Impact of resettlement scheme on vegetation cover and its implications on conservation in Chewaka district of Ethiopia

Alemayehu Abera,Abera Uncha,Teshome Yirgu

doi:10.1186/s40068-020-00164-7

Alemayehu Abera, Abera Uncha + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40068-020-00164-7

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Abstract

BackgroundResettlement has been conceived as a viable solution to the continual impoverishment and destitution of Ethiopian rural communities. However, it has considerable impacts on natural resources of the environment at destination areas. This study was carried out to evaluate impact of resettlement scheme on vegetation cover and its implications on conservation in Chewaka district of Ethiopia.MethodsThe study utilized ArcGIS10.3, ERDAS Imagine 9.1, Landsat imageries of 2000, 2009, 2018 and socio-economic data to analyze the LULC of the district. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was employed to detect vegetation cover changes of the area. The study was conducted on the seven kebeles of Chewaka district and the total households of the sample kebeles are 3340. Through multistage sampling procedure a total of 384 households were selected from sample kebeles. Data were collected using questionnaires, GPS, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. The collected data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively.ResultsThe results showed that Chewaka district has undergone substantial LULC change since population resettlement in the area. A rapid reduction of woodland (34.6%), forest (59.9%), grassland (50.5%) and bareland (46.8%) took place between 2000 and 2018, while built-up areas and cultivated lands have expanded at an average rate of 90.7 and 1515.7 ha/year respectively. The results of NDVI revealed that the extent of dense and sparse vegetation cover have decreased by 26.1% and 20.6% respectively, whereas non-vegetation cover has increased by 14,340.2 ha during the study period. It was found that rapid population growth following resettlement program, farmland and settlement expansion, deforestation, human-induced forest fire, lack of land use plan, unwise utilization and low management practices were the major factors that underpin the observed changes in the area.ConclusionsResettlement scheme has resulted in the depletion and dynamics of vegetation cover in Chewaka district. Therefore, the study suggests urgent attention on conservation of the remaining vegetation resources for sustainable utilization.

Highlights

Resettlement has been conceived as a viable solution to the continual impoverishment and destitution of Ethiopian rural communities
Description of the study area The study was conducted in Chewaka district which is located in Buno Bedelle zone, Oromia Region of Ethiopia
Status of land use/cover in Chewaka district pre and post resettlement The land use/cover status of Chewaka district was mapped for the year 2000, 2009 and 2018 to analyze the patterns of change that occurred in the area (Fig. 3 and Table 4)

Summary

Introduction

Resettlement has been conceived as a viable solution to the continual impoverishment and destitution of Ethiopian rural communities. It has considerable impacts on natural resources of the environment at destination areas. Resettlement schemes have been undertaken for various purposes. They are often supposed to facilitate the implementation of a rural development policy (Evrard and Goudineau 2004). Literature revealed that population pressures, extreme land degradation in the highland areas, land fragmentation, rampant unemployment, food insecurity, recurrent drought, poverty and famine has aggravated resettlement programs in Ethiopia since the Imperial period (Belay 2004; Tadesse 2009; Yonas et al 2013; Zeleke and Mberengwa 2012)

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