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International Journal Of Horticulture, Agriculture And Food Science(IJHAF)

Monitoring Rangeland Degradation and its Dynamism in Pastoral Areas of Afar Region, Ethiopia by using Earth Observation Data

Aderaw Tsegaye


International Journal of Horticulture, Agriculture and Food science(IJHAF), Vol-8,Issue-3, July - September 2024, Pages 1-8, 10.22161/ijhaf.8.3.1

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Article Info: Received: 29 May 2024; Received in revised form: 03 Jul 2024; Accepted: 11 Jul 2024; Available online: 19 Jul 2024

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Rangelands cover a significant portion of the world's land area, particularly in Africa, where they support the livelihoods of communities and contribute to national economies. However, rangeland degradation poses a significant environmental challenge globally, threatening ecosystem services and impacting food security, water availability, and resilience to climate change. In Ethiopia, rangeland degradation is a pressing issue, driven by factors such as overgrazing, deforestation, soil erosion, and climate change, which in turn affect vegetation cover, soil fertility, and biodiversity. This study analyses Rangeland cover changes in Afar pastoralist systems using Landsat satellite images from 2000 to 2020. This was done by downloading and processing Landsat images of 2000, 2010 and 2020. A supervised classification approach identified five land-use/cover classes, and results show significant changes in forest, grassland, bare land, cropland, and wetland areas over the two-decade period. Grassland areas declined drastically. The findings underscore the complexity of land use dynamics in the Afar region and highlight the need for holistic approaches integrating ecological conservation, sustainable land management, and community engagement to mitigate further degradation and preserve vital ecosystems. By addressing the complex drivers of land use change and adopting adaptive management strategies, stakeholders can work towards fostering resilience and promoting the long-term sustainability of the region's landscapes and livelihoods.

Rangeland degradation, Land-use/cover, GIS, Remote sensing, Sustainable land management.

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