Abstract:
Evaluating the impacts of Land Use Land Cover/LULC changes on soil erosion is one of the
challenges which strongly influence the process of agricultural development and food security
situation in Ethiopia in general and in the upper Guder River catchment in particular. The main
objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of LULC change on soil erosion in the upper Guder
River Catchment of Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia. Landsat imageries of the year 1986, 2002 and 2020
were used to map the LULC spatial distribution of the area during the study periods. ERDAS
Imagine15, ArcGIS10.4.1 and RUSLE model were employed for analysis. Data on the proximate and
underlying drivers of LULC changes were gathered through interview purposively. The results imply
that in the previous 34 years between 1986 and 2020 the shrub land which covers 28.60% of the total
area in1986 dropped down to 6.61% in 2020 at degraded rate of 949.8ha/yr. Forest land at the
classification base year (1986) had a cover of 13.60 % left only 11.24%ha in 2020, while grass land
was also dropped from 4.66% to 2.98%. In contrary, cultivation land and settlement area showed an
increment from 51.89% and 0.23% to 78.40%ha and 0.59%ha in 2020 respectively. This study
revealed that demographic factor (population growth), expansion of cultivated land, increase demand
for firewood and construction, introduction of new development projects (roads) and absence of
policy and institutional framework towards sustainable use of resources within the catchment were
making the major drivers of LULC changes. The LULC changes had leaded to increase the mean
annual soil erosion rate from 107.63t to 144.16t and 172.91t in 1986, in 2002 and in 2020
respectively. The LULC change and associated problem observed in the area had several
environmental implications at local, regional, national and international levels, because the
consequences of the degradation had no boundaries. Significant expansions of cultivated land at the
expense of shrub land, forest and grasslands had occurred during the time serious of 1986 -2020. The
change in soil erosion rate was a direct result of significant modifications and changes of cover in the
catchment. Management interventions were necessary to improve the status and utilization of
catchment resources by applying sustainable land management practices for sustainable livelihood of
the local people.
