A DPSIR-based scoping review of land degradation in Borana Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study examines land degradation in Ethiopia’s Borana Zone using the Drivers–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework. Land degradation poses a growing threat to pastoral livelihoods and ecosystem stability in arid and semi-arid regions. The study aims to synthesize existing evidence on the causes, state, impacts, and responses related to land degradation in the area. A scoping review approach was employed following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Literature was retrieved from Google Scholar and Web of Science. Forty-four studies, most of them published between 2015 and 2025, were included. Unlike previous studies that examine ecological, climatic, institutional, or livelihood dimensions separately, this review integrates these dimensions within a single DPSIR framework and identifies areas of convergence, contradiction, and persistent evidence gaps. It identified socioeconomic, institutional, climatic, and demographic drivers. These drivers manifest through overgrazing, drought, and land-use change, resulting in deteriorating rangelands, declining soil fertility, and reduced water availability. These changes generate socio-ecological impacts, including declining livelihoods, biodiversity loss, and increasing public-health risks. The scoping review also highlights policy and community-based responses, including national land management programs, technological interventions, and indigenous rangeland management systems such as the Borana Dheda grazing system. Overall, the findings show that land degradation in Borana Zone arises from the interaction of environmental stressors and governance limitations, which restrict pastoral mobility and undermine rangeland resilience. Strengthening the integration of indigenous governance institutions with national land management strategies emerges as a key pathway for sustainable land management in pastoral regions. Clinical Trial Number: Not applicable.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Discover Environment, 2026 · DOI ↗