article · Discover Sustainability
Land capability assessment provides an interpretive framework to guide land-use decisions, yet integrated spatial methods are frequently missing from evaluations in Ethiopia. To address this gap, an assessment was conducted across the Baro-Akobo basin by pairing Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis with geographic information systems. Land use and land cover were mapped using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at a 10-metre resolution alongside supervised classification. Environmental factors including slope, soil loss, drainage, soil pH, texture, and depth were processed to classify land potential. The findings grouped the basin into five capability classes: 28 percent fell into Class I, 56 percent into Class II, 11 percent into Class III, 3 percent into Class IV, and 2 percent into Class V. Classes I to IV are capable of supporting crop production with different management restrictions, whilst Class V is best suited to non-arable uses like pasture, wildlife, and recreation.
Improper land use risks soil degradation and reduced agricultural output. By combining satellite imagery with multi-criteria environmental assessments, spatial land evaluations help planners understand exactly where crops can be sustainably cultivated and where land should be protected for pasture, wildlife, or recreation. This evidence base supports long-term food security and environmental conservation.
This work provides an applied spatial decision-making framework ready for use by regional land-use planners, agricultural authorities, and environmental management bodies. By identifying specific areas requiring conservation interventions and defining optimal agricultural zones across the basin, it can directly inform zoning policies, public investment in conservation, and agricultural development schemes without requiring further fundamental research.
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Land capability assessment is perhaps the most popular form of practical interpretive classification. However, Current evaluations in Ethiopia often lack integrated, spatially explicit methods, leaving a gap in comprehensive land-use planning. This study aimed at generating a spatial description of land capability within the Baro-Akobo basin in order to facilitate relevant planning in the future. This study presents a new approach that combines Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) with GIS to perform a comprehensive assessment of this large, under-researched basin. Land use and land cover (LULC) mapping was carried out using Sentinel-2 satellite images, which is with high spatial resolution (10 m) and capable to observe the landscape features within the study area. Supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm was performed for land use/land cover classification using the established capabilities available in ERDAS Imagine 15. The various land capability classification parameters like slope, soil depth, soil pH, soil texture, soil loss, and soil drainage were processed and analyzed utilizing ArcGIS 10.8, falling back upon its powerful geospatial analysis tools for this key task. The results show that geospatial techniques are effective in the spatial analysis of multi-layered data and in planning land use based on its potential uses. Coverage of the basin by land capability classes I through V was recorded as follows: 28% (18,659.7km 2 ), 56% (36,462.9km 2 ), 11% (7439.1km 2 ), 3% (1812.2km 2 ), and 2% (1526.1km 2 ), respectively. In terms of land capability, the study area land is divided into five classes of land capability, the first four (I –IV) of which are suitable for crop production under varying restrictions and conservation needs, while Class V is best reserved for non-arable uses such as pasture, wildlife, and recreation because of severe limitations. It was noted that the application of conservation techniques is necessary for land capability classes IV and V. Therefore aligning future land use with the land’s inherent capability, as outlined in this study, is not just a recommendation but a crucial prerequisite for sustainable agricultural productivity and long-term environmental conservation in the Baro Akobo basin.
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DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-02729-5
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