This study was carried out to map and quantify the distribution of Prosopis juliflora and analyses some impacts of the plant on the society. Moreover, it compares the land use land cover changes, determining the rate of invasion and the vegetation characteristics of the plant in different land use land cover types. To map the land use/land cover changes Landsat TM 1986 and Landsat ETM+ 2001 images with supervised and unsupervised classification technique was implemented. Vegetation data were collected with systematic stratification followed by random sampling technique of the study area with quantitative measurements of the plant. Furthermore, semi-structured questionnaire was also used to collect data about socio-economic impacts of the plant. The study revealed that P. juliflora covered 5.45% of the land in the study area in 1986 and had increased to 6.75% in 2001. The highest land cover change has been observed on agricultural lands with an increase of 8.9% next to the dense Acacia woodlands with decrease of 15.7% of the study area. P. juliflora has shown highest invasion in Acacia woodland and least invasion around the settlements. The rate of invasion of P. juliflora was 0.081% per year. The highest mean number of coppices was 5.38 + 0.27(SE) in Acacia woodlands and the least was 2.11+ 0.15(SE) in riverine forest. The highest density was 1774 coppices/ha Acacia woodlands and least in riverine forests (344 coppices/ha). The socio-economic study revealed that P. juliflora has both advantages and disadvantages. The local people benefited from the plant in charcoal making, firewood collection and pods collection. The plant has also been used as shade tree around the village, control soil erosion (71% of the respondents), shelter for wild life (76% of the respondents), reclaimed degraded lands (18 % of the respondent) and decrease desertification (54% of the respondents). On the other hand, the local people lose a great deal of money due to loss of livestock and cost of management of the plant. Moreover, the plant decreased the size of range lands, woodlands and Page ix farmlands, decreased crop productivity and suppressed the growth of grasses under its canopy. About 76% of the total respondents highly recommend for its complete removal from the area while the rest did not support this. The study indicates that the disadvantages of the plant out weigh the advantages at the current situation owing to improper managements and utilization of the plant in the study area. Hence, proper and efficient utilization of the plant products could be the best option to control further invasion of new valuable lands with P. juliflora. Key words: P. juliflora, Land use/land cover, socio economic impact, ecological distribution