PROXIMATE CAUSES AND UNDERLYING DRIVING FORCES OF LAND COVER CHANGE IN SOUTHWEST ETHIOPIA.

Investigation into the causes or drivers of land cover change in the context of sustainable development is one of the main concerns in land use change studies. However, little has been known about quantifying drivers (proximate causes and underlying forces) of land cover change in southwest Ethiopia. Thus, the study aimed to quantify the main drivers that contribute to explain land cover change in Guraferda, southwest Ethiopia. Data acquired from household survey and focus group discussion and modeling approach were integrated to quantify drivers of land cover changes. Results show that agricultural expansion was the foremost proximate cause of land cover change. Likewise, the dominant underlying driving forces are economic factors, representing 78% of all cases. Hence, the knowledge and understanding the drivers of land cover change as caused by a combination of diverse proximate and underlying forces play an essential role in the implementation of sound land use policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]