CAUSES ANDCONSEQUENCESOFURBANEXPANSION:THECASEOF BADESSA TOWN, ODA BULTUM WOREDA, WEST HARERGHE ZONE, OROMIAREGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract In many ways urban expansion is a phenomenon which ultimately converts the viii agricultural land into urban land and it may affect the peripheral farming household’s livelihood. However, there is limited evidence in Ethiopia in relation to effect of urban expansion on livelihood of farming households around Badessa town. Thus, the main objective of this study was to assess the, causes and consequences of urban expansion in the case of Badessa town. Descriptive research method was applied using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A household survey was conducted with 96 sampled households selected through systematic random sampling techniques. The Primary data were collected through questionnaire, interviews, observation and focus group discussion, while the secondary data gathered from published and unpublished sources. Furthermore, quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage qualitative data were analyzed by using narrative analysis. The results of the study indicated that the urban expansion of Badessa town brought shortage of farm land and grazing land on the peripheral farming household’s livelihood both economically and socio-culturally. This was examined with this study in the descriptive statistics and land use/land cover analysis. Before the urban expansions considered in this study, an average annual income these households used to earn per year was varying from 10 quintals-50 quintals, where the yield of the majority was in the range of 11-20 quintals. However, after urban expansion then, this study had scanned that there was no a single households earning above 40 quintals and the yield of the majority fell below 10 quintals per year. Similarly, the livestock holdings, before urban expansion these households had the average oxen 2.48, cows 2.96, sheep 11.6, and goats 7.12. But after then, currently, these households had the average oxen 0.91, cows 1.46, sheep 2.73 and goats 2.29 as financial asset. As a copping mechanism, the households engaged in different livelihood strategies. Some shifted their strategies from farming to different job types, i.e. 11(22.9%) employment in daily laborer, 6(12.5%) employment in factory, 3(6.3%) employment in government organization, 12(25.0%) employment in non-government organization and 16(33.3%) self-employment in cottage ix industries such as hand crafts, etc. most of the household in the study area engaged in daily labor after expropriation. Daily labor works are not permanent and mostly seasonal therefore, it has not guarantee for sustainability of the livelihood of the farmers.