The Impact of Soil Erosion as a Food Security and Rural Livelihoods Risk in South Africa

Abstract

<p>This study evaluates soil erosion/attrition as a major food security and rural livelihoods risk in South Africa, with the Upper and Lower Areas of Didimana, Eastern Cape Province, as a case study. The survey research method was adopted for the study. Farmers and extension officers’ behaviours relating to soil erosion control was negative even though the impact of erosion in the area was high. Approximately 75% of farmers indicated that they lose more than 21% of their crops yearly due to erosion and 55% said their crops and livestock, as well as their household feeding, suffer due to the problem. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicate that farm yield and farmers’ access to market are positively related to farmers’ adoption tendencies regarding erosion control, implying that farmers are more willing to adopt recommendations if their yields and access to market can increase. Similarly, age of farmers is positively related with erosion impact, indicating that older people have a higher tendency to cause erosion in the study area. This is true, as the area consists more of older people, who are generally known to resist change, thus low in adoption. Therefore, it is perceived that if farmers manage soil erosion appropriately, they will achieve higher yields. More so, pull factors like improved rural infrastructures and adequate agricultural incentives for youths are suggested to lure more youth in taking into farming in the study area.</p>

Seasonal Variation of Drinking Water Quality and Human Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study in Rural Village of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…The area is also surrounded by thin dykes in which larger intrusions occur. The altitude of the area varies from 1280.2 m to 1463.0 m [14].…”

“…The study area has a climate which varies from arid to very cold high veld climate and generally falls into two climatic zones. The mean annual precipitation is between 301 mL and 600 mL [14]. The source of water for the villagers is generally groundwater, which is pumped from a windmill on the mountain to the taps spread across the village.…”

Fodder oats as catch crop: potential to reduce nitrogen losses from soil

“…Humanity is reliant on fertile agricultural soils to ensure food supply for the ever-growing population, but at least 33% of all croplands are moderately or highly degraded globally (Itps, 2015; Davis et al, 2023). This threat to food security is particularly severe in countries like South Africa (Ighodaro et al, 2016; Daniell and van Tonder, 2023; Roopnarain et al, 2024). Mitigation of low soil fertility through application of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers currently supports the production of half of the food humans consume (Ritchie, 2017), but half of the N-fertilizer inputs are lost to the environment worldwide (Havlin, 2020; Duncombe, 2021) with a detrimental impact on yields, agricultural wealth and the environment.…”

Estimación de la erosión del suelo mediante el modelo RUSLE. Caso de estudio: cuenca media alta del río Mira en los Andes de Ecuador

“…De este modo no solo se agrava el riesgo de erosión sino también se afecta la calidad del hábitat territorial, por la disminución gradual de la producción primaria neta, la calidad de los ecosistemas, los medios de vida y la calidad de vida humana (Núñez et al, 2013). En consecuencia se desencadenan otros problemas que pueden ir desde la puesta en riesgo de la seguridad alimentaria, el aumento de la migración rural-urbana hasta el incremento de la vulnerabilidad a eventos como deslizamientos o inundaciones (Díaz, 2003;Ighodaro et al, 2016;Telles et al, 2011).…”