An upland farming system under transformation: Proximate causes of land use change in Bela-Welleh catchment (Wag, Northern Ethiopian Highlands) J. Nyssen a,b, *, Getachew Simegn a,c , Nurhussen Taha a a Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia b Department of Geography, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B-9000 Gent, Belgium c Wag Trade and Industry Office, Sekota, Wag-Hemra, Amhara Region, Ethiopia 1. Introduction The sustainability of traditional agricultural systems in Ethiopia is threatened, not only by soil degradation but also by a decline in the natural vegetation (Gryseels, 1988; Zeleke et al., 1999). Limited agricultural intensification combined with a population growth rate of 2.7% year À1 for the period 1975–2004 (UNDP, 2006) has resulted in increased pressure on the natural resources of the Ethiopian Highlands, leading to land degradation. The declining soil fertility in the Ethiopian Highlands, where permanent upland farming dominates and where population factors have led to land scarcity, induces a conflict in land use for forestry, agriculture and livestock (Zeleke et al., 1999). Historically, livestock has played a critical role in the process of agricultural intensification and provided energy and capital for farm operations (Steinfeld et al., 1998). In the rural Ethiopian context, livestock population increases with human population to support the farming activity and overall rural life (Befekadu and Berhanu, 2000). The integration of livestock and crop operations is still the main avenue for sustainable intensification of agriculture in many regions of the developing world (Steinfeld et al., 1998; Ehui et al., 1998). However, traditional, low-intensity livestock produc- tion methods remain all over the Ethiopian Highlands. A huge livestock population pressure can push the traditional systems to produce beyond their capacity. This can bring them into conflict with the environment. The deteriorating environmental conditions have adversely affected availability of feed resources, leaving the country’s herds poorly nourished and prone to diseases. The increase of human population has resulted in an increase in cropland at the expense of traditional grazing areas such as bush lands, rangeland and forests (Hoekstra et al., 1990). The simultaneous increase in both human and livestock population brings about the depletion of biological resources. This has induced overgrazing and soil erosion, which eventually led to land degradation. Soil & Tillage Research 103 (2009) 231–238 ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 6 December 2006 Received in revised form 1 May 2008 Accepted 30 May 2008 Keywords: Agricultural intensification Ethiopia Farming system Forest regeneration Irrigation agriculture Land use changes ABSTRACT A possible way out of the ‘low-level equilibrium trap’ in the Ethiopian Highlands is agricultural intensification. To characterise and quantify current transformations in these permanent upland cultivation systems, a detailed study on land use changes and its proximate causes was carried out in the 41 km 2 Bela-Welleh catchment (2050–3682 m a.s.l.) in the Wag zone of Amhara Region, Northern Ethiopia. Land use maps were obtained through aerial photo interpretation (1965 and 1986) and detailed field mapping (2005–2006). Interpretation of topographic maps and field mapping gave knowledge of the spatial distribution of possible explanatory factors. Major land use changes are (1) a gradual abandonment of mountain agriculture which was replaced by woody vegetation (now covering 70% of the upper catchment) and (2) the widespread introduction of irrigation agriculture, wherever water is available (from 0% in 1982 to 5% of the catchment in 2006). Whereas both changes are favoured by government policies, they have now at least partially been taken up by the farming communities. The study demonstrates these land use changes and their influencing factors. Changes of crop- and rangeland into forest occur on the steeper slopes in higher topographical position. Changes from rain fed cropland into irrigated cropland (two harvests) depend obviously on the availability of water, but also on population density, and inversely on distance to Sekota town. We are here in presence of an almost classical example of the mutation of a ‘‘permanent upland cultivation system’’ into a system with irrigated agriculture. ß 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author at: Geography Department, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. E-mail address: jan.nyssen@ugent.be (J. Nyssen). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Soil & Tillage Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/still 0167-1987/$ – see front matter ß 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.still.2008.05.020