SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF LAND USE/COVER CHANGE IN ETHIOPIAN CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY LAKES REGION, EAST AFRICA

Unregulated land use/cover change (LUCC) has imposed significant local, regional and global impacts on livelihood and environment, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous studies well documented the extent and drivers of such spectacular LUCC in East Africa. However, data on regional/local impacts particularly that combine its socioeconomic and environmental effects are very scanty currently. Hence, this study is aimed to assess the socio-environmental impacts of LUCC in more dynamic and fragile landscapes of the Ethiopian Central Rift Valley lakes region. We used a combination of data from Remote Sensing, GIS-based processing, household survey and meteorological stations to quantify and analyze LUCC impacts. Results indicated that a rapid LUCC has occurred in the region over the last three decades which imposed a number of socioeconomic and environment-related impacts. Based on the percentage of respondent farmers, climate change (95%), soil productivity decline (94%), land degradation (92%), shortage of wood (91%), shortage of grazing land (89%), soil erosion (88%), loss of biodiversity (81%) and lake water retreat (74%), are the principal impacts of LUCC perceived. Such perceived impacts of LUCC are in line with the observed results obtained from comprehensive measured data analysis. Future land use policies need to consider management options that work on reducing anthropogenic-induced pressures on the environment and encouraging livelihood diversification in order to minimize the adverse socio-environmental impacts of spectacular LUCC in the region.