Assessing wildlife threats and land use changes in protected areas of North-eastern Ethiopia

Wildlife conservation in North-Eastern Ethiopia faces increasing threats due to human activities and environmental changes. This study examines the interplay between land-use changes and human-driven pressures on wildlife conservation of four protected areas; Borena-Sayint & Worehimenu National Park (BSWNP), Yegof, Degan, and Harego. Data were collected through structured interviews with wardens, law enforcement rangers, and conservation experts. The survey showed 90.2% of respondents were men and 9.8% women, reflecting gender disparities in conservation roles. Fifteen threats were assessed in protected areas using MSTF and RTFSI. Deforestation was most severe in Harego (MSTF 3.88, RTFSI 0.78). BSWNP faced high pressures from grazing (MSTF 3.36, RTFSI 0.67), agriculture (MSTF 3.10, RTFSI 0.62), and deforestation (MSTF 2.91, RTFSI 0.58). Firewood/tree cutting scored 2.83/0.57. Industrial activities (MSTF 1.34, RTFSI 0.27) and herb extraction (MSTF 1.72, RTFSI 0.34) were least impactful. The Protected Area Relative Threatened Index (PARTI) ranked Yegof (0.52) as the most threatened, while Degan (0.43) was the least impacted. Key drivers included rising market demand (p < 0.05), agricultural land shortages, land ownership disputes, resource conflicts, and limited livelihood options for local communities. A maximum likelihood algorithm in supervised image classification analysed land use changes. BSWNP lost (1,240.78 ha, 6.58%) of forest, while Degan (+ 40.32 ha, 45.95%), Harego (+ 119.25 ha, 25.4%), and Yegof (+ 429.48 ha, 24.55%) gained forest cover. Land use classification accuracy was validated using kappa coefficients and confusion matrices in ArcGIS 10.4.1. Thematic Mapper Level (TML) 5, 7 and 8/OLI_TIRS/ satellite image for 1985, 2000 and 2020 periods respectively, used. Significant land use land cover changes occurred, affecting biodiversity, habitat quality, and ecosystem services. Conservation plans should urgently address threats through sustainable strategies to ensure long-term protection and management of these critical areas.