The Shafe watershed, located in the western hills of Lake Abaya in the Ethiopian highlands, is among the regions most affected by soil degradation. Factors such as overgrazing, siltation, inappropriate land-use practices, and historic settlement patterns have contributed to varying degrees of soil erosion. This study aimed to quantify the rate of soil loss and identify erosion-prone areas to support sustainable land management in this intensively farmed mountainous environment. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were employed to map erosion risk and estimate the mean annual soil loss in the watershed. Laboratory analyses revealed that, except in homestead plots, total nitrogen and organic matter content of the soil were low and decreased progressively with distance from homesteads. The mean annual soil loss across the study area ranged from 0.04 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ to 70 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Low to moderate erosion risk areas were identified in the southern and central parts, while high to severe erosion risk zones were concentrated in the intensively cultivated hilly northern localities. Approximately 32.8% of the watershed falls under high to severe erosion risk, with soil loss rates ranging between 30 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ and 70 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹.
Kelechi Chukwuma Nwankwo (Mon,) studied this question.