Analyzing Trends and Drivers of Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in Drought-Prone Livelihood Zones of the Northwestern Escarpment of the Ethiopian Rift Valley

Abstract The current study looked at the patterns and causes of land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics from 1985 to 2019 in three drought-prone areas of the Ethiopian Rift Valley’s Northwestern Escarpment. Spatial data, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were used to study the trends and causes of LULC dynamics. For Landsat image processing, ERDAS Imagine 2015 was used, and for LULC change analysis, ArcGIS 10.8 was employed. From the result, fast LULC exchange occurred in all study LZs throughout the study years. Raya Valley LZ (RVLZ) is, however, more highly shifted than Allagie Ofla LZ (ALOFLZ) and Tsirare catchment LZ (TCLZ). From the total area, only 17.7, 28.3, and 23.2 percent of RVLZ, ALOFLZ, and TCLZ persisted over the study years, respectively. The LULC change in the studied LZs was driven by population pressure and recurrent droughts. The research area’s local ecosystem services have been disrupted by these changes, which have impacted the livelihood system of the local community. Consequently, the government should reform the appropriate land use policy, which benefits local farmers and their ecosystems. In addition, farm activities must be environmentally friendly to increase farmland productivity.