Soil erosion risks and farmers’ adaptation strategies in Anambra State

Abstract

The study focused on soil erosion risks in Anambra State, Nigeria by assessing rainfall variability, soil attributes, in situ erosion measurement, erosion modelling using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the farmers’ perception of soil erosion and their adaptation strategies. Soil erosion is a severe problem in Anambra State that has degraded much of its land, thereby lowering the soil quality. Lots of tonnes of soil are eroded away into rivers. Soil erosion is severest toward the end of the rainy season. It is higher on bare soils than vegetated soils. It was more rapid on tilled plots than bare land at the onset of the experiment. It is worse on the high slopes of the central and southern parts of the State. Rainfall and erosion are rising with rainfall becoming more intense in the future. The RUSLE model is good for soil conservation planning in the State for it has a low mean bias error of -3 t ha-1yr-1.