Transitions in Rural-Urban Interfaces: Urbanization, land governance and livelihood in Ethiopia

• Applicant: Girma Kelboro Mensuro, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research ; Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Sociology
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 432513699

• Final Report Year: 2024

Final Report Abstract

Urbanization in Hawassa is characterized by a continuous process of expansion of urban settlements into farmlands. People in the rural areas who predominantly depend on farming for their livelihood suffer from the consequences. Hawassa city administration does not have a plan to accommodate and provide livelihood options for farmers displaced when their lands are allocated to city residents to build their houses. Small number of farmers (about 5% of the interviewees) have changed the urbanization challenge into opportunities. Some of them have expanded their income options by building houses and renting them, while others started shops to provide sanitary products, food and other locally needed items.