Wana, Desalegn(PhD)Megersa, Helen2018-07-022023-11-192018-07-022023-11-192017-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/5468This study was intended to investigate the trend of land use land cover dynamics in Merti Woreda for the last 29 years (1986-2015.) For the selected study years 1986, 2000 and 2015 three time series satellite images TM, ETM+ and OLI were used respectively. Additionally, socio-economic assessment was conducted by using KII and FGD to investigate the driving forces of land use land cover change. The study covers a total area of 125,069.6ha. Five land use land cover classes namely; cropland, forest, grassland, shrub land and settlement land were clearly identified for the study. The result reported that in the first period, 1986-2000 forest and grassland showed decreasing trend by 43.9% and 6%, respectively. But cropland and shrub land showed increment at the same time by 44.9% and 4.75%. In the second study period forest and shrub land were decreased by 17.01% and 32.98%, respectively. Cropland, grass land and settlement land showed increment by 34.2 %, 13.45 % and 2.34%, respectively. In the entire period of the study forest and shrub land were decreased by 56.77% and 26.39%, respectively. The extent of deforestation was very high during the first study period. In 1986, the largest area was covered by shrub land and small area by settlement, which constituted 42.6% (53,476.3ha) and 0.26% (150.2ha), respectively. The cropland, forest and grassland covered 31.52 %( 39,420.6ha) and 15.64 %( 19,559ha) respectively. The land use land cover classification for the year 2000, as a year of 1986, the largest area was covered by shrub land and small area by settlement which accounts for 43.1 %( 54,134.9 ha) and 0.31 %( 386.2ha), respectively. Cropland, forest and grassland were accounted 38 %( 47,522.5ha), 9.3 %( 11,625ha), and 9.1 %( 11,400.9ha). In the final classification year (2015) land use land cover classification analysis of the study showed that cropland 42.96 %( 53,723.5ha), shrub land 38.5% (48,154.1ha), forest 6.83% (8,540.2ha), grassland 11.07% (13,840.5ha) and settlement 0.65 %( 810.7ha) respectively. It was different from the first and second classification years, the cropland was 42.79 %( 53,516.7ha) and dominant classes of the area. Therefore, to solve the forest cover shrink; effective and strong natural vegetation management and utilization policy have to be implemented by district forest office and the regional government to insure the sustainability of natural resources by protecting natural forest with the participation of local community. Key Words: Land use Land cover dynamics, GIS, Remote sensing, Landsat imageenLand use Land Cover DynamicsGISRemote SensingLandsat ImageThesis