| Summary: | Wetlands worldwide and in Ethiopia have long been subject to severe degradation due to anthropogenic factors. This study was aimed at analyzing the impact of land use/land cover dynamics on Lake Abaya-Chamo wetland from 1990–2019. Data were acquired via Landsat TM of 1990, ETM+ of 2000, and OLI of 2010 and 2019 images plus using interview. Supervised classifications (via ERDAS14 and ArcGIS10.5) were applied to detect land use/land cover classes. Change matrix model and Kappa coefficients were used for analysis of the land use/land cover dynamics in the lake-wetland. It was found that forest; water body, shrub land, agricultural land, settlement and swamp area were the main land use/land cover classes. Wetland/swamp area has continuously declined throughout 1990–2000, 2000–2010 and 2010–2019 where its magnitude of shrinkage in the respective periods was 11.4 % (700 ha), 16 % (867 ha) and 31.3 % (1,424 ha). While ‘settlement’ and ‘water body’ of the lake-wetland increased at progressively increasing magnitudes of changes in three periods within 1990–2019, ‘shrub land’ and wetland/‘swamp’ declined at progressively increasing magnitudes of loss in the same periods. Siltation, rapid population growth-led expansion of settlement and irrigation-based farming were the main drivers of the land use/land cover dynamics and degradation of the lake-wetland. Thus, consistent mapping and integrated actions should be taken to curb the threats on the sustainability of the lake-wetland in Southern Ethiopia. To reduce the impact of LULC dynamics on wetlands, the regime should: advance a clear political, institutional and legal framework for wetland management.
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