Abstract:
Land use land cover change is one of the factors challenging management of environmental
problems. Identifying the scope of land use cover change, driving forces, and consequences is
very crucial for proper management of the available natural resources. This study was intended
to investigate the dynamics of land use/land cover change drivers and its environmental
consequences in Ejersa Lafo district, West Shoa Zone. Satellite imagery, field observation,
household survey, focus group discussion and key informant interview were employed to gather
data. Both unsupervised and supervised classification techniques were used to get the temporal
and spatial information of 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 years. Arc GIS 10.8 and ERDAS9.1
software’s were used to execute the analysis. The results disclosed that LULC in Ejersa Lafo
district had changed significantly during the past 3 decades between 1990 and 2020. The LU/LC
observed change indicates a reduction in forest land, bare land, grass land and bush land and an
increase in settlement area and farm land. Forest land was reduced from 16.93% in 1990 to
6.01% in 2020, bare land was reduced from 9.56% in 1990 to 3.06% in 2020, grass land was
reduced from 13.18% in 1990 to 7.41% in 2020 and bush land was reduced from 14.05% in
1990 to 12.29% in 2020. Whereas, farm land was expanded from 31.58% in 1990 to 41.71% in
2020 and settlement area expanded from 14.70% in 1990 to 29.51% in 2020. Farm land and
settlement areas expansion, low income, population pressure, shortage of land, and biophysical
factors were major driving forces of the LULC changes. Environmental implications such as
climate change, biodiversity loss, scarcity of basic forest products, decline in quality and
availability of fresh water such as river, and crop yield reduction are the consequences of the
LULC change. The expansion of farm land and settlement area at the expense of forest cover,
bare land, grass land and bush land in Ejersa Lafo district had negative implications on the
natural resources and the livelihood of local people. Hence, appropriate measures need to be
implemented to reduce the dynamic change in land use/land cover and to harmonize
environmental conservation with human livelihood.
