Search

This study examined land use land cover change and its determinants in Tigray, Ethiopia and its livelihood zones. We used socioeconomic panel, and satellite data, and applied a mixed-effects model to analyse the factors influencing land allocation among different uses, and transition matrix to analyse land cover dynamics. The results revealed that; land use choices were influenced by plot level factors (such as plot elevation, distance, soil type and quality, and land tenure), household characteristics (such as education, dependency ratio, plot size and number owned, income, livestock and asset, perception of climate change, and access to market and main road), and community level factors (precipitation, product price, population density and livelihood zone variations). Transition matrix analysis showed that between 1986 and 2016, 12.8% of forest was converted to bare land, 6.26% bare land was converted to pasture, and 5.84% of cropland was converted to forest. However, net deforestation occurred in most of the livelihood zones. Therefore, local communities faced environmental and socio-economic challenges from capital constraints induced land fallowing, land fragmentation, and unmanaged land cover change. The study recommended sustainable land use planning and management, market linkages, improved access to roads, forestry subsidies, land tenure security, and land consolidation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover (LULC) change detection and prediction studies are crucial for supporting sustainable watershed planning and management. Hence, this study aimed to detect historical LULC changes from 1985 to 2019 and predict future changes for 2035 (near future) and 2065 (far future) in the Gumara watershed, Upper Blue Nile (UBN) Basin, Ethiopia. LULC classification for the years 1985, 2000, 2010, and 2019 was performed using Landsat images along with vegetation indices and topographic factors. The random forest (RF) machine learning algorithm built into the cloud-based platform Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used for classification. The results of the classification accuracy assessment indicated perfect agreement between the classified maps and the validation dataset, with kappa coefficients (K) of 0.92, 0.94, 0.90, and 0.88 for the LULC maps of 1985, 2000, 2010, and 2019, respectively. Based on the classified maps, cultivated land and settlement increased from 58.60 to 83.08% and 0.06 to 0.18%, respectively, from 1985 to 2019 at the expense of decreasing forest, shrubland and grassland. Future LULC prediction was performed using the cellular automata–Markov (CA–Markov) model under (1) the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, which is based on the current trend of socioeconomic development, and (2) the governance (GOV) scenario, which is based on the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) program of Ethiopia. Under the BAU scenario, significant expansions of cultivated land and settlement were predicted from 83.08 to 89.01% and 0.18 to 0.83%, respectively, from 2019 to 2065. Conversely, under the GOV scenario, the increase in forest area was predicted to increase from 2.59% (2019) to 4.71% (2065). For this reason, this study recommends following the GOV scenario to prevent flooding and soil degradation in the Gumara watershed. Finally, the results of this study provide information for government policymakers, land use planners, and watershed managers to develop sustainable land use management plans and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is one of the most extreme land degradation processes that exhibit spatial and temporal variation depending on topography, soil, climate, and land use and management characteristics. This study investigated the impact of changes in rainfall, land use/land cover (LULC), and land use management (LUM) practices on gully erosion in two midland watersheds (treated Kecha and untreated Laguna) in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia by using the LANDPLANER model in combination with intensive field measurements and remote sensing products. We simulated gully erosion under past (in 2005), present (in 2021), and three potential future curve number conditions, each time under four rainfall scenarios (10, 30, 60, and 100 mm) using the dynamic erosion index (e), static topographic (esp), and erosion channel (esp_channel) thresholds. Density plot analyses showed that gullies frequently occur in low-lying gentle slope areas with relatively higher curve number values. The best predictions of gullies identified through true positive rates (TPR) and true negative rates (TNR) were achieved considering the static esp_channel > 1 for Kecha (TPR = 0.667 and TNR = 0.544) and the dynamic e > 0.1 for 60 mm of rainfall in Laguna (TPR = 0.769 and TNR = 0.516). Despite the 10 mm rainfall having negligible erosion-triggering potential in both watersheds, the 60 and 100 mm rainfall scenarios were 4–5 and 10–17 times, respectively, higher than the 30 mm rainfall scenario. While the LULC change in the untreated Laguna watershed increased the impact of rainfall on gully initiation by only 0–2% between 2005 and 2021, the combination of LULC and LUM significantly reduced the impact of rainfall in the treated Kecha watershed by 64–79%. Similarly, the gully initiation area in Kecha was reduced by 28% (from 33% in 2005 to 5% in 2021) due to changes in LULC and LUM practices, whereas Laguna showed little increment by only 1% (from 42% in 2005 to 43% in 2021) due to LULC change. In addition, the future predicted alternative land use planning options showed that gully initiation areas in Laguna could be reduced by 1% with only LULC conversion; 39% when only LUM practices were implemented; and 37% when both were combined. These results indicate that LUM practices outweigh the impact of LULC on gully erosion in the studied paired watersheds. Overall, LANDPLANER successfully simulated the spatio-temporal variation of gully erosion with scenario-based analyses and hence can be used to predict gullies in the study area and other data-scarce regions with similar agro-ecological settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The federal government of Ethiopia set a national target to restore 15 million hectares of degraded and deforested lands by 2030. While forest and landscape restoration governance is intended to be a multi-actor process through which various land uses are coordinated, in practice it turns out to be difficult to bring specialised government agencies together to achieve restoration targets. We conducted a policy document review, 56 semi-structured interviews and 14 focus group discussions to understand the different challenges that exist in the governance of forest and landscape restoration in Ethiopia. We found three cross-sector challenges that influence the way in which national restoration targets are implemented at the local level in Ethiopia: 1) food security dominates the restoration policy frame and budgetary allocation at the expense of alternative restoration pathways that foster forestry livelihoods and biodiversity benefits, 2) agricultural and environmental policy objectives and targets, and restoration mandates at the sub-national level are incoherent, and 3) a siloed land use planning instrument makes it difficult to negotiate trade-offs and find synergies between sectoral policy objectives. Our results point out the need for an integrated land use planning instrument to achieve a wider range of restoration benefits. Given existing power imbalances between land-based sectors, we posit that an independent integrated land use planning authority that can draw on hierarchical authority is required to better balance different sector interests and different forms of conservation and restoration. • The different ways in which sectoral interests can be misaligned are conceptualised. • Three cross-sector challenges in Ethiopian restoration governance are analysed. • To better balance sectoral interests, a dedicated land use planning agency is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use/land cover change evaluation and prediction using spatiotemporal data are crucial for environmental monitoring and better planning and management of land use. The main objective of this study is to evaluate land use/land cover changes for the time period of 1991–2022 and predict future changes using the CA-ANN model in the Upper Omo–Gibe River basin. Landsat-5 TM for 1991, 1997, and 2004, Landsat-7 ETM+ for 2010, and Landsat-8 (OLI) for 2016 and 2022 were downloaded from the USGS Earth Explorer Data Center. A random forest machine learning algorithm was employed for LULC classification. The LULC classification result was evaluated using an accuracy assessment technique to assure the correctness of the classification method employing the kappa coefficient. Kappa coefficient values of the classification indicate that there was strong agreement between the classified and reference data. Using the MOLUSCE plugin of QGIS and the CA-ANN model, future LULC changes were predicted. Artificial neural network (ANN) and cellular automata (CA) machine learning methods were made available for LULC change modeling and prediction via the QGIS MOLUSCE plugin. Transition potential modeling was computed, and future LULC changes were predicted using the CA-ANN model. An overall accuracy of 86.53% and an overall kappa value of 0.82 were obtained by comparing the actual data of 2022 with the simulated LULC data from the same year. The study findings revealed that between 2022 and 2037, agricultural land (63.09%) and shrubland (5.74%) showed significant increases, and forest (−48.10%) and grassland (−0.31%) decreased. From 2037 to 2052, the built-up area (2.99%) showed a significant increase, and forest and agricultural land (−2.55%) showed a significant decrease. From 2052 to 2067, the projected LULC simulation result showed that agricultural land (3.15%) and built-up area (0.32%) increased, and forest (−1.59%) and shrubland (−0.56%) showed significant decreases. According to the study's findings, the main drivers of LULC changes are the expansion of built-up areas and agricultural land, which calls for a thorough investigation using additional data and models to give planners and policymakers clear information on LULC changes and their environmental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of cultivated land in place of natural vegetation has a substantial influence on hydrologic characteristics of a watershed. However, due to basin characteristics and the nature and intensity of landscape modification, the response varies across basins. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model and its applicability in assessing the effects of land use land cover (LULC) changes on the hydrological processes of the upper Genale River basin. The results of satellite change detection over the past 30 years (between 1986 and 2016) revealed that the landscape of the basin has changed considerably. They showed that settlement, cultivated, and bare land areas had increased from 0.16% to 0.28%, 24.4% to 47.1%, and 0.16% to 0.62%, respectively. On the contrary, land cover units such as forest, shrubland, and grassland reduced from 29.6% to 13.5%, 23.9% to 19.5%, and 21.8% to 18.9%, respectively. Based on monthly measured flow data, the model was calibrated and validated in SWAT-CUP using the sequential uncertainty fitting (SUFI-2) algorithm. The result showed that the model performed well with coefficient of determination (R2) ≥ 0.74, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) ≥ 0.72, and percent bias (PBIAS) between −5% and 5% for the calibration and validation periods. The hydrological responses of LULC change for the 1986, 2001, and 2016 models showed that the average annual runoff increased by 13.7% and 7.9% and groundwater flow decreased by 2.85% and 2.1% between 1986 and 2001 and 2001 and 2016, respectively. Similarly, the total water yields increased from 324.42 mm to 339.63 mm and from 339.63 mm to 347.32 mm between 1986 and 2001 and 2001 and 2016, respectively. The change in hydrological processes, mainly the rise in runoff and total water yield as well as the reduction in lateral and groundwater flow in the watershed, resulted from LULC changes. This change has broader implications for the planning and management of the land use and water resource development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before planning the use of existing land resources for irrigation, it is necessary to determine their availability. The primary goal of this research was to examine the Guder watershed's land resource potential for irrigation development and to create a geo-referenced map of these resources using a geographic information system coupled with fuzzy logic. Irrigation suitability criteria such as slope, land use, proximity to water body, rainfall deficit, soil texture class, soil depth, soil drainage classes, and proximity to road were considered when evaluating prospective irrigable properties. The criteria maps were divided into four suitability classes using a natural break interval range technique. According to the study's findings, 39.8% of the watershed area is Highly suitable, 34.5% is moderately acceptable, 24.5% is marginally suitable, and 1.2% is not suitable for the aforementioned reasons. According to the irrigation suitability study of these characteristics, 70.42% of the slope, 15.57% of the slope, 10.6% of the slope, and 3.95% of the slope are Highly, moderately, and marginally suitable for surface irrigation, respectively. In addition, 15% of the soil in the study Area is suitable for a surface irrigation system. In terms of land cover and use, 75% is highly favorable, whereas 0.3% is not suitable for irrigation development. GIS and remote sensing offer a straightforward and powerful framework for combining spatially complicated field variables for land suitability research. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the fuzzy logic technique combined with GIS as an effective model for finding prospective irrigable land on a continental scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is a growing country which is in need of scientific ground for land use planning and agricultural-based economy. Evaluation of land use/land cover (LULC) changes helps for proper scheduling and use of natural resources with safe administration in accordance with time and dynamic population growth of the country, specifically in the study area. One of the detailed and useful ways to develop land use evaluation and classification maps is the use of geospatial techniques such as remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). The main focus of this study is to evaluate the dynamics of land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the Abelti Watershed, Omo-Gibe River basin, Ethiopia. Maximum likelihood algorithm approach supervised classification method was used for identifying the LULC changes using satellite data to know LULC changes in the watershed. Quantifications of spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/cover changes were accomplished by using three satellite images of 2000, 2010, and 2017 and classifying them via a supervised classification algorithm by using Earth Resources and Development System (ERDAS) software and finally applying the postclassification change detection technique was performed by using ArcGIS 10.3. From the LULC analysis, the increase was observed in the agricultural area and settlement area from 2000 to 2017. On the other hand, shrub land followed a declining trend during the study period. However, forest and bare land followed variable trends during the study period in which forest declined from 2000 to 2010 but increased from 2010 to 2017 and bare land increased from 2000 to 2010 and declined from 2010 to 2017. Generally, the driving force behind this change was population growth, rapid urbanization, and deforestation which resulted in a wide range of environmental impacts, including degraded habitat quality in the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is a global challenge that affects lives and livelihoods in many communities. Since 1950, about 65% of Africa's cropland, on which millions of people depend, has been affected by land degradation caused by mining, poor farming practices and illegal logging. One-quarter of the land area of Ethiopia is severely degraded. As part of interventions to restore ecosystem services, exclosures have been implemented in Ethiopia since the 1980s. But the lack of tools to support prioritization and more efficient targeting of areas for large-scale exclosure-based interventions remains a challenge. Within that perspective, the overarching objectives of the current study were: (i) to develop a Geographic Information System-based multicriteria decision-support tool that would help in the identification of suitable areas for exclosure initiatives; (ii) to provide spatially explicit information, aggregated by river basin and agroecology, on potential areas for exclosure interventions and (iii) to conduct ex-ante analysis of the potential of exclosure areas for improving ecosystem services in terms of increase in above-ground biomass (AGB) production and carbon storage. The results of this study demonstrated that as much as 10% of Ethiopia's land area is suitable for establishing exclosures. This amounts to 11 million hectares (ha) of land depending on the criteria used to define suitability for exclosure. Of this total, a significant proportion (0.5–0.6 million ha) is currently under agricultural land-use systems. In terms of propriety river basins, we found that the largest amount of suitable area for exclosures falls in the Abay (2.6 million ha) and Tekeze (2.2 million ha) river basins, which are hosts to water infrastructure such as hydropower dams and are threatened by siltation. Ex-ante analysis of ecosystem services indicated that about 418 million tons of carbon can be stored in the AGB through exclosure land use. Ethiopia has voluntarily committed to the Bonn Challenge to restore 15 million ha of degraded land by 2025. The decision-support tool developed by the current study and the information so generated go toward supporting the planning, implementation and monitoring of these kinds of local and regional initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in the upper Suha watershed in Enemay district, Gojjam, Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to assess land use/cover (LULC) change of the study area between 1986 and 2015 and to analyse its impact on selected ecosystem services. The LULC change was assessed by using Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM) 1986 and Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIS) 2015. The socio-economic survey was collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussion. The Landsat data were analysed using ERDAS IMAGINE 2014® and ArcGIS 10.5® softwares. The ecosystem services were estimated using the value transfer method. The results revealed that farmland, plantation forests and settlement increased by 18%, 93% and 125%, respectively whereas natural forest, shrubland and grassland decreased by 54%, 82% and 16%, respectively. The result also showed that the total ecosystem service value decreased from $31.5 million in 1986 to $24.36 million in 2015 mainly due to the decreasing areas of natural forest, shrubland and grasslands. The research results suggest that future land use planning should give emphasis on properly managing the natural and semi-natural vegetation that has high ecosystem service values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soil erosion is one of the major threats in the Ethiopian highlands. In this study, soil erosion in the Muga watershed of the Upper Blue Nile Basin (Abay) under historical and future climate and land use/land cover (LULC) change was assessed. Future LULC was predicted based on LULC map of 1985, 2002, and 2017. LULC maps of the historical periods were delineated from Landsat images, and future LULC was predicted using the CA–Markov chain model. Precipitation for the future period was projected from six regional circulation models. The RUSLE model was used to estimate the current and future soil erosion rate in Muga watershed. Results: The average annual rate of soil erosion in the study area was increased from about 15 t ha−1 year−1 in 1985 to 19 t ha−1 year−1 in 2002, and 19.7 t ha−1 year−1 in 2017. Expansion of crop cultivation and loss of vegetation caused an increase in soil erosion. Unless proper measure is taken against the LULC changes, the rate of soil loss is expected to increase and reach about 20.7 t ha−1 year−1 in 2033. In the 2050s, soil loss is projected to increase by 9.6% and 11.3% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, compared with the baseline period. Thus, the soil loss rate is expected to increase under both scenarios due to the higher erosive power of the future intense rainfall. When both LULC and climate changes act together, the mean annual soil loss rate shows a rise of 13.2% and 15.7% in the future under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, which is due to synergistic effects. Conclusions: The results of this study can be useful for formulating proper land use planning and investments to mitigate the adverse effect of LULC on soil loss. Furthermore, climate change will exacerbate the existing soil erosion problem and would need for vigorous proper conservation policies and investments to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on soil loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid increase in population and the continual search for farm land has induced pressure on natural vegetation in Ethiopia. As part of the effort to curb this problem, this study investigated the magnitude of vegetation vulnerability and the driving forces behind it in a particular watershed in the country. The variables considered for vegetation vulnerability analysis were distance from the roads, settlements, slope, and land use management practices. Different weights have been given to these factors based on the experts ranking and key informant interviews regarding their relative influences. The weights were calculated using pair-wise comparison method and weighted factors maps were integrated using weighted overlay analysis to run the vegetation vulnerability model. Finally, vegetation vulnerability risk map of the study area was produced. The results indicated that areas with gentle slope, with no any land use management practices and those located close to roads were the most vulnerable to degradation. In contrast, those areas with steep slope, far away from roads and with positive land use management have been considered as the least vulnerable to vegetation degradation. The other factors that have highly governed the vulnerability of these zones were population density. In order to improve vegetation vulnerability, establishing the relevant natural resource management practices and planning of appropriate land use plan is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Land use and land cover changes in urbanized watersheds of developing countries like Ethiopia are underpinned by the complex interaction of different actors, driving forces, and the land itself. Land conversion due to residential development, economic growth, and transportation is identified as the most serious environmental pressure on urbanized landscapes of the world. It results in the degradation of natural vegetation and significant increases in impervious surfaces. The purpose of the study was to analyze spatio-teporal changes in land use and land cover in the Huluka watershed with implications to sustainable development in the watershed. Results: Forest land, cultivated land, urban built-up, bush/shrub land, bare land, grassland, and water body were identified as the seven types of land use and land cover in the Huluka watershed. Forest land decreased by 59.3% at an average rate of 164.52 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Bush/ shrub land decreased by 68.2% at an average rate of 318.71 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Grassland decreased by 32.7% at an average rate of 228.65 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Water body decreased by 5.1% at an average rate of 1.06 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Urban built-up area increased by 351% at an average rate of 16.20 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Cultivated land increased by 105.3% at an average rate of 692.76 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Bare land increased by 41.9% at an average rate of 4.00 ha/year between 1979 and 2017. Infrastructural and agricultural expansion, increased demand for wood, local environmental and biophysical drivers, rapid human population growth, economic drivers, technological drivers, policy and institutional drivers, and local socio-cultural drivers were perceived by residents as drivers of land use and land cover changes. Increased flooding risk, increased soil erosion, increased sedimentation into water resources like lakes and rivers, decrease in soil fertility, loss of biodiversity, loss of springs, decrease in annual rainfall, and increase in heat during the dry season were perceived by residents as negative local effects of land use and land cover changes. Conclusions: Changes in land use and land cover in the study water shade imply the need for integrating sustainable watershed planning and management into natural resources management strategies. In other words, practices of appropriate land use planning and management, family planning, participatory planning and management, appropriate environmental impact assessment (EIA), and proper planning and management of development projects and programmes are of paramount importance to promote sustainable development in the Huluka watershed and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uatzau basin in northwestern Ethiopia is one of the most landslide-prone regions, which characterized by frequent high landslide occurrences causing damages in farmlands, non-cultivated lands, properties, and loss of life. Preparing a Landslide susceptibility mapping is imperative to manage the landslide hazard and reduce damages of properties and loss of lives. GIS-based frequency ratio, information value, and certainty factor methods were applied. The landslide inventory map was prepared from detailed fieldwork and Google Earth imagery interpretation. Thus, 514 landslides were mapped, and out of which 359 (70%) of landslides were randomly selected keeping their spatial distribution to build landslide susceptibility models, while the remaining 155 (30%) of the landslides were used to model validation. In this study, six factors, including lithology, land use/cover, distance to stream, slope gradient, slope aspect, and slope curvature were evaluated. The effects of the landslide factor of slope instability were determined by comparing with landslide inventory raster using the GIS environment. The landslide susceptibility maps of the Uatzau area were categorized into very low, low, moderate, high and very high susceptibility classes. The landslide susceptibility maps of the three models validated by the ROC curve. The results for the area under the curve (AUC) are 88.83% for the frequency ratio model, 87.03% for certainty factor, and 84.83% of information value models, which are indicating very good accuracy in the identification of landslide susceptibility zones of a region. From these resulted maps, it is possible to recommend, the statistical methods (Frequency Ratio, Information Value, and Certainty Factor Methods) are adequate to landslide susceptibility mapping. The landslide susceptibility maps can be used for regional land use planning and landslide hazard mitigation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simada area is found in the South Gondar Zone of Amhara National Regional State and it is 780Km far from Addis Ababa. Physiographically, it is part of the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. This area is part of the Guna Mountain which is characterized by weathered volcanic rocks, rugged morphology with deeply incised gorges, heavy rainfall and active surface processes. Many landslides have occurred on August 2018 after a period of heavy rainfall and they caused many damages to the local people. In this study, Frequency Ratio (FR) and Weights of Evidence (WoE) models were applied to evaluate the landslide causative factors and generate landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs). The landslide inventory map that consists of 576 active and passive landslide scarps was prepared from intensive fieldwork and Google Earth image interpretation. These landslide locations were randomly divided into 80% training and 20% validation datasets. Seven landslide causal factors including aspect, slope, curvature, lithology, land use, rainfall and distance to stream were combined with a training dataset using GIS tools to generate the LSMs of the study area. Then the area was divided into five landslide susceptibility zones of very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Later, the resulting maps have been validated by using area under the curve and landslide density index methods. The result showed that the predictive rate of FR and WoE models were 88.2% and 84.8%, respectively. This indicated that the LSM produced by FR model showed a better performance than that of WoE model. Finally, the LSMs produced by FR and WoE models can be used by decision-makers for land use planning and landslide mitigation purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes land use/land cover dynamics in response to socioeconomic, political and climatic forces in the Didessa sub-basin of Blue Nile, Ethiopia for 1974–2014 using remote sensing, field observation and information from local people. A rapid reduction of wetland (97.5%), grass land (76%), forest land (50.6%) and shrub land (38.2%) took place in four decades (1974–2014). On the other hand, settlement increased extraordinarily (17,960.8%), while the size of cultivated land increased more than a fold (44.2%). Commercial farm land increased more than fivefold (414.4%). According to key informants, major events that largely explain the changes include: (1) drought and social unrest (e.g. Conflict and war); (2) demographic factors (resettlement and migration); (3) land tenure reform and political changes; (4) economic factors and decline in agricultural productivity. If the present land use/land cover changes continue coupled with climate change, people's livelihoods will be highly affected and agricultural production system will be under increasing threat. This study suggests the restructuring of land use planning supposed to be based on land suitability and sustainable protection of fragile environments. These findings contribute to the understanding of patterns of the dynamics of historical land use change to predict the future dynamics at landscape scale to contribute for effective management strategies and policies for the rational use of land and land related resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Resettlement has been conceived as a viable solution to the continual impoverishment and destitution of Ethiopian rural communities. However, it has considerable impacts on natural resources of the environment at destination areas. This study was carried out to evaluate impact of resettlement scheme on vegetation cover and its implications on conservation in Chewaka district of Ethiopia. Methods: The study utilized ArcGIS10.3, ERDAS Imagine 9.1, Landsat imageries of 2000, 2009, 2018 and socio-economic data to analyze the LULC of the district. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was employed to detect vegetation cover changes of the area. The study was conducted on the seven kebeles of Chewaka district and the total households of the sample kebeles are 3340. Through multistage sampling procedure a total of 384 households were selected from sample kebeles. Data were collected using questionnaires, GPS, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. The collected data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: The results showed that Chewaka district has undergone substantial LULC change since population resettlement in the area. A rapid reduction of woodland (34.6%), forest (59.9%), grassland (50.5%) and bareland (46.8%) took place between 2000 and 2018, while built-up areas and cultivated lands have expanded at an average rate of 90.7 and 1515.7 ha/year respectively. The results of NDVI revealed that the extent of dense and sparse vegetation cover have decreased by 26.1% and 20.6% respectively, whereas non-vegetation cover has increased by 14,340.2 ha during the study period. It was found that rapid population growth following resettlement program, farmland and settlement expansion, deforestation, human-induced forest fire, lack of land use plan, unwise utilization and low management practices were the major factors that underpin the observed changes in the area. Conclusions: Resettlement scheme has resulted in the depletion and dynamics of vegetation cover in Chewaka district. Therefore, the study suggests urgent attention on conservation of the remaining vegetation resources for sustainable utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the current land use problems is essential for designing management options for sustainable use and to obtain optimal benefit out of land. This study was intended to examine the current land use problems and propose management options and strategies for sustainable land use in Debre Tsyon kebele of Enebsie Sar Midir district, Ethiopia. The Landsat-8 OLI-TIRS of 2017, ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, interview and field observation was employed to generate data on the current land use, land use problems and management options for the future use. The hybrid pixel-based image classification (supervised and unsupervised) method was used to map the land use classes. The results show that the cropland occupy the vast portion (75%) of the study area. However, the improper land use was very high in agricultural and grazing lands use classes. The growing demand for land resources pushed the community to expand farmlands to fragile steep areas with slope > 30%. Of the total agricultural land, 12.6% found in fragile areas with slope > 30%. Likewise, the grazing land has already deteriorated and could not bring pasture for livestock year-round. The vegetation cover has been declining due to improper use. Hence, this calls for the local government to implement appropriate land use plan and efficient land management options to curb the unsustainability spiral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study investigates the role of the different institutional actors involved in the development and implementation of land use policies in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The work is based on interviews with key informants from different administrative levels and these results are compared to the relevant policy documents. While the constitution prescribes a participatory policy development process, our results show that in reality policies are made at the highest level and implemented in a top-down approach from the higher to the lower administrative levels. Moreover, the institutional network mainly consists of institutions that are hierarchically linked, while horizontal and diagonal relations are less common and less important. Consistently, higher level institutions are mostly involved in the development of land use policies, while the roles of lower level institutions are predominantly in the implementation thereof. This lack of participation by lower level institutions, in addition to a lack of capacity and absence of clear institutional mandates, hampers the effectiveness of land use policies. Our results also provide suggestions to improve the development, communication, and eventually the acceptability of land use policies towards sustainable land management. Highlights • Institutions related to land use policies are organized in a top-down structure in Ethiopia. • Local governmental institutions hardly participate in the development of land use policies. • Policy awareness consistently declines as we go from federal level to local level. • Land use policies are perceived to be ineffective in managing natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, urban floods incidents are becoming a serious problem in recent years. They are mainly associated with poorly designed urban drainage system and land use planning. Combined to it, lack of early warning system and organized flood disaster mitigation measures at national and local level further increases the gravity of the problem. Adigrat is one of the north Ethiopian towns which is frequently attacked by these floods. To understand and address the issue, a study was conducted around Adigrat town with the aim to spatially delineate the flood hazard and risk with the help of geo-spatial and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools. Baseline maps were developed using Landsat satellite images, DEM, aerial photographs, rainfall data and census population data. Different variables like slope, elevation, rainfall, water table, flow direction and flow accumulation, LULC, population density, building density and road density were considered for developing a model. After the data is collected and organized, Erdas Imagine and ArcGIS software were used to process and prepare the model, and finally weighted overlay model was adopted to stimulate the prototype. Each baseline maps was weighted against its impact since all factors have no the same importance. Accordingly, slope, LULC, elevations; and population density, flood hazard and LULC were found the most important factors. The flood risk areas are delineated based on flood hazard, LULC, population density, road and building density. The results indicate that the Kebeles03, 04 and 05 (center of the town) with flat slopes, low altitudes, more population and significant amount of built up area are found to be the most vulnerable for flood hazard. On the other hand, the Kebeles 01, 02 and 06 lying southwest and west of the study area are least affected by flood due to steep topography and high altitudes. It is suggested that similar type of inter-disciplinary studies are essential to minimize the damages and assure sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Rift Valley (CRV) Ethiopia is an important region in terms of its vast ecosystem services (ES)and enriched biodiversity. However, its ES and biodiversity are under terrific pressure from hurried population growth, unsustainable developmental activities, unplanned urbanization, aggressive agricultural expansion, climate change, and the associated changes in land use and land cover (LULC). This study was aimed at analyze LULC changes in the Ethiopia CRV areas from 1985 to 2015 through Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. Satellite images were accessed, pre-processed and classified. Field observations, discussion with dwellers (elders) were also employed to validate results from remotely sensed data. Major LULC types were detected and change analysis was executed. Consequently, nine LULC changes were successfully evaluated. The classification result revealed that in 1985 the area was covered by 44.34% with small-scale farming followed by mixed cultivated/acacia (21.89%), open woodland (11.96%), and water bodies (9.77%), respectively. Though the area measure varied among land use classes, the trend of share occupied by the LULC types in the study area remained the same in 1995 and 2015. In this research increase in small and large-scale farming, settlements and mixed cultivation/acacia while a decrease in water bodies, forest, and open woodlands is noted. Accordingly, the overall accuracy of this study was 84.46, 86.86 and 88.86 with kapa value of 0.82, 0.84 and 0.87, respectively. Lastly, the DPSIR framework analysis was done and integrated land use and policy reform are suggested as a response for sustainable land use planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on use/land cover change is important for planners and decision makers to implement sustainable use and management of resources. This study was intended to assess the land use land cover (LULC) change in the Koga watershed. The MSS of 1973, TM images of 1986, 1995 and 2011 were used together with survey and demographic data to detect the drivers of land cover changes. The result revealed that a remarkable LULC change occurred in the study area for the past thirty eight years. The area of cultivated and settlement has increased by 7054.6 ha, while, grass and bush lands decreased by 4846.5 and 3376 ha respectively. Wetland also declined from 580.2 ha to 68.3 ha. The growing demand for cultivable land and fuel wood were the major causes to the deterioration of grass and bush lands. Hence, the appropriate land use policy should be employed to sustain available resource in the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural ecosystems provide many different services such as carbon sequestration, regulation of climate change, biodiversity, and aesthetic value. Ecosystem functions are significantly impacted by both natural and man-made processes, such as sediment and nutrient deposition. The Lake Tana basin faces significant problems with soil depletion, sedimentation, and degradation. Thus, this study is designed to assess the effects of climate and land use change on the export of sediment and nutrients as well as their retention in the basin. This study used different data sources such as satellite data for land use and land cover and watershed preparation, climate data from Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) and Climate Model Intercomparison Project phase five (CMIP5), soil data from Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity (MoWIE), and field data for model calibration. Five different Global Climate Models (GCMs) were employed to produce climate projections using the Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG) for the basin. The cellular automata (CA) and Markov chain has then been employed for future projections of changes in land use. Finally, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoff (InVEST) sediment delivery ratio (SDR) and nutrient delivery ratio (NDR) models have been applied to assess the changes in sediment and nutrient export between the baseline and future time periods. The findings indicated that between 1990 and 2019, there was a change in land use that led to an increase in sediment exports of 60.5% and a decrease in sediment retention of 12.8%. Projecting into the future, the amount of exported and retained sediment increases under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios in the 2040s by 8.4% and 17.8%, respectively due to the combined effects of climate and land use change. Equally, nitrogen and phosphorus exports rose under land use change scenarios but are projected to decrease under climate and integrated climate and land use change scenarios. Out of the 12 sub-watersheds that were designated, five were found to have a high mean annual rate of sediment and nutrient export and were then ranked in terms of priority level for conservation planning. Hence, this research shows that the integration of spatial data with the InVEST model can be used to aid land use planning and decision-making to combat nutrient and sediment exports and prioritize watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines gully erosion and its damage, and existing gully control practices in two rural communities, in the north-western highlands of Ethiopia. Data were gathered from measurement of the dimensions of 26 selected gullies in a farmer-participatory approach. Descriptive statistics and regression were used for data analysis. The study found out that 88% of the measured gullies were wide and damaging. A total of 82,692 tonnes of soil was lost, 4.7 ha of lands were destroyed and the livelihood of over 3% of the population of the study sites was affected by the measured gullies. Farmers used both physical and biological measures for gully rehabilitation and control but vegetative measures were observed to be promising technologies. It is concluded that effective gully rehabilitation and control require integrated application of both structural and vegetative measures with the active engagement of land users in a farmer-participatory planning and implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Amhara National Regional State similar to other regional states of the country has faced enormous economic and social problems. The question of housing and other real estate construction for high population pressure, the development and investment questions, poor public utility facilities and other public interests are some of the problems that need the intervention of the Regional government. In order to facilitate these needs of the society, the city municipalities have been using "expropriation" as a meaningful and useful management tool. However, different compensation standards among government institutions, inadequate compensation standards for loss of land use rights, shortage of professional and qualified valuers, lack of reliable data and poor expropriation, valuation and compensation procedures are some of the problems that impede the implementation of expropriation, valuation and compensation in the region in general and in the two big cities of the region (Bahir-Dar and Gonder) in particular. This study therefore tries to deal about eminent domain powers of the government in acquiring land for public use in Amhara National Regional State particularly referring to the two big cities ( Bahir-Dar and Gonder) focusing on the expropriation process, valuation practice, fairness and adequacy of compensation payable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas aimed to achieve sustainable development. Its planning and management are determined based on governance approaches. However, studies on the governance of green infrastructure in Ethiopian cities are scarce. This study, therefore, aims to analyze expert's perceptions on the planning and governance of green infrastructure: principles, policy and planning themes, land use regulations, and implementation that are expected to affect the planning and implementation of green infrastructure. A quantitative and qualitative research design was employed to obtain and analyze data. Our result reveals that relying on an authoritarian model of output-legitimacy, sectoral approach, and uncoordinated land-use led to weak governance of UGI. Our findings suggest the need to develop a governance arrangement that incorporates negotiations, participation, and inter and cross-sectoral policy approaches; developing zoning regulations and land use plans and changes in a participatory and transparent manner, and developing green infrastructure-based planning policies are important for the future development of UGI. Our findings could generate scientific debate by identifying the challenges that experts are facing when trying to integrate and implement GI principles in a particular governance context. Applying these green infrastructure planning principles can also guide future GI development efforts not only in Ethiopia but also in other African cities with similar contexts. • We identified challenges to implement green infrastructure principles. • Weak governance of green infrastructure principles. • The political context is important to understand the implementation of green infrastructure principles. • Models of governance ca determine the development of green infrastructure planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia has experienced rapid urbanization over the past three decades. Several cities expanded rapidly and many satellite towns sprung up around the major cities. The high rate of urbanization and urban growth resulted in high demand for urban land, mainly for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes. In order to meet the demand, an enormous amount of land has been made available for urban use, mainly through land conversion. However, we know very little about how efficiently cities use urban land. This paper investigated the urban land use efficiency (ULUE) of sixteen cities in Ethiopia. Remote sensing data (Landsat 7/8) was analysed with ArcGIS to assess spatiotemporal land use changes between 2007 and 2019. Built-up environment footprints were computed from Google Earth imagery. The ratio of land consumption to population growth rate, and the rate of urban infill were assessed. The findings revealed a prevalence of urban land use inefficiencies in all cities. In most cities, the rate of land consumption far exceeds the population growth rate. Densification (urban infill) is low and slow. A considerable part of the converted agricultural land sits idle within the built-up area for many years. Low ULUE is what fuels urban sprawl, fragmentation and informal settlements. This study emphasised the need to implement urban policies and practices aimed at improving ULUE. Improving ULUE is imperative to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals; ensuring sustainable urban land use; addressing land prices and housing shortages; protecting farmland and ecosystems; tackling land hoarding, urban sprawl and informal settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for cropland attributes in Bahir Dar, northwest Ethiopia. A choice experiment is used to elicit farmers' preferences between different land use attributes, including a monetary attribute. The study was conducted in the croplands that are threatened by land expropriation for urban expansion. A survey was undertaken with 144 farmers in four rural kebeles surrounding the city (Addis Alem, Weramit, Wereb and Zenzelima). In the survey, respondents were provided with hypothetical land purchasing decisions, with three alternatives (i.e., two hypothetical parcels and an opt-out option). A choice experiment was undertaken to measure farmers' interest in different types of croplands, which varies with respect to irrigability, number of trees per ha, soil erosion resistance and water holding capacity of the cropland. Estimation of two mixed logit models was carried out. The estimation results show that, although the farmers did not show strong preferences for each attribute of the cropland, many farmers in the area showed interest in the proposed alternative croplands. Farmers show more interest for the land that is irrigable, gentle slope and with medium water holding capacity. The results also indicate that farmers assign highest marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) (79.01 ETB per square meter) for irrigated land, followed by medium water holding capacity with MWTP of 52.13 ETB per square meter. We believe that the results of this study would help land use policy and decision makers in the study area to consider the various attributes of cropland in land use planning, including land expropriation programs, which assures the sustainability of ecosystem services. • We use discrete choice experiments to elicit farmers land use preferences. • We examine the effect of land use attributes on farmers' preferences. • We find farmers to have different land use preferences. • We estimated the marginal willingness to pay for land use attributes. • We find the highest marginal willingness to pay for irrigability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Food insecurity is high in urban areas of Ethiopia with high food price needs land use planning intervention. • 62.4 % field crop shows medium capacity and 88 % vegetable farms show high capacity in Little Akaki River catchment. • 57.2 % of the total area of the bare land is highly suitable for planning for vegetable farming. Nowadays, food insecurity is intensifying in urban areas of Ethiopia, accompanied by a high food price. This paper aims to explore the capacity of farmlands (field crop areas and vegetable farmlands) to supply food and search for suitable locations for urban and peri-urban agriculture that are low in extent at the moment. Both the capacity assessment and the suitability analysis used overlay analysis with multiple criteria in ArcGIS software. The result shows that 62.4 % of the field crop areas display a medium and 88 % of the vegetable farmlands show high capacity. Furthermore, this paper studied the suitability of bare lands for urban and peri-urban agriculture. The result reveals that 57.2 % of the bare-lands are highly suitable for urban and peri-urban agriculture. Therefore, we recommend the improvement of the capacity of the field crop areas and vegetable farmlands by increasing the potential of each indicator, especially soil fertility, which shows low potential at the moment. We, furthermore, suggest the conversion of suitable bare lands into urban and peri-urban agricultural uses. The implementation of the suggestion might improve food security and contribute to sustainable development, green infrastructure planning, environmental protection, and social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study aimed to analyze the impact of industrialization on the livelihood of smallholder farmers. • Based on the results the industrial investments in the area led to increase in the number of landless farmers. • Industrial investments led to decrease the total crop production in the area. • The results showed that the development pace of the investments is often very low. • Local farmers did not benefit from "trickle-down" effects of industrialization. This study analyzes industrialization-induced agricultural land conversion (ALC) and its impact on land use change, food crop production, and the livelihood of smallholder farmers in peri-urban Gelan and Dukem, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The study was carried out using a mixed method approach, i.e., qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were collected through various methods, e.g., household survey, expert interview, field observation, and focus group discussions method. Furthermore, a total of 223 interviews with farmers were conducted in Gelan and Dukem. Results show that large-scale industrial investments in the case study area led to substantial land use change, an appropriation of agricultural land, and an increase in the number of landless farmers, as well as farmers with small farmland holding sizes of less than one hectare. At the same time, the total crop production in the area decreased. The 'development pace' of the investments is often very slow. Only 28% and 37% of the licensed projects in Gelan and Dukem had entered their operational phases by the end of 2014, respectively. The study concludes that if the incomes of smallholder farmers are not enough to meet the needs of their families, they will need to create some income alternatives. Thus, considering the population growth and limited farmland, it is necessary to support various income-generating activities in order to improve farmers' livelihoods rather than depending entirely on low productive methods such as traditional agricultural activities and non-mechanized production tools. It is worth mentioning that the results of this study will enhance the positive impacts of ALC and minimize the negative ones through land use planning and management tools. Furthermore, the main findings allow us to specify the gaps in access, utilization, and coverage due to wrong policy priority and institutional and technological variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The result of the study indicated that significant LULC changes have happened over the past 46 years. • The study revealed that forest land has declined from 20.9 % in 1973 to 13.7 % in 2019. • The study also revealed the decline of wetlands from 24.0 % in 1973 to 4.8 % in 2019. • LULC dynamics in the study area is driven by a combination of proximate and underlying causes. • The results of the study revealed that there is a significant increase in agricultural land, during the study periods Information on Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes and the driving forces behind such modifications underpin a proper understanding of the dynamics of LULC changes. This study aimed to analyse the dynamics of LULC change trends and its driving factors in Jimma Geneti District (JGD) for the year 1973–2019. Five satellite images downloaded from USGS were used to analyze and assess the geospatial and temporal changes in LULC. In addition, in-depth household interviews, key informant interview, focus group discussions (FGD) and field observations were used to address the drivers of LULC changes. The result showed a decline in forest land from 8632.5 ha (20.9 %) in 1973–5647.23 ha (13.7 %) in 2019. The study further revealed that the total of forest land cleared between 1973 and 2019 was estimated to be 2985.27 ha (7.22 %). In other words, 34.6 % of the forest cover that existed in 1973 was lost. Similarly, wetlands declined from 9919.5 ha (24.0 %) in 1973–2000.24 ha (4.8 %) in 2019. Similarly, wetlands declined from 9919.5 ha (24.0 %) in 1973–2000.24 ha (4.8 %) in 2019. On the other hand, cultivated land has increased from 18617.0 ha (45.1 %) to 27708.1 ha (67.1 %). Similarly, the increment in settlement areas has elevated from 908.7 ha (2.2 %) to 4436.46 ha (10.7 %) during the same period. Agricultural expansion, cutting trees for various purposes (such as firewood, charcoal and construction material), overgrazing and the expansion of settlements, were identified as the major proximate causes of these changes. Moreover, the major underlying drivers of LULC changes include population growth, changes in policy and institutions, poverty and lack of awareness on the importance of natural resource conservation for sustainable livelihoods. From this study, it can be concluded that JGD has experienced a significant change in LULC over the past 46 years and were affected both positively and negatively. Hence, a wide range of policy packages are required for sustainable land management practices which take in to account synergies and trade-offs between the various land uses in the study area. The national and local governments should enforce sustainable land management approaches through integrating land use planning and management into all development programmes and projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different organizations reported that natural hazards related disasters killed hundreds of people and damaged infrastructures estimated millions of dollars every year worldwide. The purpose of this research was to generate landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) map for the first time and understand the main landside conditioning factors in the Adwa-Adigrat mountain chain (about 2540 km2). At initial stage, landslide inventory map was prepared using classical fieldwork, stereo aerial photographic analysis and interpretations (API) and Google Earth™ (GE) image interpretations. A total of 546 landslides were identified, located and delineated. Rock fall was the dominant type of landslide (170), while rock slide was the smallest (only 28 rock slides). Nearly 7.6% of the total study area is found to be affected by past and active landslides. Five spatial data-sets or landslide conditioning factors: lithology, land use and land cover, distance from streams, distance from lineament/faults, slope aspect and slope angle maps were prepared and analyzed. Frequency ratio (FR) model was used to generate LSZ map. The generated LSZ map was classified into very low, low, moderate, high and very high susceptibility zones. The validation and verification of the LSZ map was carried out using the accuracy statistics approach and the area under the curve (AUC) methods. Both methods confirmed the reliability and good fit of the FR method for the present study area. It was observed that 73.8% of the past landslides fell in the high and very high susceptibility zones. In mountain chains, field studies for landslide inventory and LSZ mapping is important. The produced LSZ map can help to predict and mitigate landslide related damages and risks, and future land use planning. • Landslide inventory map produced from fieldwork, aerial photo and Google Earth interpretations. • GIS based evaluation of multi-class spatial data employed using frequency ratio model. • Role of lithology on landslide occurrence highlighted. • Landslide susceptibility zonation map produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]