Landscape and Urban Planning 106 (2012) 149–157 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Landscape and Urban Planning jou rn al h om epa ge: www.elsevier.com/locate/landurbplan The dynamics of urban expansion and its impacts on land use/land cover change and small-scale farmers living near the urban fringe: A case study of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia Nigussie Haregeweyn a,b,∗ , Genetu Fikadu b , Atsushi Tsunekawa a , Mitsuru Tsubo a , Derege Tsegaye Meshesha a a Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan b Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Ethiopia a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 27 June 2011 Received in revised form 16 February 2012 Accepted 27 February 2012 Available online 22 March 2012 Keywords: Urban expansion Horizontal expansion Intensification Expropriation Urban fringe Ethiopia a b s t r a c t This study evaluated the dynamics of urban expansion and its impacts on land use/land cover change and livelihoods of small-scale farmers living near the urban fringe of Bahir Dar in northwest Ethiopia. Aerial photos for the years 1957, 1984, and 1994 as well as field mapping using GPS for the year 2009 were employed and analyzed using GIS. Heads of 271 households affected by the expansion were interviewed to evaluate the impacts of expansion and compensation modalities in practice. Results showed that the urban area expanded annually by about 12%, 14% and 5% during the periods: 1957–1984, 1984–1994 and 1994–2009, respectively. The area showed an overall annual increment of 31%, from 279 ha in 1957 to 4830 ha in 2009. Built-up areas increased as a result of horizontal expansion, from 80 ha in 1957 to 848 ha in 1994, but also due to intensification at the expense of agricultural areas, from 80 to 155 ha, during the same period. A total of 242.2 ha of farmland was expropriated from 271 households between 2004 and 2009, and 96% of those interviewed believed that the compensation was insufficient, as the decision is influenced by the government’s land ownership system. We predict that the current urban area will double by 2024. This will have far-reaching ecological, socio-economic and environmental impacts. A better understanding of the dynamics of urban growth and its associated impacts in the urban fringe can help form a basis for sustainable planning of future developments of areas experiencing urban expansion. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The population of urban areas is expected to exceed 60% by 2030, with 90% of the projected increase occurring in low-income coun- tries, which have urban settlements that are growing at five times the rate of those in developed countries (United Nations, 2005). Moreover, most urban growth over the next 25 years will occur in smaller cities and towns (Cohen, 2004). Although urban areas cover a very small fraction of the world’s land surface, their rapid expansion has significantly altered the natural landscape and created enormous environmental, ecosys- tem, and social impacts (Berling-Wolff & Wu, 2004; Grimm, ∗ Corresponding author at: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan. Tel.: +81 857 30 0235; fax: +81 857 21 7251. E-mail addresses: nigussie haregeweyn@yahoo.com (N. Haregeweyn), genetu1991@yahoo.com (G. Fikadu), tsunekawa@alrc.tottori-u.ac.jp (A. Tsunekawa), tsubo@alrc.tottori-u.ac.jp (M. Tsubo), deremesh@yahoo.com (D.T. Meshesha). Grove, Pickett, & Redman, 2000; Lambin & Geist, 2001; Mundia & Murayama, 2010; Nagendra, Munroe, & Southworth, 2004; Pickett et al., 2001; Weber & Puissant, 2003). These impacts are particularly important in rapidly changing (usually unplanned) areas, such as urban settlements in developing countries (Attua & Fisher, 2011; Farooq & Ahmad, 2008; Lopez, Bocco, Mendoza, & Duhau, 2001; Mohan, Pathan, Narendrareddy, Kandya, & Pandey, 2011; Muriuki et al., 2011; Weber & Puissant, 2003). As a result, rapid urban- ization in the poorest countries is limiting the capacity of cities to provide basic services and facilities, degrading the quality of life, and the environment (Cohen, 2004; de Sherbinin & Martine, 2007). The expansion of urban and suburban areas requires more land and promotes the conversion of rural to urban land use/land cover (LULC) (Farooq & Ahmad, 2008; Mohan et al., 2011; Xiaoqing & Jianlan, 2007). Hence, from the standpoint of LULC change, expan- sion of urban areas is of particular importance because of its strong effect on other LULC classes, such as agricultural lands (Attua & Fisher, 2011; Forkuor & Cofie, 2011; Himiyama, 2004; Mohan et al., 2011; Nunes & Auge, 1999). 0169-2046/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.02.016