The landscape sensitivity of the Gina River catchment was investigated by recording various landscape characteristics, with special focus on indicators showing soil erosion damage and affecting soil erosion risk. Thus, the morphological units defined will be described by their natural and man induced characteristics in the following.

The natural factors include precipitation, morphological conditions and slope steepness, altitude and soil character.

The man-made factors comprise land use and soil conservation measures.

Recorded soil erosion damages are aligned to these factors, and in this way the most important factors entailing soil erosion risk are identified.

The presentation of the results is based on the report of the international class ‘Watershed Management in the Abaya-Chamo Basin, South Ethiopia’ (edited by Brigitta Schütt 2004). As precipitation is one of the most important factors in a watershed and thus crucial for Watershed Management, we shall start by studying the precipitation results.

Afterwards you can study the results of the investigation of soils, land use, soil conservation measures and soil erosion damages.