Re–Exploring Agricultural Land Conversion and  Expansion Process in The North Central Highlands of  Ethiopia Using Gis and Remote Sensing Techniques

Yonas Getaneh

Volume : III, Issue : VIII, August - 2013

Re–Exploring Agricultural Land Conversion and Expansion Process in The North Central Highlands of Ethiopia Using Gis and Remote Sensing Techniques

Yonas Getaneh

Abstract :

Monitoring of agricultural land change and the resultant consequence yields multiple information about the two way relationship between manmade and natural environment. The work was an attempt of assessing the socio economic implications of agricultural land expansion and conversion process over the past half century in part of North Central highlands of Ethiopia. The study area covers 586km2area of land, located in the Eastern part of South Wollo zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The land use/land cover changes were identified by compå historical Aerial photographs with current time satellite images using appropriate GIS technique. According to the result, as potentially cultivable area was used for production, there was only an imperceptible agricultural land expansion process after 1958 onwards. Farm land expansion process was highly outpaced by the rapidly increasing trend of population, which is in contrary to the general expectation that farm land expansion is the main means of accommodating the food needs of the increasing population in developing countries.