Multicriteria evaluation to identify potential areas for level Fanya juu terrace in Central Ethiopia

Abstract Background The costs of soil erosion are worsening in developing countries. In recent decades of Ethiopia, government sectors and different organizations are working on watershed management campaigns. Despite achievements, soil loss from cropland was not reversed to the productive limit. Therefore, this study attempts to provide information on appropriate sites for level Fanya juu terrace in croplands located in Sodo watershed, central Ethiopia. Methods A spatial layer of soil loss, land use/land cover, slope, and topographic wetness index was managed using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) system. The suitability class of each layer was made based on the national guideline for soil and water conservation published in 2016. Then the analytical hierarchy process was used to obtain the relative weight of each layer. Finally, the suitability map was generated using the weighted combination method. Result The result shows that 5.5%, 3.2%, and 40.8% of the study area was highly, moderately, and less suitable for level Fanya juu terrace. The remaining is not appropriate at all. Among ground-truthing points collected on an existing terrace, 95% falls into a less suitable class. Assertively, the MCDA provided imperative information. According to pieces of evidence from level Fanya juu terrace, soil loss is estimated to be reduced by 77% in areas highly susceptible to soil erosion. Conclusion Appropriate soil and water conservation measures unto applicable place is a central part of watershed management campaigns. In long run, this could be effective where farmers’ acceptance, proper execution, and regular maintenance of the structure are kept sustainable. In general, procedure followed and results found in this paper can enable an informed decision on farmer’s managed cropland to tackle soil erosion and boost productivity.