Land-based investment implications on land use land cover change and livelihood of the local community in Northern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

A surge in land-based investment has been taking place in developing countries, including Ethiopia, with the aim to foster economic growth, enhance food security, and reduce poverty. This study sought to investigate the impact of such investments in the western Armachiho district of the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, using remote sensing data from 1995, 2010, and 2020 supplemented by socioeconomic surveys and field observation to validate the spatial data. The results revealed significant land use and land cover changes in the district over the past twenty-five years. Forest cover decreased from 60.92% in 1995 to 27.6% in 2010, while water bodies, including rivers, streams, and ponds, declined from 3.04% to 1.4% during the same period. Conversely, built-up areas, bushland, farmland, and bare land exhibited an increasing trend. The observed changes during the initial study period can be attributed to the expansion of land-based investments and illegal farmland encroachment in the area under investigation. The results further indicated that the expansion of such investments during this period had adverse effects on the local community, resulting in the loss of access to farmland, grazing land, and forest products that served as sources of income. The results also demonstrated that the delineation of agricultural investment land, the closure of unproductive land, and the issuance of land-holding certificates have prevented illegal encroachment that contributed to the improvements in forestland cover between 2010 and 2020. Hence, when granting significant amounts of land for land-based investment, it is crucial to consider not only the short-term economic benefits but also the well-being of local communities and the principles of environmental sustainability.