Abstract:
The Objectives of this study were to assess the effect of urban expansion on the peri urban area of
displaced farmers in Shola Gebeya town due to urban development program. Impact related with
asset losses, unemployment, social problem, as well as the measures taken to address were
investigated. Urbanization is one of the most important demographic trends of the twenty first
century where cities are rapidly expanding through a continuous process of urban growth towards
the peri-urban agricultural farmlands. One of the many manifestations in urban expansion is the
transformation of more and more farmlands away from agricultural production. Shola Gebeya
town was one of the Amhara regional state towns which have recorded high urban expansion. The
peri-urban areas of the surrounding rural villages have rapidly integrated into the urban setting
due to rapid growth of the municipality that brought significant changes on farmers’ livelihood
assets. The study found that urban expansion has negatively impacted socially and economically on
the livelihood assets possessions that have been used as means of income sources for making a
living. On the other hand, the result of the study revealed that, though local urban government in
several intervention programs in deliberately targeting in view of improving the earning potentials
of the evicted farmers were found below average scores, provision of compensation and adjusting
plots of land to be served for house construction for displaced farmers were found the most
important interventions that were successfully performed but the land was not developed because of
the deficit of many on the displaced side. Moreover, the participation of partner organizations such
as NGOs, CBOs and private investors for supporting displaced farmers in alleviating the impact
were found below average.
