Assessment of Land use/Land cover Dynamics and Soil Erosion Estimation for Sustainable Management of Land Resources, A Case study in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara Region, North Central Ethiopia.

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Date

2007-07

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Addis Ababa Universty

Abstract

In countries like Ethiopia where agriculture sector has the basic contribution for gross economy, land resource plays a major role in the level of production. In this regard the Landuse/Landcover dynamics and land degradation that can happen in a certain region has a serious pressure on the production of yield. Gozamin Woreda is one of the woredas from Esat Gojjam zone, which is known for its surplus food production. However the land use/land cover dynamics and soil erosion occurred recently in the Woreda has put serious obstacle on the food security of the Woreda.To study the land use/land cover dynamics Landsat 1 (MSS, 1972), Landsat 5(TM, 1986) and Landsat 7(ETM+, 1999) has been used. The result during the period 1972 – 1999 shows that there is sharp increase in cultivated land and grazing land, while there is a sharp decrease in bare land, and bush land. The other interesting result gained from this particular study the forest area coverage, which were only 3258.01(1.8 percent) of the total Woreda has increased to 4488.5764 (2.5 percent) of the total area. The basic reason for the increment of forest coverage in Gozamin Woreda is the afforestation program carried out by the then government of Dergue. The final actual erosion result for the Woreda shows that the value ranges from nil to 1056.8 tone/hectare/year and the mean erosion rate is 9.251 tonne/hectar/year. The final result expressed in terms of area coverage; actual soil loss less than 12 tone/hectare/year covers 72607 hectare (726.07 km2) of land and greater than or equal to 12 tone/hectare/year and less than 211 tone/hectare/year covers 90471 hectare (904.71km2) The remaining 16922 hectare (169.22 km2). From the total actual soil loss occurred in the Woreda, 90 percent is below 211 tone/hectare/year. The remaining 10 percent of the total area is above 211 tone/hectare/year which can be said the high soil erosion rate in the Woreda. The findings of this particular research suggest that land degradation in the steep slopes is severe which need urgent intervention like afforestation programs, terracing and other remedial solutions for the Woreda by integrating the local knowledge of the people.

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Gozamin Woreda

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