Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia
Large-Scale Commercial Agricultural Investment (LSCAI) is expected to improve the living conditions of host communities while ensuring the productive use of natural resources. However, its impact on the local environment and land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics was not well investigated in Guba Distr...
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| Format: | Article |
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Università degli Studi di Firenze
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development |
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| Online Access: | https://www.jaeid.it/index.php/jaeid/article/view/12260 |
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| author | Temesegen Disassa Marru Tebarek Lika Megento Amsalu Bedemo Beyene |
| author_facet | Temesegen Disassa Marru Tebarek Lika Megento Amsalu Bedemo Beyene |
| author_sort | Temesegen Disassa Marru |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large-Scale Commercial Agricultural Investment (LSCAI) is expected to improve the living conditions of host communities while ensuring the productive use of natural resources. However, its impact on the local environment and land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics was not well investigated in Guba District, northwest Ethiopia. This study aimed to examine the implications of LSCAI projects on LULC change dynamics. To achieve this, the study employed a concurrent triangulation design, combining of qualitative and quantitative data. Data for the study were collected from primary and secondary sources, including satellite images with ground verification. The LULC map was prepared and image classification conducted by employing Arc GIS10.5 and ERDAS 2014. Structured interviews were conducted with 351 households, and unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. The study revealed a significant increase in LULC over time. Dense forest cover decreased by 0.61% and open woodlands decreased by 1.25% per year. In contrast, cropland expanded by 1.79% per year between 1990 and 2019. Particularly, between 2010 and 2019, the rate of cropland expansion reached 3.25% per year due to the influx of LSCAI projects. This indicates that the expansion of LSCAI projects has nearly doubled the rate of LULC change in the study area. During the key informant interviews, it was confirmed that the period from 2010 to 2019 witnessed substantial expansion of LSCAI projects in the study area. Local communities also expressed concerns about the potential threats posed by LSCAI, including deforestation, land dispossession, malpractices, violent conflicts, and increased charcoal production. The main drivers of severe LULC are anthropogenic factors that promote the expansion of LSCAI. It is recommended that in the process of LSCAI, land identification and transfer to developers should be done in consultation with local communities, and the policy direction on natural resource utilization should be revisited to ensure the most sustainable use of land resources.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-154ade386c3644cdaf314b20d5fd9f10 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2240-2802 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Università degli Studi di Firenze |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development |
| spelling | doaj-art-154ade386c3644cdaf314b20d5fd9f102025-08-20T02:36:31ZengUniversità degli Studi di FirenzeJournal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development2240-28022024-12-01118210.36253/jaeid-12260Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest EthiopiaTemesegen Disassa Marru0Tebarek Lika Megento 1Amsalu Bedemo Beyene2Ethiopian Civil Service University, EthiopiaAddis Ababa University, EthiopiaAddis Ababa University, EthiopiaLarge-Scale Commercial Agricultural Investment (LSCAI) is expected to improve the living conditions of host communities while ensuring the productive use of natural resources. However, its impact on the local environment and land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics was not well investigated in Guba District, northwest Ethiopia. This study aimed to examine the implications of LSCAI projects on LULC change dynamics. To achieve this, the study employed a concurrent triangulation design, combining of qualitative and quantitative data. Data for the study were collected from primary and secondary sources, including satellite images with ground verification. The LULC map was prepared and image classification conducted by employing Arc GIS10.5 and ERDAS 2014. Structured interviews were conducted with 351 households, and unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. The study revealed a significant increase in LULC over time. Dense forest cover decreased by 0.61% and open woodlands decreased by 1.25% per year. In contrast, cropland expanded by 1.79% per year between 1990 and 2019. Particularly, between 2010 and 2019, the rate of cropland expansion reached 3.25% per year due to the influx of LSCAI projects. This indicates that the expansion of LSCAI projects has nearly doubled the rate of LULC change in the study area. During the key informant interviews, it was confirmed that the period from 2010 to 2019 witnessed substantial expansion of LSCAI projects in the study area. Local communities also expressed concerns about the potential threats posed by LSCAI, including deforestation, land dispossession, malpractices, violent conflicts, and increased charcoal production. The main drivers of severe LULC are anthropogenic factors that promote the expansion of LSCAI. It is recommended that in the process of LSCAI, land identification and transfer to developers should be done in consultation with local communities, and the policy direction on natural resource utilization should be revisited to ensure the most sustainable use of land resources. https://www.jaeid.it/index.php/jaeid/article/view/12260Land use land coverLarge-scale commercial agricultural investmentNorthwest Ethiopia |
| spellingShingle | Temesegen Disassa Marru Tebarek Lika Megento Amsalu Bedemo Beyene Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development Land use land cover Large-scale commercial agricultural investment Northwest Ethiopia |
| title | Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia |
| title_full | Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia |
| title_short | Large-scale Commercial Agricultural Investment: Implications for Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Guba District, Northwest Ethiopia |
| title_sort | large scale commercial agricultural investment implications for land use land cover dynamics in guba district northwest ethiopia |
| topic | Land use land cover Large-scale commercial agricultural investment Northwest Ethiopia |
| url | https://www.jaeid.it/index.php/jaeid/article/view/12260 |
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