Nearly a quarter of the land in Ethiopia is degraded. It has lost its quality and can no longer grow crops, support plant life, or hold water as it used to. The causes are mainly human pressures (deforestation, overuse, poor land management) and natural factors (heavy rainfall that erodes the soil, and variations in the climate).
The consequences are dire and far-reaching. Degraded landscapes do more than reduce agricultural productivity. They are scarred by deep gullies, and water flows very fast over the areas when it rains, sweeping away precious topsoil. Rain no longer soaks into the soil, reducing the groundwater recharge (the amount of water that replenishes aquifers below ground when it rains). Stored carbon is released, making climate change worse.
Therefore, land restoration has become both a development and a climate necessity.
Read more: Lessons from Kenya on how to restore degraded land
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I am a senior researcher with over 25 years of expertise in landscape restoration, climate change adaptation, soil science and natural resources management. My work focuses on solutions.
I was part of a team of researchers who set out to explore whether low-cost, nature-based solutions designed and applied by communities could successfully reverse land degradation at scale.
We looked at setting up exclosures (areas of degraded land which are fenced off to allow the space to regenerate naturally). In a separate research project in southern Ethiopia, we investigated:
- whether we could rehabilitate gullies or rifts in a low cost manner to minimise further soil loss
- what farmers and communities think of these gully interventions
- whether involving farmers in practical trials on their farms improves their knowledge and their willingness to restore degraded land in future.
Our research found that exclosures play a critical role in reducing soil erosion and restoring vegetation cover. Without animals grazing, and humans farming or chopping wood in these areas, the land in the exclosures can regenerate naturally within about five years, a short period of time. This increases ecosystem carbon stocks, improving soil moisture and enhancing biodiversity.
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Beyond environmental benefits, exclosures also form useful buffers for communities against droughts and floods. This is because they enhance dry-season water availability, reduce the fast flow of water during floods, and support livelihood diversification.
We also found that there are effective low-cost and locally adapted ways to fill up gullies.
The study found that simple, low-cost methods can stop gullies from growing rapidly. This prevents major soil loss. Farmers supported the measures, and practical field trials helped build knowledge, confidence and willingness to act.
Read more: Tanzania is losing fertile land to soil erosion: what's happening and what can be done
We concluded from the findings of the two research projects that these two approaches - fencing off areas and filling gullies - are simple yet powerful. By cultivating this work on the ground through trust, community ownership and shared benefit, the people living in these areas can protect their farmland from soil erosion, reduce crop losses, grow grass or feed for their animals and create opportunities to forage for indigenous edible and medicinal plants.
Exclosures, when managed collectively, provide grass, fodder, fuelwood, and non-timber products like edible fruits and honey for the whole community.
These are lifelines for rural Ethiopian households who are trying to cope with life under an increasingly uncertain climate.
The exclosure approach
We used both numerical data and community feedback to study protected restoration areas and how they affect plant recovery, soil health, erosion, water retention and local livelihoods.
The evidence was striking. Setting up fenced exclosures alongside gullies is very useful in erosion hotspots - areas where soil erosion can spread rapidly and widely if it is not stopped.
Read more: Nearly 25% of land in Africa has been damaged - what's to blame, and what can be done
In Halaba, central Ethiopia, farmers witnessed indigenous plants regenerate within exclosures, reviving local ecosystems. The exclosures also led to improved soil moisture and when intermittent droughts and shortage of livestock feed occurred afterwards, the exclosures helped the land cope.
In Tigray, northern Ethiopia, another study demonstrated that ecosystem carbon stocks in exclosures increased substantially over a period of 20 years compared to adjacent grazing lands. In the era of climate variability, these outcomes are not marginal; they are essential.
Rehabilitating gullies
We worked with farmers in a watershed area (a place that collects and channels rainwater) in southern Ethiopia to fix gullies without spending too much money.
The first thing we did was fill these severely eroded gullies with locally available soil and stone. Sometimes, we included grass and forage trees in this filling. This was done to improve stability and encourage water to filter down into the water table when it rained.
After this we reshaped the gully banks to gentle slopes and planted different grasses and forage trees on the slopes.
Loose rock and sandbag check dams - small barriers built from stones or earth - were strategically placed along the former gullies to slow water flow, trap sediment and further stabilise the gully.
Our research found that these methods were accessible and more affordable than using imported and costly mesh wire to create cages of rocks across the gully to stop fast flowing water. Our methods cost roughly US$600-800 to rehabilitate one hectare of gully. This covers locally available materials (stones, soil, plantings) and paid labourers from the local communities.
Read more: Soil erosion is tearing DRC cities apart: what's causing urban gullies, and how to prevent them
We did not need expensive heavy machinery. Most of the work was done with basic tools like hoes and machetes. This keeps costs low while building community confidence and ownership.
The most important finding of our study was that communities played a central role. Gully rehabilitation relies on people planning together, agreeing to put in the work together and making a long-term commitment to filling up a very deep rift and replanting it.
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The role of communities
There are over 15 million smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. They grow 90% of the country's crops, and farm livestock.
The most important lesson of our research was the central role of these communities of farmers. Restoring the land can only happen when communities plan together, work together to do the physical work, and commit to working on the land long-term.
We found in Ethiopia that where communities see tangible benefits, restoration shifts from a short-term project to long-term stewardship. This social dimension, often overlooked in global climate debates, makes the gains enduring.
Read more: Key insights into land degradation from seven African countries
Land restoration has been part of Ethiopia's plans for a long time. In 2011, Ethiopia pledged to restore 7 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. It has restored about 4.2 million hectares so far. Exclosures are now a cornerstone of land restoration efforts.
The country has also pledged to restore an additional 15 million hectares as part of its national climate strategy.
With the right policies, secure land governance and sustained investment, these approaches offer a blueprint for climate adaptation while rebuilding ecosystems and livelihoods.
Wolde Mekuria, Senior Researcher - Environment and Development, CGIAR
