Spatial driving forces of dominant land use/land cover transformations in Bako Tibe District, West Shewa, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study was designed to examine the trends of LULC transformation and driving forces over the last 35 years (1986 – 2020) in Bako Tibe District, Ethiopia. Results showed that cultivation and shrubland were dominant covering more than two-thirds of the total area. Trend analysis showed that cultivated land (33.26%) and built-up area (2.71%) increased over the years. In contrast, wetland, shrub and grassland had declined by 13.04%, 13.7% and 7.35%, respectively. The majority (96%) of respondents perceived expansion of cultivated land (81.1%) and wood extraction (73.6%) as principal proximate drivers while population growth (92.6) as the underlying factor.