Assessment of Land use and Land Cover changes and Farmers’ Perception towards land Cover Changes in Setema District of Jimma zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) is the result of the long-term process of natural and anthropogenic activities that have been practiced on the land. Assessments of LULCC and farmer perceptions towards this change over the last 30 years (1992–2023) were investigated to determine the rate and extent of the LULCC pattern over the past three decades in Setema district, South-West Ethiopia. The study used primary data collected from the local community, community leaders, and Woreda experts, and secondary data was collected from free available satellite image archives and related documents. The study used ArcGIS software, SPSS software, and, Microsoft Excel 2010. The study area was classified into five LULCC categories based on field study