Abstract:
Despite the fact that Uganda has a large percentage of arable land, soil
degradation is a substantial problem in the country. Generally it is
estimated that 4% - 12% of GNP is lost from environmental degradation
85% of this from soil erosion, nutrient loss and changes in crops. The
worst affected areas include highland areas in the southwest and some
dryland districts. There has been relatively little national scale analysis of
the cost of land degradation to the national economy, but the extent of the
problem is documented in detailed studies of land use change, which show
declining fertility, particularly on fields away from the homestead.
Percentages of land affected by land degradation range from 90% in
Kabale to 20% in Masindi