A hardy tree that once promised to green some of Ethiopia's driest landscapes has become one of the country's most costly environmental challenges. Introduced decades ago to stabilise soils, provide firewood and slow the spread of desertification, Prosopis juliflora has expanded far beyond the areas where it was originally planted. According to research published in Scientific Reports , the estimated water used by these invasive stands could irrigate enough cotton and sugarcane to generate around US$790 million in annual net agricultural benefits if redirected, highlighting the scale of the opportunity cost rather than an actual financial loss.
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