 26
 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 5 No.1 2012

but unpredictable hazard. Despite the frequency will focus on the impact of climate change on land
and severity of droughts in the past few decades, use change and implication on livelihood of the
technologies such as improve varieties and rural poor.
irrigation water management techniques which Land use pattern, climate change and
have proved effective in mitigating the effect of biodiversity
droughts have not resulted to the desired level of Land cover refers to the physical and
outcomes in Ethiopia due to other socioeconomic biological cover over the surface of the land. Land
related factors affecting the production process. use and land cover change is a term used for the
Food security revolves around complex issues that human modification of the earth terrestrial surface.
encompasses a wide range of interrelated Much of the world’s natural land cover has been
environmental (and climatological), economic, transformed by human activities (Morton et al.,
social and political factors. In 2003, FAO defined 2006), resulting in ecosystem degradation and
food security as existing when all people, at all biodiversity loss worldwide (Green et al., 2005).
times, have physical, social and economic access An estimated 4.7 million km2 of grassland areas
to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their and 6 million km2 of forest/woodland have been
dietary needs and food preferences for an active converted to cropland worldwide since 1850
and healthy life. Devereaux and Maxwell (2001) (Lambin et al., 2003), and the main purpose for
defined food security as the success of local land use change is to obtain food and other
livelihoods to guarantee access to sufficient food essentials. In Ethiopia, land use can be seen from
at household levels. Agriculture has been the perspective of human activities such as
identified by the food and agricultural organization agriculture, forestry, building construction, and
(FAO) as having a vital role to play in food recently, industrialization which has led to
security. Ethiopia is largely agrarian, dominated increased human population within urban areas
by small scale farmers who employ largely rain- and depopulation of rural areas. The driving forces
fed and traditional practices – a state which behind land use pattern include all factors that
renders Ethiopia highly vulnerable to climate influences human activity, including local culture
variability (persistent drought in the past) and (food preferences), economics (demand for
climate change. Climate variability and change are specific products, financial incentive),
a major threat to food security in many regions of environmental condition (soil quality, terrain and
the developing world, which are largely dependent moisture).
on rain-fed and labor-intensive agricultural Land use change is largely driven by the
production (Parry et al., 2004; IPCC, 2001a). decision of the people and population growth,
Food insecurity is an integral part of poverty declining household farm size and income. There
in Ethiopia. Desertification, brought by human have been many studies on land use and cover
land use pressure and recurrent drought changes both at regional or local levels (Tsegaye
occasioned by climate change has consumed et al., 2009; Garedew et al., 2009; Gete and Hurni,
significant land area and continues to threaten 2001), but most often they deal with quantifying
arable lands that are already fragmented, thus land use/change using remote sensing tools, which
threatening the source of income of the small scale give quantitative descriptions but do not explain or
farmer. Although several researches have been provide understanding of the relationship between
done on global warming and the impact of climate the pattern of change and there driving forces
change on agriculture, not much emphasis have (Olson et al., 2004). However studies linking land
been directed towards land use pattern and change cover changes with drivers are scarce. In Ethiopia
(Deressa et al., 2008; Garedew et al, 2009). few attempts have been made outside the range
Despite understanding the multidimensional nature land. Tsegaye et al., (2009) reported a rapid
of food insecurity, it remains a key concern reduction in woodland (97%) and grassland (88%)
affecting the livelihoods of marginal groups. between 1972 and 2007, while the size of
Therefore understanding the effect of climate cultivated land increased more than eightfold in
change on land use pattern as well as its the Northern Afar region. Similarly, Gete (2000)
implication for food security is critical to looking observed a reduction in forest cover in Central
for options to mitigate the impacts. This review Gojam from 27% in 1957 to 0.3% in 1994. The

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 Land Use Pattern, Climate Change.............................Ibrahim & Iyela EJESM Vol. 5 No.1 2012

same trend was recorded in the western part of Reclamation Studies: Ethiopia (EHRS-FAO
Ethiopia. Land degradation by overgrazing and 1986), the National Conservation Strategy
intensive agriculture on marginal lands is a major Secretariat (Sutcliffe 1993) and Ethiopian Forestry
cause of soil loss. Action Plan (1993) all to estimate the level of land
Ethiopia is a country with high biodiversity degradation. The studies show that, 30,000 ha is
and distinctive ecosystem, and the natural resource lost annually due to water erosion with over 2
base is critical to the economy and livelihood of a million ha already severely damaged (National
greater percentage of the population (Hurni, 1993). Review Report, 2002), United Nation
However rising population has increased pressure Development Project in 2002 reported a nutrient
on land resulting in reduced farm outputs and depletion of 30kg/ha of Nitrogen and 15-20kg/ha
increase demand for more agricultural land. When of phosphorus, while a loss of 62,000 ha of forest
a land is transformed from a primary forest to a and woodland annually have been reported by
farm the loss of forest species is immediate and World Bank in 2001. All physical and economic
complete and indirectly affects wild life. Land use evidence show that land degradation and the loss
plays a major role in climate change at global, of land productivity is an important problem in
regional and local scales. It is responsible for Ethiopia, impacting on the rural livelihood.
releasing greenhouse gases, and the major driver Ethiopia is a country of small holder
of this change is deforestation and agriculture agriculture. In the year 2000 cropping season,
which causes the release of soil carbon in response 87.4% of rural households operated less than two
to disturbance by tillage (Ellis, 2010). hectares, 64.5% cultivated farms less than one
In Ethiopia, biodiversity is an important hectare while 40.6% operated farm of less than 0.5
resource having a dual purpose of utilization; ha or less (Negatu, 2005), and such small farms
consumptive use (food, fiber, fuel, shelter, were fragmented on average into 2.3 plots
medicine and wild life trade) and non-consumptive (Samuel, 2005). Therefore land holding is one
use (ecosystem services and economically factor that constrains farm income and level of
important tourism industry). Given the heavy household food security, especially where severe
dependence of Ethiopia on natural resources, degradation has taken place. Such extremely small
many communities are vulnerable to the farms cannot be made productive with improved
biodiversity loss that could result additionally due technology and certainly cannot improve the
to climate change. The use of fire as a farmers’ livelihood because of low net income
management tool for slash-and-burn agriculture thereby leaving no surplus for investment and
and other purposes results in at least a third of the input purchase.
savanna being burned every year (IPCC, 2000). Impact of climate change on crop production
Forest fires contribute to climate change and may Agricultural systems worldwide over the last
result to significant ecosystem change that could 40 – 50 years have responded to the effect of the
affect biodiversity significantly. Land use pattern interacting driving forces of population increase,
therefore contributes to global warming, leads to income growth, urbanization, globalization on
habitat conversions and fragmentation which food production, markets and consumption (Von
directly impacts biodiversity. The impact of Braun, 2007). To these forces can be added the
climate change on biodiversity would be further twin elements of climate variability and climate
compounded by the climate induced alterations of change which have a direct effect on food
agriculture (FAO, 1999). production and food security (Parryl et al., 2004).
Land use effect on small holder production Ethiopia relies on rain-fed agriculture. As a result
In Ethiopia crop production is increased it is highly vulnerable to changes in climatic
recently through intensive and extensive condition, seasonal shifts and precipitation
agriculture systems. The intensification of patterns. Crop production and livestock husbandry
agriculture and the expansion of croplands into account for about half of a household income, and
marginal lands which is dominated by the the poorest members of the society are those who
traditional system/practices have led to severe land are most dependent on agriculture for jobs and
degradation (Hurni, 1988). Several studies have income (FAO, 1999). The rural populace for
been done at the national level; the Highland whom agriculture is the primary source of direct

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 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 5 No.1 2012

and indirect employment would be most affected droughts since 1980 (World Bank, 2007). Climate
due to the vulnerability to global change processes change is projected to reduce yields of crops like
(Ringler, 2008). Additionally the human alteration wheat by 33%. Agro-pastoral and pastoral
of land use patterns, elimination of wetlands and households, which are reliant on livestock for their
other biophysical changes could affect the water livelihoods also suffer severe losses during
cycle ability to support the needed food droughts couple with seasonal reoccurring
production. Gregory et al., (1999) reported a shortages due to diminishing grazing lands. This
decreased crop duration (and hence yield) of situation has forced some pastoral farmers to opt
wheat as a consequence of warming and a for crop production as reported by Tsegaye et al
reduction in the yield of rice of about 5% per 0C (2009).
rise above 320C. Using a simulation model of Although Ethiopia has relatively abundant
production for cropping systems, Tubiello et al., water, it has one of the lowest storage capacities in
(2000) showed that the combined effect of the world: 50 cubic meters per person (UNDP,
increased carbon dioxide and climate change will 2007). Climate change is projected to cause the
depress crop yields by 10 – 40% if current drying up of wetlands and run-off to Nile
management practices were not amended. tributaries (Abay and Awash Rivers) would be
Therefore new cropping systems which are reduced by up to one third (World Bank, 2007).
resilient and adaptable to changing climatic These will have serious impact on the farmers’
conditions are required. More recently, elements productivity due to water shortages.
of crop adaptation to extreme weather events have One of the most strategically important issues
been explored with genotypic variation and in the context of environment - human relationship
adaptability to cope with several of the negative is the geography of insecurity in terms of resource
impacts on unadapted productivity (Fuhrer, 2006). availability and utilization; both latent (hidden
While Ethiopia has always suffered from great danger) and realized (as currently being
climatic variability, including droughts that have experienced in the form of conflicts among
contributed to hunger, climate change is set to communities), posed by climate change. This has
make the lives of the poorest even harder. Small the potential to undermine the economic and
scale farmers are more vulnerable and likely to political stability of some regions. An important
bear the brunt of the negative impacts of climate question in this regard is “In which regions are the
change. This is partly due to the traditional threats of climate change greatest”? Climate
management practices that they adopt. The variability, specifically rainfall patterns resulting
expected crop yield losses due to climate change from climate change may result in decrease yield
will therefore impact on their already low level of of crops. The reduction in crop yields may lead to
income, and left without any alternative source of higher prices for food, which could trigger
income, the situation would lead to increased regional food crises. These would lead to greater
poverty and food insecurity. food insecurity causing political instability,
Climate change and food security implications increasing the stakes for control over productive
for Ethiopia agricultural land. Consequently, climate change by
Food insecurity is an integral part of poverty redrawing the map of water availability, food
in Ethiopia. At present agriculture dominates the security and disease prevalence and loss of income
Ethiopian economy, accounting for nearly half of source could increase forced migration, raised
gross domestic product (GDP), dominated by tensions and trigger conflict. Therefore the pattern
small scale farmers who employ largely rain-fed of vulnerability to climate change on land use and
and traditional practices, therefore the food security is worrisome.
consequence of land use change and the negative
impacts of climate change will have a far reaching Conclusion and Recommendation
implication on food security. Desertification, The review of the impact of climate change on
brought on by human land use pressures and crop production and implication for food security
recurrent drought has consumed significant land has shown that climate change will have a
area and continue to threaten arable land. Ethiopia significant impact on biodiversity and food
has experience at least five major national security in Ethiopia. Land use change is identified

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 Land Use Pattern, Climate Change.............................Ibrahim & Iyela EJESM Vol. 5 No.1 2012

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Table 1 Estimated gross soil loss by land cover type in Ethiopia

Soil loss
Land cover Area (%)
t/ha/year t/year (in millions)
Cropland 13.1 42 672
Perennial crops 17 8 17
Grazing and browsing land 51 5 312
Currently unproductive (former 3.8 70 325
cropland)
Currently uncultivable 18.7 5 114
Forests 3.6 1 4
Wood and bushland 8.1 5 49
Country total 100 12 1493
Source: Hurni 1988.

Table 2 Farm fragmentation in Ethiopia

31