An Assessment of the Impact of Urbanization on Agricultural Land Use in Juba City, Central Equatoria State, Republic of South Sudan

Abstract

Urbanization is an expected tendency in the development of human and it has been recognized as one of the crucial element of advancement achieved in science and technology. Juba city like others has experienced a rapid urbanization after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 and is responsible for increased demand for land. Consequently, the limited available land in Juba city is associated with loss of arable land, degradation of ecosystems, as well as social changes in the urban populations. Urbanization can significantly change land use types and their associated ecosystem services. In the South Sudanese perspective, and due to the political situation, urban development is taking over agricultural lands, which is the main source for food production and the second backbone of the South Sudanese economy after crude oil. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of urbanization on agricultural land use in Juba city and to investigate factors that lead to this change. The specific objectives of this research study is to identify and highlight the major factors driving urbanization and the loss of agricultural land use in Juba city and to describe the spatial impacts of urbanization on agriculture by conducting qualitative interviews with the stakeholders in the city. The results revealed that Juba city had increased significantly along with an increase in urban population, a decrease in rural population, and an expansion of the overall urban area as well as loss of agricultural land use immediately after the signing of the CPA. The results agreed with the findings from the qualitative interviews, which supports that the economic situation, demographic factors, politics, planning and policies are the major factors that contribute to the urbanization and the loss of agricultural land use in Juba City.