URBAN SPRAWL AND ITS EFFECT ON THE PERIPHERAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS: THE CASE OF SHASHEMENE TOWN, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

In many ways urban sprawl is a phenomenon which ultimately converts the agricultural land into urban land and it may affecttheperipheral farming household’slivelihood. However, there is limited evidence in Ethiopia in relation to effect of urban sprawl on livelihood of farming households around Shashemene town. Thus, the main objective of thisstudy wastoevaluateurbansprawland itseffectsontheperipheral farming householdsof Shashemenne town.Descriptive research methodwas applied using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A household survey was conducted with 228 sampled households selected throughsystematic random sampling techniques. The primarydatawerecollectedthroughquestionnaire,interviews,observationandfocusgroupd iscussion,while the secondary data gathered from published and unpublished sources. Furthermore,quantitativedatawasanalyzedusingdescriptivestatistics suchasfrequency andpercentage;qualitativedatawereanalyzedbyusing narrativeanalysis.The results of the study indicated that the horizontal expansion of Shashemenne town brought significant negativeeffect on theperipheral farming household’slivelihoodboth economically and socio-culturally. On top of this, the expansionprogramwasnotparticipatory, andtheexpropriated householdsdidnotgetopportunitytobargaininthedeterminationoftheamountandkinds ofcompensations.Thecompensation andbenefitpackagesprovidedso fardidnotcapacitatetheexpropriated farmers of the peri-urban area of thetown.There was no post expropriation follow-up and rehabilitation support for expropriated peri-urban farmers.Generally, urban expansion, expropriation and compensation program in the future needs toinvolve theperipheral farming household’sandcompensationshouldberevisedbothinkind and amount involving rehabilitation support, skill developmenttraining and post expropriation follow-up.