LAND USE AND LAND COVER DYNAMICS: DRIVING FORCES AND IMPACTS IN LAY GAYINT WOREDA OF AMHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the pattern and to identify the major driving
forces of land use and land cover change as well as to analyze the consequences of
these changes in Lay Gayint woreda. The study used Landsat images of 1984 and 2004
to produce two layers of maps using Remote Sensing and GIS. The results showed that
cultivation land and settlement increased by 51.8 % followed by increment in bare land
by 19.1 % while communal grazing, forest cover, and shrub have reduced by 52.6 %;
79.6 % and 28.4 % respectively. Population growth, less hand holding related to
traditional farming practices, and high fuel energy demand were the major driving forces
for the observed changes. One of the major negative impacts of land use and land cover
change in the woreda is land degradation, mainly in the form of erosion and the resulting
loss of fertility. To curb this problem, the study recommends practising sustainable land
management utilizing alternative energy sources, implementing expansive family
planning, and creating awareness on the impacts of those changes.