Even though the Masai have herded for many years, why is soil erosion a recent problem?

Commercial farmers, encouraged by government policies, have moved into the best dry-season land and converted it to commercial agriculture. As savannah is converted into cropland, the natural vegetation is removed and the soil's nutrients are rapidly used up.

Soil erosion is a recent problem in Tanzania even though the Masai have used their land for herding for so many years. This dramatic increase in soil erosion now even shows signs of an almost total destruction in the Tanzanian Maasai landscape.

The main trigger for soil erosion is the loss of vegetation cover which makes it easier for natural factors & man-made factors to cause even more damage.