Watershed degradation in Ethiopia has become a major environmental threat and caused significant damages both in the natural environment and the development of human society. This paper assesses an overview of the extent, causes, and effects of watershed degradation and the management actions in north-western highland Ethiopia, taking the Rib watershed as a case study site. The data were collected from field observations, interviews, and questionnaire surveys administered to 210 farmers. The results show that watershed degradation is a serious and widespread problem in the study site. The major causes of watershed degradation include population growth, uncontrolled grazing, unsustainable land use and management practices, and weak land ownership system. Watershed degradation, mainly in the form of soil erosion, has adversely reduced agricultural production and worsened food insecurity and poverty in the study area. Various watershed management practices that combine structural and biological measures have been practiced to curb the problem. However, the farmers’ decisions to adopt and implement the measures have been highly influenced by a range of socioeconomic, biophysical, and institutional factors. Access to support services, size of the farmland, educational level, and plot ownership were found to influence farmers’ decisions positively at a statistically significant (P < 0.01) level. It needs efforts to create farmer environmental awareness and develop strong watershed management standards and guidelines. The watershed could benefit from hand in hand efforts of local farmers, concerned governmental agencies, and researchers.

埃塞俄比亚的流域退化已成为主要的环境威胁，对自然环境和人类社会的发展造成了重大破坏。本文以埃布（Rib）分水岭为案例研究，对西北高地埃塞俄比亚的分水岭退化的程度，成因和影响以及管理措施进行了概述。数据是从对210个农民进行的实地观察，访谈和问卷调查中收集的。结果表明，流域退化是研究现场的一个严重而普遍的问题。流域退化的主要原因包括人口增长，放牧失控，土地使用和管理方式不可持续以及土地所有权制度薄弱。流域退化，主要是水土流失，在研究区不利地减少了农业生产，加剧了粮食不安全和贫困。已经采取了各种流域管理措施，将结构性措施和生物措施相结合，以解决这一问题。但是，农民采取和实施这些措施的决定受到了一系列社会经济，生物物理和制度因素的高度影响。发现获得支持服务，耕地面积，教育水平和土地所有权对农民的决策产生了积极的统计学影响（农民采取和实施这些措施的决定受到了一系列社会经济，生物物理和制度因素的高度影响。发现获得支持服务，耕地面积，教育水平和土地所有权对农民的决策产生了积极的统计学影响（农民采取和实施这些措施的决定受到了一系列社会经济，生物物理和制度因素的高度影响。发现获得支持服务，耕地面积，教育水平和土地所有权对农民的决策产生了积极的统计学影响（P <0.01）水平。它需要努力提高农民的环境意识，并制定强有力的流域管理标准和准则。该分水岭可受益于当地农民，有关政府机构和研究人员的共同努力。