DYNAMICS OF LAND USE/LAND COVER CHANGE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR LAND DEGRADATION IN MIDA WOREMO WATERSHED, NORTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Change in LULC mainly through the conversion of natural vegetation to agricultural and settlement land has been the most widely observed activity in Ethiopia. This study analyzed dynamics of LULCC and its implications for land degradation and management measures over a period of 45 years (1972 to 2017) in Mida Woremo watershed, North central Ethiopian highland. The data used in the study include Satellite Image of Land sat MSS (1972), Land sat TM (1986), Land sat ETM+ (2000) and Land sat OLI (2017) were the main input data. In this study, both unsupervised and supervised image classification technique were used for each LULC maps. By employing remote sensing and geographic information system, four separate LULC maps for the years (1972, 1986, 2000 and 2017) of the study area were produced and five major classes were identified. These include cultivated land, settlement land, bare land, forest cover and bush land. The remote sensing data were supported by socio-economic data that were collected by household survey, key informant interview, focus group discussion and filed observation. The result indicated that the watershed has undergone significant LULC dynamics since 1972 to 2017. Over the last 45 year, the areas of cultivated, settlement and bare land were increased by 269.2%, 4367.9% and 21.7%, respectively, and with annual average growth rate of 5.98% / year, 97.06% /year and 0.48% /year, respectively. In contrast, the share of forest cover and bush land were decreased by 84.83% and 63.87%, with an average annual growth rate of 1.9% /year and 1.41%/year, respectively. The observed LULC dynamics were driven by a combination of proximate and underlying driving forces. These include, expansion of agriculture, increasing demand for fire wood and construction material, expansion of settlement area, population pressure, and policy and institutional changes. The observed environmental implication of LULCC dynamics were land degradation, soil erosion, climate variability, reduction of crop yield and biodiversity loss. Therefore, the study area needs an urgent intervention for developing sustainable land management measures and rehabilitation programs to be design and implemented to manage the remaining biophysical natural resource of the study watershed.