Abstract:
Land use conflicts are situations of competition and potential disagreement between two or
more land use types over the use of a scarce resource. This study was carried out to
investigate the land use conflicts and their impacts on the livelihood of smallholder farmers
in Yilmana Densa Woreda, West Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. The study used the data collected
using Household survey, field observations, Key informant interview (KII), and Focus Group
Discussion (FGD). In addition, secondary data that obtained from the Woreda land,
agriculture, and livestock resources office were used. Descriptive statistics were used to
analyze the data. The results of the study revealed that there is a significant shift from natural
cover into managed agro-systems, which is attributed to the increase in both human and
livestock pressure. In this regards, 21 years, the aerial coverage of forest, bush lands and
grasslands declined by 22.4%, 8.7%, and 5.5% per annum, respectively. On the other hand,
settlement, cropland, and woodland expanded by 30.4%, 1%, and 1.2% per annum
respectively. This shows that most of the areas previously covered with forest and grasslands
are mostly shifted to the rapidly expanding settlement, eucalyptus tree and farmland.
Cropland expansion due to the rapid population growth, landlessness, grazing land
encroachment and market value were the major causes for the land use shift. The results of
the study also revealed that there is serious land use conflict between grazing land, farmland
and eucalyptus plantation that affects the stability and sustainability of the livelihood of
smallholder farmers in the study area. In addition to the land use conflict, due to the
excessive use agro chemicals and the rise in its price, the revenue from crop production is
very minimal. However, the smallholder farmers in the study area are not well aware of the
long-term effects of the land use conflicts on the sustainability of agriculture and the
environment in the long run.