Modeling land use dynamics in the Kesem sub-basin, Awash River basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

Nowadays, the land use and land cover change and its impacts are revealing on different natural resource and man-made systems. This study attempted to examine the land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics on this using multi-spectral satellite imageries in Geographical Information System (GIS) in the Kesem sub-basin of the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. It also attempted to assess the community perceptions on this using field observation. Three LULC maps were produced by analyzing remotely sensed images of Landsat satellite imageries within three periods of time from 1986 to 2013. Supervised image classification was used to map LULC classes and explain the drivers, and causes were linked to the changes. The result from LULC maps of 2013 showed nine major land use and land cover types. From 1986 to 2000, there were, among others, a dramatic expansion of agricultural land, massive settlement, and widespread eucalyptus plantation, all of which contributed to a dramatic decrement of shrub land and acacia in the sub-basin. The major driving forces for these changes were population density and over-use of land. The major consequences are the degradation of biodiversity, and loss of natural resources. The significant need of new and sweeping land use policy whose key tenets involve conservation and rehabilitation of land resources and appropriate land use planning is offered to policymakers.

Keywords:

• land use dynamics
• Kesem sub-basin
• remote sensing
• Ethiopia

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Unprecedented pace and magnitude of land use and land cover (LULC) change in the Ethiopian highlands are considered to be part of the major problems threatening agricultural development and food security in the country. However, knowledge about the dynamics and drivers behind these changes at the watershed level is limited. Hence, the integration of remotely sensed data with socioeconomic information in GIS has broadly considered. Many research in the world has focused on linking census and survey-based socioeconomic data to remotely sensed land use data, particularly for modeling the drivers of deforestation in rural areas. According to several authors, Awash River basin is the most important, intensively utilized, and environmentally susceptible basin, but evaluation of LULC dynamics at the Kesem sub-basin with combined tools of remote sensing and social-economic study was not studied. Hence, this study provides valuable data and baseline information to develop sustainable adaptation mechanisms and strategies to respond of LULC change and dynamic in the study area and other similar region in the globe.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources, Irrigation, and Electricity for providing the remote sensing data. We acknowledge two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their valuable comments on the manuscript clearer.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this manuscript.

Notes on contributors

Negash Tessema

Negash Tessema is a lecturer and researcher in Irrigation Engineer at Haramaya University having experience in project design and evaluation. His research interests lie in the field of Irrigation water management and design, remote sensing and GIS, hydrological modeling, and climate modeling.

Asfaw Kebede

Asfaw Kebede (PhD) is an associate professor in hydrology and water resource engineer at Haramaya University having experience in project evaluation and served as a member of the evaluating team for Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) dynamics, as a researcher, guiding postgraduate students and evaluating government interventions in LULC impacts through postgraduate research and government-funded project. Land use and land cover dynamics related research outcomes were published in scientific journals.

Dame Yadeta

Dame Yadeta is a lecturer and researcher in Irrigation Engineer at Samara University having experience in project design and evaluation. He is a reviewer for international and local journals. His research interest is on Irrigation water management and design, hydrological modeling, climate modeling, and remote sensing and GIS.