Rural Settlements Research Articles

Identifying the pollution risk pattern from industrial production to rural settlements and its countermeasures in China

Impacted by large-scale and rapid rural industrialization in the past few decades, China's rural settlements are confronted with the risk of heavy metal pollution stemming from industrial production, which might pose a significant threat to the rural habitat and the well-beings. This study devised a relative risk model for industrial heavy metal pollution to the rural settlements based on the source-pathway-receptor risk theory. Using this model, we assessed the risk magnitudes of heavy metal pollution from industrial production at a 10 km × 10 km grid scale and identified the characteristics of the risk pattern in China. Our finding reveals: (1) the relative risk values of wastewater, waste gas and total heavy metal pollution are notably concentrated within a confined spectrum, with only a small number of units are characterized by high-risk level; (2) Approximately 21.57 % of China's rural settlements contend with heavy metal pollution, with 4.17 %, 9.84 % and 7.55 % being subjected to high, medium and low risks, respectively; (3) The high-risk units mainly is concentrated in the developed areas such as Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin metropolitan area, also dispersed in the plain areas with high rural population density. Guided by these insights, this study puts forth regionally tailored prevention and control strategies, as well as distinct process prevention and control strategies.

Model Perencanaan Tata Ruang Wilayah menggunakan Spatial Temporal Autocorrelation (Studi Kasus: Kabupaten Jayawijaya)

Jayawijaya Regency faces various challenges in the use of land tenure status in urban planning areas (RTRW). This study focuses on the RTRW Spatial Pattern Plan in Wamena Urban on changes in land tenure with a spatial temporal autocorrelation (STA) approach. The results showed that there were two spatial patterns formed in the Wamena Urban Area, namely cluster patterns and dispersed patterns. Cluster patterns are formed in airports, urban areas, flat woodland agriculture, local protection/LIPI plantations, and river boundaries. Dispersed patterns are formed in community plantations and scrubs, rural settlements, wetland agriculture, slope dryland agriculture, and mining. The results of the analysis showed that cluster patterns in the Airport, Urban, Flat Dryland Agriculture, Local Protection/LIPI Plantations, and River Border areas showed significant changes in land tenure status. Climate change, infrastructure development, and population growth are some of the factors causing these changes. Meanwhile, dispersed patterns in community plantations/shrubs, rural settlements, wetland agriculture, slope dryland agriculture, and mining showed no significant change in land tenure status. This is due to factors such as conflicts over customary rights to land ownership. This study provides an overview of spatial patterns of changes in land tenure status in the Wamena Urban Area. The results of this research can be used as a basis for the formulation of land management policies and strategies in the region.

To waste or not to waste: a multi-proxy analysis of human-waste interaction and rural waste management in Indus Era Gujarat

Waste management is paramount to town planning and ancient civilizations across the world have spent resources and mobilized labor for waste disposal and reuse. The study of waste management practices offers a unique window into the daily lives, social organization, and environmental interactions of ancient societies. In the Indus Valley Civilization, known for its urban planning, understanding waste disposal in rural settlements provides crucial insights into the broader socio-economic landscape. While extensive research has documented sophisticated waste management systems in urban Indus centers, little is known about practices in rural settlements. This gap limits our understanding of regional variations and rural-urban dynamics within the civilization. In this paper, using isotopic and microscopic proxies, we characterize the waste disposed of at the rural Indus settlement of Kotada Bhadli to reconstruct the sources of waste, including heated animal dung, and burned vegetation. We propose that rural agro-pastoral settlements in Gujarat during the Indus Era systematically discarded such waste in specific locations. By characterizing waste produced at Kotada Bhadli, we are also able to reconstruct the natural environment and how the natural and cultural landscape around the settlement was exploited by the residents of the settlement for their domestic and occupational needs. Our identification of the attention paid to waste disposal by the inhabitants of Kotada Bhadli adds significant data to our understanding of waste disposal as an insight into past lives.

A Rock-cut Tomb from Arpacık Boyalı Mevkii with an Inscription in Lycian

The research project entitled “Byzantine Settlements around Alacadağ in the Lycian Region” has been underway since 2014 with the aim of identifying and documenting Late Antique and Medieval rural settlements in the mountainous area north of Demre (Myra), Antalya district. During the surveys in 2022, a rock tomb and some building remains that can be dated to the Classical period were found in the mountainous area north of Belören village in a place called Katranağaç and Arpacık Tepe by the locals. The buildings were placed at intervals on the southern slope of the hill, facing the village, along a line of about 750 metres in an east-west direction. The rock tomb with an inscription in the Lycian language, which is the subject of this article, is located on the eastern side of the rock at an altitude of 937.60 metres in the Arpacık locality. There are also agricultural areas formed by terraces in front of the tomb structure towards the south. The inscription in Lycian language is written in 4 lines in funerary style. The analysis of the inscription and the tomb is the subject of this study.

THE COMPLEX OF FINDS FROM THE EXCAVATIONS IN TYRAS IN 1978. CHERNYAKHIV PERIOD OF THE ANCIENT CITY

Studies of ancient Tyras (North-Western Pontic region) have shown that the late Roman period of the city was associated with the population of the Chernyakhiv culture, a significant part of which were Germanic Goths. But the importance of this population in the city’s history has not been studied sufficiently, so new publications of finds should be of great interest. During the excavation in 1978 three vessels were discovered which were located probably in a small light building. These are a gray-clay wheel-made mug and also a handmade jug and bowl. The mug is a typical product of Chernyakhiv culture, and the jug is a primitive imitation of Roman forms. As for the bowl, it is difficult to find analogies for it. This assemblage belongs to the latest layer of ancient Tyras which can be framed by the second half of the 3rd — early 5th century AD. Several other objects belong to the same period, as well as some Chernyakhiv finds from the cultural layer. These are fibulae (early items of them are dated to the middle — late 3rd century), axe-shaped pendants, combs made of deer horn. The types of amphorae of the late Roman period, known in Tyras, are also common on the Chernyakhiv settlements. Table and kitchen gray vessels clearly represent the types of dishes common throughout the territory of the Chernyakhiv culture. Occasionally there are fragments of vessels typical for the Wielbark (Gothic) culture. In the cultural layers of the Roman Tyras also the earlier group of gray-clay tableware presents, which is typologically different from the Chernyakhiv ware. Local workshops produced it (as well as red-clay products) until the mid-3rd century AD, when the activity of Greco-Roman craftsmen ceased. Later the new inhabitants of Tyras brought their own pottery. An important difference between the production technology of Greco-Roman and Chernyakhiv potters was the use of a fast potter’s wheel in the first case, and a slow wheel in the second one. The barbaric slow wheel has not been compared favorably with a fast one but the Chernihiv’s people have not the fast wheel. We propose an approximate reconstruction of the history of Tyras in the late Roman period. The military victories of the barbarians (the Gothic Wars of 238—270) caused the evacuation (between 248 and 253) of the Roman garrison and, probably, the inhabitants of the city. The period of the history of Tyras as an ancient city was over, however the merchant ships came to its port even during wars. To continue mutually beneficial trade (from the mid-3rd century and especially in the second half of the 4th century, when the peak of imports is observed) there was a fairly small number of «Chernyakhiv residents» in the destroyed city. Their activity might have been seasonal and limited to a few months of navigation per year. They handled the ships and transferred the goods to «their» merchants for resale in the depths of Chernyakhiv territory. These people built new houses among the ruins but their standard of living did not reach the level of Chernyakhiv rural settlements. Judging by the finds, they had a small number of wheel-made ceramics and replaced the shortage of ware by primitive handmade products. Summarizing the available materials, we can conclude the following. The last phase of ancient Tyras, known as the «post-Gothic» period, should be more reasonably called the «Chernyakhiv period». In the mid-3rd century Tyras lost the signs of a city, and till the early 5th century became a Chernyakhiv trade settlement.

Средства реализации функций механизма реализации интересов сельского населения

In the article "The composition of the mechanism for realizing the interests of the rural population", this mechanism was considered as a set of structural, functional and supporting elements aimed at creating a favorable environment that ensures full satisfaction of the needs (realization of interests) of the rural population. It was concluded that each structural element (subject) has its own set of tools and methods for solving individual functional tasks, in accordance with the functions assigned to them, while the entire set of identified functions is implemented at the level of individuals and households reflecting the composition of the rural population. This article substantiates the tools for the implementation of these functions by such types of structural elements as the state, regions, municipalities, business entities, rural settlements, public organizations, social communities and groups. Due to the constancy of the structural, functional and supporting elements of the mechanism for realizing the economic interests of the rural population and the stability of its structure, it is concluded that the improvement of the mechanism will be connected, first of all, with the development of means for implementing its functions and improving the quality of coordination of interactions of its structural elements, as well as with the formation of an information base characterizing the conditions and the results of the realization of the economic interests of the rural population.

Improving service accessibility and equity for sustainable development goals without newly facilities by rural settlement reconstruction

Ensuring the provision of accessible, affordable, and high-quality public services to all individuals aligns with one of the paramount aims of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the face of escalating urbanization and a dwindling rural populace in China, reconstructing rural settlements to enhance public service accessibility has become a fundamental strategy for achieving the SDGs in rural areas. However, few studies have examined the optimal methods for rural settlement reconstruction that ensure accessible and equitable public services while considering multiple existing facilities and service provisions. This paper focuses on rural settlement reconstruction in the context of the SDGs, employing an inverted MCLP-CC (maximal coverage location problem for complementary coverage) model to identify optimal rural settlements and a rank-based method for their relocation. Conducted in Changyuan, a county-level city in Henan Province, China, this study observed significant enhancements in both accessibility and equity following rural settlement reconstruction by utilizing the MH3SFCA (modified Huff 3-step floating catchment area) and the spatial Lorenz curve method. Remarkably, these improvements were achieved without the addition of new facilities, with the accessibility increasing by 44.21%, 4.97%, and 3.11%; Gini coefficients decreasing by 19.53%, 1.64%, and 3.18%; Ricci-Schutz coefficients decreasing by 21.09%, 2.09%, and 4.33% for educational, medical, and cultural and sports facilities, respectively. It indicated that rural settlement reconstruction can bolster the accessibility and equity of public services by leveraging existing facilities. This paper provides a new framework for stakeholders to better reconstruct rural settlements and promote sustainable development in rural areas in China.

Household Location (Urban, Peri-Urban and Rural Settlements) as an Associated Risk Factor for Toxoplasmosis during Pregnancy in Southeastern Brazil.

Brazil has a high prevalence of toxoplasmosis. However, there is a gap in comparing seroprevalence for Toxoplasma gondii across different environments, particularly among pregnant residents of rural and urban areas. The prevalence of IgG and IgM for T. gondii was compared among pregnant residents of the urban, peri-urban, and rural settlement areas in a municipality in southeastern Brazil. Information regarding age and area of residence was compiled from January 2015 to December 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the age and area of residence as risk factors. A total of 1614 examinations were recorded, revealing 54.0% seropositivity, which was highest in the rural settlement (61.1%), followed by the peri-urban area (55.9%), and lowest in the urban area (49.2%). The high prevalence of IgG and presence of IgM in pregnant residents of rural, peri-urban, and urban areas highlights the significance of the results obtained for strengthening maternal health programs aimed at preventing toxoplasmosis, regardless of their residence.

Orthodox Church Architecture of the Kuban Settlements of the Late 18th – First Half of the 19th Century

A retrospective analysis of the history of the architecture of Orthodox churches in Kuban from the end of the 18th to the first half of the 19th century was carried out on specific objects of religious architecture. The historical approach allows us to consider these objects as unique elements of the architectural and urban heritage of the period under study. The special value of Orthodox churches in the concept of forming a holistic environment of urban and rural settlements is indicated. The main means of artistic expression based on volumetric planning techniques, with the help of which the compositional image of the temple is created, are noted. The presented illustrative material graphically displays the scientific content, executed on certain visual images of religious architecture structures and visually complements the text material. Great importance is given to the current issues of integrity and sustainable balance of modern buildings and structures with previously erected religious architecture objects and monuments of historical and cultural heritage.

Ticks infesting terrestrial small mammals in a rural settlement in the Amazonas state, Brazil.

There is limited knowledge about tick diversity in the Amazon region. Here, we survey small terrestrial mammals for tick infestation at the Rio Pardo settlement, Amazonas State, Brazil. Sampling included rainy and dry seasons and four ecotones (primary forest, forest in regeneration, field crops and households). Each animal was inspected for ticks, which, if present, were placed in 70% alcohol and identified. Parasitological indexes were calculated and the presence/absence of ticks on hosts was tested for possible associations with independent variables (ecotone, host sex, host order, host family, host age and season). A total of 208 small mammals were captured, 47 individuals (10 species) in the primary forest, 124 (15 species) in the forest in regeneration, 11 (7 species) in the field crops, and 26 (4 species) in the households. A total of 14 small mammals were infested by ticks (overall prevalence: 6.7%; 95% CI: 3.72 - 11.04%), which consisted of 51 specimens that were identified into four species, as follows: Amblyomma humerale (32 nymphs); Ixodes luciae (6 females); Amblyomma coelebs (1 nymph); and Ornithodoros mimon (1 larva). In addition, 11 larvae were retained as Amblyomma spp. Only host order showed association (P = 0.002) with tick infestation, with marsupials 5.5 times more infested than rodents. Our record of O. mimon on D. marsupialis is the first on this host species, and the first record of a Argasidae tick in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that actively screened free-living terrestrial small mammals and provided data on prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of tick infestations in the Brazilian Amazonas state.

Analyzing Human-Centric Wireless Energy Harvesting for Sustainable and Resilient Energy Systems

Discussions around wireless communications and energy harvesting in the literature are elitist and techno-centric. There is a need for more studies on a human-centric approach that simplifies the concept and links energy harvesting with human empowerment and well-being. Also, studies so far on the implementation of wireless energy harvesting in rural settlements have been scanty despite the important role wireless communication plays in social interactions and financial transactions within rural communities. The challenge of little awareness of the human sustainability impact of WEH is impeding stakeholders’ advocacy and advancement of wireless energy harvesting (WEH) despite its real and perceived benefits. So far, research efforts as reported in the literature are less than proportionate to the potential of WEH. Apart from providing sustainable energy for wireless devices and networks, its generation of nonelectric renewable energy is a huge plus for ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all as contained in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7). Given the astronomical growth in the use of wireless devices globally, more research studies are needed to create more awareness for massive WEH advocacy. This study uses a model-driven approach to simplify and highlight critical aspects of WEH such as wireless body area network, sources of non-electric renewable energy sources, green energy (environmental protection), intermittent nature of renewable wireless energy sources, and research directions. Also, the application of WEH for the sustenance of lives and livelihood in rural economies is examined using the rural community of Adum-Aiona in Nigeria as a case study. It is expected that the information provided will create more awareness and foster further discussions around the human-centric angle of WEH even as advances in technology continue to be made.

Historical Changes, Contemporary Characteristics, and Five Transformations of Environmental Design in China

Starting from the characteristics of modernization in three different historical stages since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, this paper analyses the internal changes in the professional name, subordinate disciplines and categories, and professional mission of the environmental design profession, and summarizes the changes in the characteristics of the environmental design profession in 10 aspects such as subordinate disciplines, design objects, design types, cultural characteristics, and aesthetic values on the basis of the results of the analysis, and explores five transformations of the environmental design profession in the process of China’s development in the future. The five transformations in the future development of China are to serve the harmony and beauty of the three major urban and rural spaces with “small and micro-renewal and reconstruction”; to serve the transmission of Chinese culture and the spread of Chinese civilization with “spatial heritage and innovation”; to serve the balance and sufficiency of the four functions of urban and rural settlements with “friendliness and equilibrium”; to serve the intelligence, wisdom, and enjoyment of indoor and outdoor living environment space with “scientific and technological achievements”; and to serve the co-construction, co-management, and sharing of indoor and outdoor public space in urban and rural areas with “public participation.”

Features of Funding Rural Communities and Territories Development Financed by EU Common Budget

This publication substantiates European approaches to financial support for the sustainable development of rural communities and territories. The current state of financial support for the sustainable development of rural communities in the EU is identified using such methods as financial analysis, system analysis, content analysis, case studies, abstract and logical analysis, international policy analysis, etc. It is argued that budgetary policy is the main instrument of influence on the social and economic spheres of life of the EU member states, which determines their own resources (revenues) and influences the eligibility conditions and criteria for the allocation of funds for each expenditure programme. It is proved that by determining the directions of budgetary financing, the joint budget reflects the EU's political priorities. It is established that rural areas cover the majority of the EU territory, and a significant part of the EU population lives in rural areas. It is emphasised that the key challenges of rural settlements are demographic changes, insufficient access to transport and digital infrastructure, high unemployment, dependence of the economy on agricultural production, low income of rural residents, limited access to social services, etc. It is emphasised that structural funds and member states' national budgets actively finance rural communities' development. Funding depends on the type of territory, the direction of funding, and national development strategies. It is substantiated that the application of an integrated approach to solving the problems of rural communities in the EU, which involves cooperation at all levels - from the European to the local level, efficient use of financial resources, introduction of innovations, development of infrastructure and support for local initiatives, contributes to the creation of favourable conditions for sustainable development of rural communities and improvement of the quality of life of their residents.

RURAL SETTLEMENT NETWORK OF UKRAINE (THE SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF CHANGES)

In recent decades, with the intensification of urbanization processes in many countries, there have been numerous notable changes in the size of the rural population, as well as in the number and structure of rural settlements. The purpose of this study is to identify and assess spatial changes in the settlement of the rural population of Ukraine from 1959 to 2021 based on the results of cartographic analysis. The sources of the study are census data for the relevant years (1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2001) and subsequent statistical observations. Spatial changes in the regional size and density of the rural population, as well as its territorial dispersion, are traced. Between 1959 and 2001, when the last census was conducted in Ukraine, the number of rural settlements in Ukraine decreased by 13,600. For the first time, the publication highlights certain changes in the characteristics of the rural settlement network, which are new aspects in studying its development.

Understanding Rural – Urban Migration in Uganda’s Refugee Camps Authors

With continued conflicts all over the world, more refugees will continue migrating to countries they consider safe. According to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Young Leaders Think Tank (2017), refugees prefer dwelling in urban areas, which can be attributed to the global urbanisation phenomenon. This paper examines the factors influencing rural-urban migration to inform refugee management in urban settings. According to the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda Refugee Statistics of September 2023, Uganda was host to over 1.5 million refugees, mainly from, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Eritrea and Rwanda. These refugees are registered in the rural settlements (refugee camps) as provided for by Uganda’s legal framework on the management of refugees, which framework also only recognises refugees in the capital Kampala as urban refugees. However, the landscape has evolved as some refugees have self-settled in various urban centres across Uganda, rapidly increasing the urban population and stressing urban services. Our study findings in Koboko Municipality show various personal, push and pull factors responsible for the refugees’ decision for rural-urban migration. These factors relate to demographic age, education level, gender, better social services, payable employment, economic activities, and utilisation of skills among others. The findings signal the need to recognise and plan for urban refugees in urban areas other than Kampala City. Urbanisation is a factor in refugee management in Uganda. Keywords: Urban refugee, Rural-urban migration, Koboko municipality, Uganda

From Expansion to Shrinkage: An Assessment of the Carbon Effect from Spatial Reconfiguration of Rural Human Settlements in the Wuhan Metropolitan Area

Nowadays, the reorganization of rural land-use space exhibits a dynamic process of expansion and shrinkage. Taking the Wuhan Metropolitan Area as an example, this study used the InVEST model to quantitatively assess changes in rural built-up land between 1995 and 2020 and its impact on regional carbon storage. Combined with the PLUS model, further simulations were carried out to predict the heterogeneous mechanisms of shrinkage and expansion of rural habitable space under three scenarios in 2030. The results indicate that the area of rural built-up land in the Wuhan Metropolitan Area showed an overall increasing trend, with shrinkage mainly concentrated in the Wuhan-Ezhou border, Tianmen, and southern Xiantao, while expansion displayed a decentralized point distribution. The PLUS model predicts that, in the scenario of rural built-up land expansion, a significant amount of cropland is encroached upon. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the impact of rural habitat changes on the carbon cycle. Future land management and planning should pay more attention to maintaining ecosystem services and considering the environmental effects of changes in rural built-up land layout.

Enhancing Resilience from Pandemics in Urban and Rural Settlements of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Northeastern Thailand

Enhancing Resilience from Pandemics in Urban and Rural Settlements of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Northeastern Thailand

Reconstructing dietary practices at Tell Kamid el-Loz (Lebanon) during the Bronze and Iron Age III / Persian to Hellenistic periods using plant micro-remains from dental calculus and stable isotope analysis of bone collagen

Tell Kamid el-Loz (Lebanon) was an important Bronze Age urban center that dominated one of the central crossroads of the Ancient Near East, connecting Egypt and the Levant with northern Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Syria, as well as the interior with the Mediterranean coast. However, by the early Iron Age, the site had shrunk to a small rural settlement. Later, in the Iron Age III / Persian-Hellenistic, only enigmatic pits and a large cemetery remained. In this paper, we analyzed plant micro-remains from the dental calculus of 15 individuals (3 from the Middle Bronze Age II and 12 from the Iron Age III / Persian-Hellenistic) and δ13C and δ15N stable isotope data from tbulk bone collagen of 74 individuals (10 from the Middle Bronze Age II and 64 from the Iron Age III / Persian-Hellenistic) and 13 Late Bronze Age animal bones (7 Ovis/Capra and 6 Bos). Our results indicate general stability of human diet throughout the Middle Bronze Age II and the Iron III / Persian-Hellenistic periods, with a reliance on C3 plant crops and terrestrial animals also consuming C3 plants. In the later period, the plant micro-remains indicate the consumption of C4 plants and sedges, and the stable isotope analysis indicates differences in diet between males and females.

Что удалось сделать в сельском Татарстане за десять лет реализации системы самообложения населения

The budget deficit in municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan forces local authorities to search for additional sources of funding to solve the problems of rural settlements. One of the ways was the participation of rural municipalities in the development of a system of self-taxation for citizens. It has been implemented in Tatarstan since 2013. The article sets the task of assessing the effects of the self-taxation system in rural settlements of the republic, accumulated over 10 years of its operation. By analyzing the legislative framework of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, the author reveals the basic concepts and provisions used in the system of self-taxation of citizens. Using interviews he conducted in municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan with heads, deputies, and activists of rural settlements, the experience of using and features of public participation in the self-taxation system over the past ten years was examined. It was revealed that the results of the implementation of the self-taxation system are expressed in an increased level of trust in it on the part of villagers, in almost one hundred percent collection of contributions, in the involvement of village residents in the formation of municipal budget plans, in increasing the civic responsibility of representatives of rural communities of Tatarstan. The “external” effect of the self-taxation system is expressed in the number of solved problems of local importance: repair and construction of rural roads, water supply, street lighting, improvement of cemeteries, monuments and obelisks, sites for garbage containers, sidewalks, embankments, springs, parks and public gardens. This list of work of conducted works, which is far from complete, using the villagers’ self-taxation system and through co-financing from the government bodies of Tatarstan, has significantly increased the level and quality of rural life in the republic.

Quantifying forest degradation rates and their drivers in Alle district, southwestern Ethiopia: Implications for sustainable forest management practices

Forest ecosystems contribute significantly to global climate regulation. Nonetheless, vulnerability has emerged as a multifaceted topic in the scientific world. Despite the importance of forest ecosystem services, there has been little quantification of worldwide forest change. The main objective of this study was to quantify forest degradation rates and drivers in the Alle district in Southwest Ethiopia. A mixed-research design was used to collect data on forest degradation rates and drivers in Alle district, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative method. The Land Use/Cover (LULC) for 1990, 2010, and 2022 derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) were used to detect changes and rates of forest degradation. Using a simple random sampling technique, 284 respondents were selected and questionnaires, interviews, and field observations were used to collect survey data. The results indicated that the forest cover of Abidibor per hectare was 2467.5 ha (97.2 %), 2268.3 ha (89.4 %) and 2203.9 ha (86.8 %) during 1990, 2010, and 2022, respectively. The forest coverage of Aba Gamta was 8296.7 ha (96.7 %), 6796.9 ha (79.2 %), and 6654.5 ha (77.6 %) in 1990, 2010, and 2022, respectively. Agricultural and grazing land increased, whereas forests and wetlands decreased during the respective years. The majority (39.36 %) of the sampled respondents reported that the conversion of forest land to agriculture by a rapidly growing population resulted in the expansion of agricultural land and rural settlements, resulting in forest degradation manifested by deforestation, overgrazing, and overexploitation. Thus, the forest coverage of the area decreased rapidly with time. As a solution to the devastating problems of diminishing forests, the local government and other stakeholders should consider conserving and managing depreciating forests by controlling direct drivers and determinants through participatory and institutionalized mechanisms.