The Effects Of Horizontal Urban Expansion On Rural Livelihoods: The Case Of Sebeta Tow

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to assess effects of horizontal urban expansion on rural households in Sebeta town. In the study area an expansion of the town has been made at the expense of conversion of rural households‟ productive land locating on the peripheries of the town that result in livelihood insecurity. The research was descriptive design in nature. To meet the objective both qualitative and quantitative approaches of research design were employed. A household survey was conducted with 123 households sampled using systematic random sampling technique. Primary data had been collected through questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion while the secondary one was from different written and documented sources. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS v 20 software to obtain findings of the study and arrive on related conclusions. The result of the study reveals that urban expansion was increasing in the area continuously at the expense of peripheral farmers‟ productivity that impacts their livelihood in turn. Rural households were not getting awareness on urbanization in advance, not participate in decision making, not getting sufficient compensation in response to their productive land that enforces them to change sustenance in the area. Most of them are getting temporary jobs and getting low income. Furthermore, these rural households were commonly lost farm land, grazing land, houses, their identity, social bond, trees, vegetables and fruits and livestock assets that insecure their livelihood. They were not getting important supports from the municipality and they are much concerned about their future life. It is recommended that, rural households, government bodies and stakeholders to work on management of urban expansion cooperatively to overcome the challenges. It is important to properly implement related policies and regulation toward the issue. Providing awareness on advance, training on entrepreneurship skills and closely follow up of these rural households impacted as a result of urbanization was great assignment of the municipality.