Indiscriminate devegetation under improper farming system: a root cause for surface and underground water and food crisis in Ethiopia

Deforestation has caused surface and underground water imbalance in the hydrologic cycle followed by subsequent food, feed and wood productivity crisis. This paper reviews the role of traditional farming systems in wet and dry agroecology. It further compares it with existing improper farming practice, which productivity is examined from agroecology based climatic and edaphic perspective. Experiments were carried out to determine the amount of rainfall intercepted by dominant trees on farm, namely by Cordia africana, Afrocarpus falcatus, Millettia ferruginea, Jimiperus procera, Syzygium guineense, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Acacia albida, Albizia gummifera and Moringa stenopetala. Deep rooted trees planted on farms are found to be sources of feed, food and moisture conservers, that sustain and boost production in moisture scarce agriculture. Under irrigation they are found to be good for salinity protection and marginal land reclamation. Soil infiltration data from secondary sources were examined for cultivated area, wood land and open overgrazed pasture in central Rift Valley. The relative infiltration rates are highest for grasslands. This research work is intended to initiate interdisciplinary networking approach in water and natural resource conservation, proper land use potential development and environmental sustainability.