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The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia
Thesis (PhD (Environmental Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
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| Format: | Thesis |
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613509437620224 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Hassan, Rashid M. |
| author_browse | Hassan, Rashid M. |
| author_facet | Hassan, Rashid M. |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD (Environmental Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/25333 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:16.787Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/25333 The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia Hassan, Rashid M. ctizale@yahoo.com Tizale, Chilot Yirga Conservation Dynamic optimization Adoption and ethiopia Soil degradation UCTD Thesis (PhD (Environmental Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. This thesis addressed two main issues. First, using an inter-temporal optimisation framework, the thesis analysed the tradeoffs between short and long-term objectives of soil use that smallholder farmers’ face in their production decisions. Second, using econometric models that account for simultaneity of choices and plot level data, the thesis explored the determinants of soil fertility and soil conservation adoption decision behaviour of smallholder farmers in the Central highlands of Ethiopia. Four major conclusions are drawn from the optimization results. First, steady state optimal output and input levels under the dynamic decision rule are found to be significantly higher than the static solutions suggesting that the static decision rule is sub-optimal. Second, current soil nutrient inputs and conservation efforts are well above the requirements of the static solutions suggesting smallholder farmers consider some of the long-term (dynamic) costs of soil degradation. Third, current farmer practices involve net nitrogen extraction of 16.2 kg/ha from bottomlands and 56.7 kg/ha from slopping lands entailing a total soil user cost of Birr 255 per ha and Birr 928 per ha, respectively. This suggests that current smallholder farmer practices discount the future heavily and hence over exploit the soil resource stock. Fourth, a comparison of steady state dynamic solutions when nutrient stocks are the sole determinant of soil quality with a situation where both nutrient stocks and rooting depth impinge on soil quality confirm the main hypothesis that the socially optimal path of soil use also depends on the nature of soil degradation smallholder farmers face on their plots. The econometric analysis of soil fertility and soil conservation adoption confirmed that awareness of soil degradation, public assistance with sharing initial costs of constructing soil conservation structures, improved security of land tenure and farmers’ education and access to information on soil degradation were found essential for farmers to adopt soil fertility management practices and invest in soil conservation. On the other hand, improved small farmers’ access to short-term credit for the purchase of inorganic fertilizers present a disincentive for long-term conservation practices, an important trade off with serious policy implications. Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development unrestricted 2013-09-06T20:47:02Z 2007-06-08 2013-09-06T20:47:02Z 2007-04-17 2007-06-08 2007-06-08 Thesis Tizale, C 2007, The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25333 > http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25333 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06082007-094341/ © 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Conservation Dynamic optimization Adoption and ethiopia Soil degradation UCTD The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia |
| title | The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia |
| title_full | The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia |
| title_short | The dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia |
| title_sort | dynamics of soil degradation and incentives for optimal management in the central highlands of ethiopia |
| topic | Conservation Dynamic optimization Adoption and ethiopia Soil degradation UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25333 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06082007-094341/ |