Using satellite imagery to assess impacts of soil and water conservation measures: Evidence from Ethiopia's Tana-Beles watershed

This paper combines data on the timing and intensity of soil and water conservation interventions in select Ethiopian watersheds from 2009 to 2016 with a pixel-level panel of vegetative cover and soil moisture derived from satellite imagery to assess the biophysical impacts of such measures using a difference-in-differences specification. The results suggest significant effects overall that vary by season, and that tree planting and other soil and water conservation activities are more effective on degraded than cultivated land. The results are consistent with before-after regressions for daily sediment load and stream flows in a subset of micro-watersheds.