Abstract:
Urbanization is the steady increase in the number of people living in cities or urban centers. These
occurrences result from the continuous mass movement of people from the villages or rural settlements to
cities or urban areas. It was also result from natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) especially
where these populations increased take place in areas where advance technology and developmental
projects were present This study was undertaken at three rural kebeles which surrounding Ginci
administrative town. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess urban expansion and its impact on
peripheral farming communities: the case of Ginci town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Since; rural
communities around the city/town faced problems of socio-cultural, economic challenges, environmental
deterioration and land tenure insecurity. Access to and sustainable use of land for agriculture in urban
periphery is now becoming a critical issue for many areas of Ethiopia. For this research paper of both
quantitative and qualitative data collection were employed. The primary data was collected through survey
questionnaires, key informant interview and focus group discussion; and secondary data from various
sources were complimented. Having employing the descriptive research methods, the researcher collected
data from 351 households, those whose livelihoods had been adversely affected. As compared to the land
size that the farming community in the study area had before, every farmer has been made to lose farm and
grazing land that he/she was economically dependent on which will result in change of their livelihoods
after urban expanded. According to the data gathered from respondents, on average landholding size is
about 0.843 hectare lower after urban expansion and 0.638 Qu. /year lower for crop yields after urban
expansion, 41.3% said that, the main cause (factors) for Ginci town expansion is (high birth rate over low
death rate) i.e. that increased informal settlements. In the study area; land holding size are negative
impacts on the livelihoods of farming communities in the past seven years. Result show that as land loss
increased, yield production decreased after urban expansion. To adapt this change; the majority farming
communities have practiced different alternatives methods like urban agriculture, trade, construction,
employment on daily income, remittances and different services to survive their livelihoods.
