Impact of urban expansion on ecosystem service values in Debre Markos town and surrounding Peri-Urban areas, Northwestern Ethiopia, using geospatial technology and remote sensing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/EQ.2026.003Keywords
ecosystem, ESVs coefficients, LULC changes, natural resources depletion, urbanizationAbstract
Urban expansion in peri-urban areas significantly impacts ecosystem service functions by converting land use/land cover (LULC) types to built-up areas. LULC changes resulting from urban expansion can affect ecosystem service functions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of urban expansion on ecosystem service values (ESV) in the town of Debre Markos and its peri-urban areas. To this end, the spatial and temporal dynamics of LULC were analysed using Landsat 7 and 8 (ETM+ and OLI) satellite images from the last 20 years. ESVs were generated for each LULC category using ERDAS IMAGINE 2015 and ArcGIS 10.6. Based on the study results, the urban settlement in the study area increased by 1360 ha (285.94%), while the area of other LULC types decreased. As a result of urban expansion in the study area over the last 20 years (2004–2024), there has been a 19.33% decline in total ESVs. This indicates that the study area has suffered a loss of USD 0.683 million/ha/year due to LULC change caused by urban expansion. The LULC changes resulting from urbanisation in the area have therefore negatively impacted ecosystem service functions over the last 20 years. Consequently, proper planning of urban expansion and conservation of natural resources (inland wetlands and forests, including plantations) are necessary for sustainable ecosystem management in the area.
References
Admasu, S., Yeshitela, K., & Argaw, M., 2023, Impact of land use land cover changes on ecosystem service values in the Dire and Legedadi watersheds, central highlands of Ethiopia: Implication for landscape management decision making. Heliyon 9(4), e15352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15352
Agnihotri, A.K., 2018, Impact of Green Spaces on the Urban Microclimate through Landsat 8 and TIRS Data, in Varanasi, India. International Journal of Environment and Sustainability 7(2). https://doi.org/10.24102/ijes.v7i2.913
Assaye, Y., Desta, G., Molla, E., Bekele, D., & Kindu, M., 2024, Assessment of ecosystem service value variation over land use and land cover dynamics in the Beles River Basin, Ethiopia. Remote Sensing in Earth Systems Sciences 7: 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41976-024-00106-2
Assefa, W.W., Eneyew, B.G. & Wondie, A., 2021, The impacts of land-use and land-cover change on wetland ecosystem service values in peri-urban and urban area of Bahir Dar City, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Northwestern Ethiopia. Ecol Process 10, 39 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-021-00310-8
Assimamaw Assefa, 2021, Impact of Flood in Urban Drainage System and Identifying Cause of Storm Water Flooding: The Case of Gurd Shola Area, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MSc Thesis Report, Addis Abeba University.
Awoke, Z., & Debie, E., 2023, The impacts of land use/cover changes on values of ecosystem service in Tul watershed, Northwest Ethiopia. Ethiopian Renaissance Journal of Social Sciences and the Humanities 10(2): 1–16. Retrieved from https://erjssh.uog.edu.et/index.php/ERJSSH/article/view/546
Ba, Z., Du, H., Hasi, E., & Lu, X., 2023, Changes in land use and ecosystem service value in desert areas of China after reform and opening up. Frontiers in Earth Science, 11(September), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1251605
Bai, X., Chen, J., & Shi, P., 2012, Landscape Urbanization and Economic Growth in China : Positive Feedbacks and Sustainability Dilemmas. Environ. Sci. Technol. 46: 139.132–139.
Baral H., Jaung, W., Bhatta, L.D., Phunysho, S., Sharma, S., Paudyal, K., Zarandian, A., Sears, R.S., Sharma, R., Dorji, T., & Artati, Y., 2017, Approaches and tools for assessing mountain forest ecosystem services. Approaches and Tools for Assessing Mountain Forest Ecosystem Services. Working Paper 235. Bogor, Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). https://doi.org/10.17528/cifor/006755
Belay, M., 2020, The Roles of Urban Agriculture for Climate Change Adaption in The Case of Debre Markos Town and Surrounding Districts East Gojjam Zone Amhara Region Ethiopia. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 10(1): 1–7, ISSN 2224-3216.
Berihun, M.L., Tsunekawa, A., Haregeweyn, N., Tsubo, M., & Fenta, A.A., 2021, Changes in ecosystem service values strongly influenced by human activities in contrasting agro-ecological environments. Ecological Processes, 10(1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-021-00325-1
Braat, L. C., & de Groot, R., 2012, The ecosystem services agenda:bridging the worlds of natural science and economics, conservation and development, and public and private policy. Ecosystem Services 1(1): 4–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.07.011
Cheng, F., Liu, S., Hou, X., Wu, X., Dong, S., & Coxixo, A., 2019, The effects of urbanization on ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation in southernmost Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Journal of Geographical Sciences 29(7): 1159–1178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1651-9
Costanza, R., de Groot, R., Sutton, P., van der Ploeg, S., Anderson, S.J., Kubiszewski, I., Farber, S., & Turner, R.K., 2014, Changes in the global value of ecosystem services. Global Environmental Change 26 (2014): 152–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.04.002
Debere Markos town administration, 2023, Debre Markos town administration annual report on housing construction. Unpublished.
Deka, S., Singha, L.B., & Tripathi, O.P., 2019, Implications of Land Use Dynamics on Ecosystem Service Value: A Case Study from Goalpara District of Assam, Northeast India. International Journal of Plant and Environment 5(4): 270–277. https://doi.org/10.18811/ijpen.v5i04.7
Evers, C.R., Wardropper, C.B., Branoff, B., Granek, E.F., Hirsch, S.L., Link, T.E., Olivero-lora, S., & Wilson, C., 2018, The ecosystem services and biodiversity of novel ecosystems : A literature review. Global Ecology and Conservation 13, e00362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2017.e00362
Gashaw, T., Tulu, T., Argaw, M., Worqlul, A.W., & Tolessa, T., 2018, Estimating the impacts of land use / land cover changes on Ecosystem Service Values : The case of the Andassa watershed in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia. Ecosystem Services 31: 219–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.05.001
Getahun, A.A., 2018, The Status of Ecosystem Resources in Ethiopia: Potentials, Challenges and Threats: Review Paper. Journal of Biodiversity & Endangered Species 06(01): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.4172/2332-2543.1000208
He, Y., Wang, W., Chen, Y., & Yan, H., 2021, Assessing spatio-temporal patterns and driving force of ecosystem service value in the main urban area of Guangzhou. Scientific Reports 11(1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82497-6
Hasan, S., Shi, W., & Zhu, X., 2020, Impact of land use land cover changes on ecosystem service value – A case study of Guangdong , Hong Kong , and Macao in South China. PLoS One 15(4), e0231259. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231259
Kang, J., Li, C., Zhang, B., Zhang, J., Li, M., & Hu, Y., 2023, How do natural and human factors influence ecosystem services changing? A case study in two most developed regions of China. Ecological Indicators 146(January), 109891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109891
Kebede, A., Derbew, G., and Seyoum,G., 2019, Efficiency of Municipal Solid Waste Management Service Delivery System and Policy Issues in Debre Markos. Journal of Environment and Waste Management 6(2): 298–305 ISSN: 0274-6999.
Kibret, F.D., 2020, Wetland Management in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia: Analysis of Environmental Behavior, Economic Valuation and Stakeholders’ Action. Addis Ababa University. http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/22592
Kindu, M., Schneider, T., Teketay, D., & Knoke, T., 2016, Changes of ecosystem service values in response to land use/land cover dynamics in Munessa-Shashemene landscape of the Ethiopian highlands. Science of the Total Environment 547: 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.127
Kothari C.R., 2004, Research Methodology: Methods&Techniques (2nd edition). New Age International Publisher.
Koulov, B., Ivanova, E., Borisova, B., Assenov, A., & Ravnachka, A., 2017, GIS-based valuation of ecosystem services in mountain regions: A case study of the Karlovo municipality in Bulgaria. One Ecosystem, 2. https://doi.org/10.3897/oneeco.2.e14062
Maes, J., Fabrega, N., Zulian, G., Barbosa, A., Ivits, E., Polce, C., Vandecasteele, I., Marí, I., Guerra, C., Castillo, C. P., Vallecillo, S., Baranzelli, C., Barranco, R., Batista, F., Trombetti, M., & Lavalle, C., 2015, Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services Trends in ecosystems and ecosystem - JRC report number JRC94889. https://doi.org/10.2788/341839
Mariye, M., Jianhua, L., & Maryo, M., 2022, Land use land cover change analysis and detection of its drivers using geospatial techniques: a case of. All Earth 34(1): 309–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/27669645.2022.2139023
Mekonnen, A.D., 2025, Impact of land use and land cover on ecosystem service values in Sekela Woreda , Amhara Region , North-Western Ethiopia. Ecological Questions 36(3): 1–24. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/EQ.2025.026
Mekuriaw,T. & Gokcekus, H., 2019, The Impact of Urban Expansion on Physical Environment in Debre Markos Town, Ethiopia. Civil and Environmental Research, 11(5): 16–26. https://doi.org/10.7176/CER
Mitra, S., Roy Chowdhury, R., Saha, A., Mukherjee, K., & Bhadra, T., 2023, GIS-based Valuation of Ecosystem Services in the Lower Delta Plain of West Bengal with Special Reference to Indian Sundarbans. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1164(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1164/1/012004
Msofe, N.K., Sheng, L., Li, Z., & Lyimo, J., 2020, Impact of land use/cover change on ecosystem service values in the Kilombero valley floodplain, southeastern Tanzania. Forests 11(1): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010109
Negese, A., 2021, Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Soil Erosion and Hydrological Responses in Ethiopia. Applied and Environmental Soil Science (Vol. 2021). https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6669438
Nemec, K.T., & Raudsepp-Hearne, C., 2013, The use of geographic information systems to map and assess ecosystem services. Biodiversity and Conservation 22(1): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-012-0406-z
Raymond, C.M., Bryan, B.A., Hatton, D., Cast, A., Strathearn, S., Grandgirard, A., & Kalivas, T., 2008, Mapping community values for natural capital and ecosystem services. Ecological Economics 68(5): 1301–1315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.12.006
Ricci, L., 2012, Peri-Urban Livelihood and Adaptive Capacity: Urban Development in Dar Es Salaam. Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development 7(1): 46–63. http://journals.cdrs.columbia.edu/consilience/index.php/consilience/article/view/206/93
Rotich, B., Kindu, M., Kipkulei, H., Kibet, S., & Ojwang, D., 2022, Impact of land use/land cover changes on ecosystem service values in the cherangany hills water tower, Kenya. Environmental Challenges 8(April). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2022.100576
Seto, K.C., Güneralp, B., & Hutyra, L.R., 2012, Global forecasts of urban expansion to 2030 and direct impacts on biodiversity and carbon pools. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109(40): 16083–16088. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1211658109
Sharma, R., Rimal, B., Baral, H., Nehren, U., & Paudyal, K., 2019, Impact of Land Cover Change on Ecosystem Services in a Tropical Forested Landscape. p. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources8010018
Sharma, S., Hussain, S., & Singh, A.N., 2023, Impact of land use and land cover on urban ecosystem service value in Chandigarh, India: a GIS-based analysis. Journal of Urban Ecology 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juac030
Shrestha, M., & Acharya, S.C., 2021, Assessment of historical and future land-use – land-cover changes and their impact on valuation of ecosystem services in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Land Degrad Dev. 32(November 2020): 3731–3742. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3837
Sieber, J., & Pons, M., 2015, Assessment of urban ecosystem services using ecosystem services reviews and GIS-based tools. Procedia Engineering 115: 53–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.07.354
Tamire, C., Elias, E., & Argaw, M., 2023, Watershed Ecology and the Environment A systematic review of ecosystem services assessments , trends , and challenges in Ethiopia. Watershed Ecology and the Environment 5: 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsee.2022.12.002
Troy, A., & Wilson, M.A., 2006, Mapping ecosystem services: Practical challenges and opportunities in linking GIS and value transfer. Ecological Economics 60(2): 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.04.007
Wayesa, G., Mammo, S., Sciences, C., Kidane, M., & Tolessa, T., 2022, Land Use/land cover Dynamics, its driving forces and impacts on ecosystem services in Jimma Rare District, North-Western Ethiopia. December, p. 1–32. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202212.0204.v1
Yoshida, A., Chanhda, H., Ye, Y.-M., & Liang, Y.-R., 2010, Ecosystem service values and land use change in the opium poppy cultivation region in Northern Part of Lao PDR. Acta Ecologica Sinica 30(2): 56–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chnaes.2010.03.002
Zerga, B., Warkineh, B., Teketay, D., Woldetsadik, M., & Sahle, M., 2021, Land use and land cover changes driven by expansion of eucalypt plantations in the Western Gurage Watersheds, Centeral-south Ethiopia. Trees, Forests and People 5(April), 100087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2021.100087
Zhong, B., Wu, S., Sun, G., & Wu, N., 2022, Farmers’ Strategies to Climate Change and Urbanization: Potential of Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Rural Chengdu, Southwest China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020952
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ayalneh Yedem Fentie, Lakchew Ayenew Gebeyehu, Addisu Daganaw Mekonnen
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 2
Number of citations: 0
