Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area

Abstract Urban growth in sub-Saharan Africa presents significant challenges to sustainable development, food security, and environmental conservation. The rapid urban expansion and impact on agricultural land reduction in central Ethiopian metropolitan areas (Addis Ababa and Sheger city) exemplify t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kalid Hassen Yasin, Anteneh Derribew Iguala, Tadele Bedo Gelete
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-01-01
Series:Discover Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00749-7
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832595065389711360
author Kalid Hassen Yasin
Anteneh Derribew Iguala
Tadele Bedo Gelete
author_facet Kalid Hassen Yasin
Anteneh Derribew Iguala
Tadele Bedo Gelete
author_sort Kalid Hassen Yasin
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Urban growth in sub-Saharan Africa presents significant challenges to sustainable development, food security, and environmental conservation. The rapid urban expansion and impact on agricultural land reduction in central Ethiopian metropolitan areas (Addis Ababa and Sheger city) exemplify these issues while simultaneously offering opportunities for sustainable development. This study aims to quantify and characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion in Addis Ababa and the surrounding Sheger city, explicitly focusing on understanding the impact of urban expansion on farmlands. The supervised random forest (RF) classification in the Google Earth Engine platform was used to prepare land use and land cover (LULC) for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2023. The study employed an analytical framework incorporating multiple methodologies: intensity analysis at interval, categorical, and transitional levels to quantify urban growth trajectories; gradient direction and distance analyses to examine spatial expansion patterns; and Land Expansion Index (LEI) and Landscape Dynamic Typology (LDT) metrics to characterize the urban morphology and spatial dynamics of the study area. The results revealed that edge expansion is the predominant mode of urban development, primarily affecting farmlands in the eastern section. Built-up areas quadrupled between 1990 and 2023, whereas arable land declined. Intensity analysis revealed significant changes, particularly affecting farmlands. Our LDT analysis showed reduction in stable areas and increased in LULC changes from 1990 to 2023. The findings highlight the need for revised urban development strategies in Ethiopia to focus on compact and efficient growth while safeguarding agricultural lands, aligning with SDGs 2, 11, and 15 to promote balanced development that ensures urban and agricultural sustainability.
format Article
id doaj-art-ab48a7511edf452a9aff20af196a8cdb
institution Kabale University
issn 2662-9984
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Springer
record_format Article
series Discover Sustainability
spelling doaj-art-ab48a7511edf452a9aff20af196a8cdb2025-01-19T12:05:01ZengSpringerDiscover Sustainability2662-99842025-01-016112510.1007/s43621-024-00749-7Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan areaKalid Hassen Yasin0Anteneh Derribew Iguala1Tadele Bedo Gelete2Geo-Information Science Program, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, Haramaya UniversityCenter for Rural Development, Oromia State UniversityGeo-Information Science Program, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, Haramaya UniversityAbstract Urban growth in sub-Saharan Africa presents significant challenges to sustainable development, food security, and environmental conservation. The rapid urban expansion and impact on agricultural land reduction in central Ethiopian metropolitan areas (Addis Ababa and Sheger city) exemplify these issues while simultaneously offering opportunities for sustainable development. This study aims to quantify and characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion in Addis Ababa and the surrounding Sheger city, explicitly focusing on understanding the impact of urban expansion on farmlands. The supervised random forest (RF) classification in the Google Earth Engine platform was used to prepare land use and land cover (LULC) for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2023. The study employed an analytical framework incorporating multiple methodologies: intensity analysis at interval, categorical, and transitional levels to quantify urban growth trajectories; gradient direction and distance analyses to examine spatial expansion patterns; and Land Expansion Index (LEI) and Landscape Dynamic Typology (LDT) metrics to characterize the urban morphology and spatial dynamics of the study area. The results revealed that edge expansion is the predominant mode of urban development, primarily affecting farmlands in the eastern section. Built-up areas quadrupled between 1990 and 2023, whereas arable land declined. Intensity analysis revealed significant changes, particularly affecting farmlands. Our LDT analysis showed reduction in stable areas and increased in LULC changes from 1990 to 2023. The findings highlight the need for revised urban development strategies in Ethiopia to focus on compact and efficient growth while safeguarding agricultural lands, aligning with SDGs 2, 11, and 15 to promote balanced development that ensures urban and agricultural sustainability.https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00749-7Peri-urbanGeospatial analysisSatellite remote sensingSustainable urban developmentUrban–rural dynamics
spellingShingle Kalid Hassen Yasin
Anteneh Derribew Iguala
Tadele Bedo Gelete
Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area
Discover Sustainability
Peri-urban
Geospatial analysis
Satellite remote sensing
Sustainable urban development
Urban–rural dynamics
title Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area
title_full Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area
title_fullStr Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area
title_full_unstemmed Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area
title_short Spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central Ethiopia metropolitan area
title_sort spatiotemporal analysis of urban expansion and its impact on farmlands in the central ethiopia metropolitan area
topic Peri-urban
Geospatial analysis
Satellite remote sensing
Sustainable urban development
Urban–rural dynamics
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00749-7
work_keys_str_mv AT kalidhassenyasin spatiotemporalanalysisofurbanexpansionanditsimpactonfarmlandsinthecentralethiopiametropolitanarea
AT antenehderribewiguala spatiotemporalanalysisofurbanexpansionanditsimpactonfarmlandsinthecentralethiopiametropolitanarea
AT tadelebedogelete spatiotemporalanalysisofurbanexpansionanditsimpactonfarmlandsinthecentralethiopiametropolitanarea