Soil Conservation in Developing Countries · Project and Policy Intervention (Policy and Research Series)

Soil degradation in many developing countries constitutes a serious ecological and economic problem. Assessing ecosystems that are susceptible to soil erosion and measuring the extent and cost of damage is difficult and often subjective. While the technical aspects of soil conservation are important to policy work, the focus of this review is on socioeconomic analysis and interpretation. Nearly every relationship in soil erosion and land conservation systems is either difficult to define or is inherently random. Much erosion is associated with extreme events that occur rarely but cause the bulk of the damage. Factors that are positively associated with soil conservation include income (on and off farm); access to low cost credit, especially when targeted to conservation; a low rate of discount or a long policy planning horizon; a high level of education among farmers; access to sound technical advice; and secure land tenure. Barriers include : high subsidies on inputs (e.g. fertilizer, irrigation water); and high population pressures. Government sponsored research is necessary and must be undertaken at many sites in diverse ecosystems. It is clear that much more long term research is required before policymakers are reasonably well informed about the options and opportunities available to them.