Land Use/ land cover dynamics in the Central Rift Valley Region of Ethiopia: The Case of Arsi Negele District
 

Accepted 11^th July, 2014

Mikias Biazen Molla
Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P. O. Box: 128, Shashemene,
Ethiopia.
Email:atsed.wallia@gmail.com., Tel: 251 0913306182
 

The aim of this research paper was to assess the spatial and temporal Land Use/Land Cover Changes (LU/LCC) in Hada Boso and Gallena Kello Peasant Associations (PAs) in Arsi Negele District. Due to rapid population growth, agricultural expansion, and other environmental fluctuations degradation of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, and environmental deterioration are the most visible socio-economic and environmental problem in the study area. Satellite imagery, Ground Control Point (GCPs) data and household level socioeconomic survey were used to produce land cover maps and explaining the historical trends of the study area. ERDAS imagine and ArcGIS software was used to accomplish the analysis. The analysis result showed that in 1973 most of the study area had been covered by dense acacia woodland and shrub/bush land. In the period between 1973 to1986 cultivated, grazing/grass land and bare/open land showed an incremental changes by 8.98, 33.9, and 36.5 ha respectively. While, shrub/bush land and acacia woodland decreased by 6.17 and 73.21 ha, respectively. Between 1986 and 2010 cultivated land, acacia woodland and shrub/bush land increased by15.38, 4.63, and 38.52 ha. However, bare/open land, and grazing/grass land showed a decreasing trend 19.23 and 39.3 ha, respectively. Furthermore, the trend and magnitude of LU/LCC in the year between 1973 to 2010 acacia woodland decreased by 22.72 ha, and grazing/grass land by 13.58 ha, but in the same year difference shrub/bush land increased by 22.82 ha and cultivated land 13.14 ha. On the other hand, the socio-economic survey result reviled that, the above figures which showed that acacia woodland and shrub/bush land decreased, but cultivated land, barren/open land and grazing/grass land increased in the derg regime. But, the present government, give emphasis for natural resource conservation activity, the spatial coverage of shrub/bush land, acacia woodland has increased. Expansion of agricultural land, population growth and the associated demand for land were the major driving forces for the observed LU/LCC changes in the study area. Therefore, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, and environmental deterioration are largely the results of LU/LCC. Hence, land resources management practices, utilization of alternative energy sources and family planning education are some of the appropriate interventions to reduce this dramatic change.

Key words: Remote sensing, GIS, LU/LCC, accuracy, Landsat, imagery.

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