The mediating role of governance in handling diverse and conflicting land interests in the peri-urban Ethiopia: A structural equation modeling analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT The dynamic transformation of peri-urban landscapes from agricultural uses to urban built up is a common practice in developing countries like Ethiopia, which generally does not yield the desired results. Therefore, this study aims to examine the role of governance in mediating the relationship between selected governance success factors and peri-urban socioeconomic conditions. Structural equation modeling is used to support analytical frameworks derived from the Land Governance Assessment Framework and the Global Land Indicators. The study employs mixed research methods and data from relevant participants. The results demonstrate that peri-urban land governance plays a mediating role between the constructed exogenous and endogenous variables. However, the results show that the mediating effect of current peri-urban land governance is weak due to the acknowledged insufficiency of governance success factors. This study argues that integrating success factors into good governance principles offers opportunities for robust peri-urban land governance and thereby resilient socioeconomic conditions.