"A legacy of deforestation has left Ethiopia struggling with more intense flooding and drought. The country is trying to restore its native forests through one of the world’s most ambitious and well-funded tree-planting campaigns, but experts question whether the trees will survive."
"iku Argane’s farm sits on a steep hillside in central Ethiopia’s semi-mountainous Gurage Zone, where years of flooding have carved deep gullies through the land. Soil that once produced enough barley and potatoes to feed his wife and four children — and left a surplus to sell in the market — has eroded, while drought has made what land remains harder to cultivate.
“We have never stopped farming, but our production declined because of land degradation,” the 32-year-old said from his farm in Ambele Kebele.
Over the last century, Ethiopia nearly eradicated its forests as trees were cleared for farming, grazing, and fuel. The loss of tree cover and tree roots allowed wind and rain to wash away fertile topsoil and contributed to declining crop yields. That vulnerability is now being compounded by climate change. Ethiopia is among the countries most vulnerable to its effects: Heavier downpours are sluicing away depleted soils and triggering landslides, while more intense droughts, combined with the loss of shade that trees once provided, rapidly dry out the land.
Land degradation costs the country an estimated $4.3 billion a year through smaller harvests and lost income to farmers, which also means there is less food to eat. With more than 100 million Ethiopians dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, the consequences reach far beyond the environment. Climate shocks and crop losses are among the biggest drivers of acute hunger; in 2024, 15.8 million Ethiopians were estimated to need food assistance, roughly 12 percent of the population."
Samuel Abate and Freddie Clayton report for Yale Environment 360 October 1, 2026.
