Assessing Land use/Land Cover Change and Emerging Indicators of Unsustainablity in Damota Mountain,Wolaita Zone ,SNNPR ,Ethiopia.

Abstract

Land Use/ Land Cover Change (LU/LCC) is one of the major human induced environmental changes. Information on LU/LCC and the forces and processes behind such changes are essential for proper understanding of how land was being used in the past, what type of changes have occurred and are expected in the future. The main objectives of this study was assessing’ land-use/land-cover changes and indicators of unsustainablity in Damota Mountain. The data for the study was acquired from satellite image of Landsat5TM 1984, Landsat7 ETM+ 2001 and Landsat8 ETM+2018. In addition, field survey data was collected from 150 proportionately selected households from 4 kebeles by using simple random sampling techniques. The field survey using structured questionnaires, focus group discussion ,field observation and official document was also conducted. The software such as QGIS version 3.2, Arc GIS 10.3 and ERDAS IMAGINE were used to perform image pre-processing, image classification, accuracy assessment, and Descriptive statistics and SPSS for analysis of socio economic survey was used. From the present finding, it is clear that the study area is under serious threat of environmental degradation, which calls for immediate intervention from all concerned bodies. But if degradation continues at the current rate, with no doubt the Mountain will end up as a barren hill. The overall land use/cover change between the year 1984 and 2018, satellite result revealed that degraded land, cultivated land and bare soil indicated increment by 0.28%, 23.9% and8.72% per year respectively. But forest and shrub land showed decrement by - 1.71% and -1.55%per year respectively. According to FGD with KI in the study area despite the continuous deforestation and environmental degradation in the area, current actions from concerned bodies are minimal. In the study area the only individually planting tree is eucalyptus with its great ecological controversy. So an immediate introduction of proper land management and tenure systems, population growth control mechanisms, and integrated environmental rehabilitation strategies must be given high priority, at the least to prevent existing potential from further deterioration.