Assessment of Land Use Land Cover Change in Shinny Watershed, the Case of LiboKemkem District, North Ethiopia

Abstract

Land use land cover change (LULCC) is one of the most challenges that aggravate environmental problems. Understanding the scope of LULCC, driving forces, and consequences is crucial for proper management of water and land resources. We investigated LULCC using GIS and remote sensing data (1993–2023) to identify LULC class, by field observation, household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions in the study area. The results show that there are 5 major land use types: forest, rain fed agriculture; settlement, irrigable land, and grazing land were identified. These are the study areas that have changed significantly during the past 3 decades between 1993 and 2023, with an overall accuracy (%) of 83, 85, and 81 and a kappa coefficient of 84, 87, and 82 for 1993, 2009, and 2023, respectively. This observed change indicates a reduction in forest land and rain fed agriculture land from 6.96% to 6.61% (1993–2023) and 33.82% to 22.07% (1993 2023), respectively. An increase in settlement, irrigable land, and grazing land was 5.05% to 7.06% (1993 to 2023), 21.62% to 29.32% (1993–2023) and 32.55% to 34.94% (1993–2023), respectively. Forest land was reduced from 6.96% in 1993 to 6.61% in 2023, but irrigable land was expanded from 36.23% in 1993 to 51.63% in 2023. And the driving forces were identified population pressure, a shortage of cultivated and fuel wood extraction behind the LU/LC changes. The expansion of grazing land at the expense of forest cover in the study area has negative implications for the natural resources and the livelihood of local people. Thus to solve these LULC change; effective and strong land use planning and utilization policy should be implemented by District land office in order to insure the sustainability of natural resources in a way of participating the local community and the government should be enhancing land use planning to aware development agents (DAs) and district officials are important to improve the livelihood of farmers.