Conversion of farmland to non-agricultural land uses in peri-urban areas of Addis Ababa Metropolitan city, Central Ethiopia

The unplanned expansion of built-up areas toward peri-urban regions has accelerated the conversion of farmland leading to losses of farmland and directly influencing farmers’ livelihoods. Therefore, understanding the process of agricultural land conversion in peri-urban areas is necessary to prevent unnecessary conversion of farmland to other land uses. This study assessed the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural land uses in peri-urban areas of the Akaki Kaliti sub-city (Addis Ababa city, central Ethiopia). A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 329 peri-urban surveyed households. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. The result documented that agricultural land has rapidly declined due to the expansion of built-up areas to periurban agricultural areas. The study identified rapid transformation of farmland uses between 1986/7 and 2019/20 whereby 90% of farmland has been transformed into urban uses. The result further demonstrates that conversion of farmland has resulted in a decline in crop and livestock production and a shrinking of grazing land. Therefore, good policy and timely decision-making are crucial to reduce the effects of unplanned urban land expansion on the peri-urban ecosystems and livelihoods.