Spatial land suitability modeling for livestock production for closing yield gaps in Western parts of Ethiopia

Assessing potential land suitability is essential for effective land use planning aimed at maximizing livestock production while minimizing environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of land for livestock production through the application of geospatial technologies in the western region of Ethiopia. The study integrated the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model with GIS techniques to generate land suitability classes for livestock production. Eight key parameters were considered: slope, land surface temperature (LST), agro-ecological zone (AEZ), rainfall, land use/land cover (LULC), distance to streams, distance to roads, and distance to markets. Land suitability for livestock production in the study area was classified into four categories: highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable, and unsuitable. The results revealed that about 66.1 km2 (1.6%), 25.8 km2 (0.6%), 315.3 km2 (7.8%), and 20.1 km2 (0.5%) were highly suitable for cattle, sheep, goats and camels production, respectively. However, about 48.6 km2 (1.2%), 92 km2 (2.3%), 6.4 km2 (0.2%), and 65 km2 (1.6%) were not suitable for cattle, sheep, goat and camel, respectively. Therefore, based on the study's findings, it is recommended that farmers and policymakers manage and utilize the identified suitable areas to enhance both the quantity and quality of livestock production in the region.