Land Use/Cover Changes and Surface Temperature Dynamics Over Abaminus Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia

The study investigates the impact of land use/cover changes on the dynamics of surface temperature in the Abaminus watershed, Northwest Ethiopia. Landsat-5 images of 1987, 1999, and 2010, and the Landsat-8 image of 2018 were used as the sources of data. The land use/cover changes were calculated using a land-use transition matrix. Data generated from household surveys were presented using percentage values to identify the driving forces of land use/cover changes. The land surface temperature (LST) result was quantified using the respective index equation. Results indicated that wetland, forest, shrublands, and grasslands declined by 96.6%, 72%, 77.7%, and 89.4% respectively over the analysis period. The encroachment of cultivation and overgrazing to marginal lands, weak institutional arrangement, sedimentation, high drainage of wetlands for crop production, and recurrent drought were the major driving forces behind the land use/cover change. Within this effect, the average land surface temperature was increased by 11.5°C, 3.22°C, and 2.02°C due to wetland loss, clearing of the forest, and decline of shrublands respectively for the last 31 years. LSTs had correspondingly decreased by 5.42°C and 3.77°C on the afforested barren surfaces and planted shrublands. Hence, there should be an improved institutional arrangement for managing open access resources through the participation of local people in the management for minimizing the increase of land surface temperature in the study watershed. Moreover, enclosure management and plantation of multipurpose species on degraded communal lands shall be scaled-up to significantly reduce land surface temperatures.