Effects of urban expansion on the surrounding agricultural communities of the southern Ethiopian town of Jajura

ABSTRACTThis study used a mixed research design for several reasons. Firstly, the researchers used longitudinal data from open-source remote sensing satellite imagery dating back at least 30 years to study urban expansion into rural farmland. Then, the researchers used cross-sectional data from household surveys, where data collection tools such as questionnaires and structured interviews were utilized. A simple sampling procedure was used to ensure the representativeness of homogeneous target group households. The survey data was analyzed with SPSS software, and the urban-to-farmland extent was investigated with Landsat satellite images and observation intervals every 10 years for the last 30 years. The key finding of this study was that urban expansion is encroaching onto farmland, negatively impacting household livelihoods. It is recommended that urban expansion should be managed and minimized and that cooperation with the communities in the study area is an important issue. The study emphasizes the significance of comprehending the implications of uncontrolled urban development on rural communities in Ethiopia, using a mixed research approach comprising both longitudinal and cross-sectional data. The research demonstrates that expanding cities are having a considerable impact on agricultural livelihoods and require delicate handling to mitigate their unfavorable influence.