The Urgency of Soil Conservation
Soil erosion is a phenomenon that has been known to man for numerous years. It is the process of loose topsoil being washed away by either wind, tillage or water.
Although the causes and effects are known, soil erosion still remains one of the main causes of aridity and this can be prevented through setting up soil conservation structures which can be simple and effective. There are different types soil conservation like conservation agriculture, terraces, contour agriculture, cover crops and agroforestry.
Some of these methods are simple but are not being adopted by farmers especially in Africa mainly due to inadequate capacity building of farmers as well as poor policy implementation.
There is need to sensitize small scale farmers on importance of soil conservation. Advocacy at global level can also help governments to allocate more resources on soil conservation. Stakeholders can also incorporate technology to monitor land cover changes enhancing land restoration techniques.
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