Assessment of Land Use/ Land Cover Change Using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques: A Case Study of Dendi District, Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess change in land use/ land cover in Dendi District, Oromiya regional sate Ethiopia.  To conduct this study three periods of land sat images (Landsat4-5TM1984, Landsat7ETM⁺2000 and Landsat 8OLI/TIRS 2017) was used. In addition, field observation, focus group discussion and key informant were employed. Google Earth and global position system (GPS) have been used for ground verification.   Data was analyzed by using Arcgis10.1, ERDAS imagie9.3 and Microsoft excels 2007 software. The result revealed in study period there is continuous expansion of cultivated land, which increases with rate of 570.6 hectare per year at the expanse of grassland bush/shrub land and forest areas. While forestland, bush/shrub land ,grassland and water reduce with rate of 93.5 hectare per year, 156.1 hectare per year ,318.5 hectare per year and 2.5 hectare per year respectively.  This implies that in study area there loss of vegetation because of expansion of cultivated land. This study recommends applying appropriate land management practices to reverse the undesirable land use/ land cover change in the District.

Keywords: Dendi District, Ethiopia, Land use/ land cover, GIS & Remote sensing