Geographical Information System (GIS) Based Land Capability Classification of East Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to spatially classify lands of East Amhara Region, Ethiopia based on their capability for sustainable use by USDA criteria. Evaluation criteria for capability analysis were soil depth, soil texture, soil drainage, organic carbon and slope. Surface soil samples at 0-30cm depth from different soil types were collected and analyzed in the soil laboratory of Amhara Design and Supervision Works Enterprise (ADSWE). Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to develop land capability map. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data of 30 m resolution was used to derive slope. Surface soil samples at 0-30cm depth from different soil types were collected and analyzed in the soil laboratory of Amhara Design and Supervision Works Enterprise (ADSWE). Intersect overlay analysis method was applied to obtain the spatial and attribute information of all the input parameters using Geographical Information System (GIS) 10.1 soft ware. The study demonstrates that GIS provide advantage to analyze multi-layer of data spatially and classify land based on its capability. The study revealed that 1192.36 ha (29.81%), 24.24 ha (0.61%), 3.81% (152.44 ha), 50.76 ha (1.27 %), 507.32 ha (12.68 %), 1833.72 ha (45.84 %), 0.16 ha (0.004%) and 2072.96 ha (51.82%) of the region was categorized in the range of land classes I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII, respectively.

Keywords:  Ethiopia; GIS; highlands; land capability classification