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The aim of this study was to detect patterns of Land Use /Land Cover (LULC) dynamics and its causative factors in the Muga watershed of the Choke mountain range. Land use dynamics is a major driving force of environmental problems that affect hydrological processes and water resource availability. Time series of LULC mappings using Remote Sensing (RS) and spatial analysis tools integrated with the field data collection were effective methods for examining their trends. LULC dynamics within the watershed was used to understand the social and environmental consequences. Responses from a survey of field observation interviews from selected local key informants and experts contributed insights into how past scenarios of land uses have been influenced by LULC dynamics. Significant changes in land use were quantified for the years 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015. The results of this study revealed that in the years between the 1985 and 2015 coverage of shrub, forest and grassland area were decreased by 9.32%, 2.84%, and 2.93%, respectively. While in agriculture, the emerging small towns and exotic riverine trees were increased by 14.7%, 0.15% and 0.25%, respectively. Survey and interview responses suggested that much of these changes were caused by the increasing of demographic pressure and associated demands on the environmental resources, widespread rural poverty and inadequate management of common property resources owing to poorly defined ownership arrangements.

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