Soil erosion is a huge problem in Africa. The annual soil loss is around 300 to 400 tons a year. It would cost over 32 million dollars to replace the soil. A big problem with the soil is the population. Over population is causing huge soil loss. For every ton of wheat, sugar, or maize, 20 tons of soil are lost.
The main causes of soil loss are water and wind. Water from rivers can easily wash away tons of soil into the ocean. Wind can just blow away dirt. Also precipitation is always causing landslides. This not only causes the loss of soil, it also causes property damage. Deforestation also causes soil loss, which hurts the environment.
Plants are actually a great way to prevent soil loss. They help to keep the soil in place so that the wind doesn’t blow the soil away. They also protect the soil from water. People often build barriers around their farm so that the wind doesn’t blow the crops away. That would cost farmers alot of money, as well as destroying the crops. Another big problem to the soil are humans. Humans keep building on natural environments without regards to the land. Digging for plumbing and other underground water systems like wells causes even more soil loss.
Soil erosion is a huge problem for Africa. The good news is ...it is possible to stop what humans are doing , but not what nature is doing. However by controlling and limiting people who use land in harmful ways will resolve many of Africa's problems.