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Article History

Received: 22 October 2025

Accepted: 22 May 2026

First Online: 25 June 2026

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study, which involved focus group discussions and key informant interviews, was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards and guidelines of Haramaya University. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Research Ethics Review Committee (IRERC) of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University. Before data collection, all participants were informed about the objectives and procedures of the research, and their voluntary participation was ensured. Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants before conducting interviews and discussions. The confidentiality and anonymity of respondents were strictly maintained, and all data were used solely for academic and research purposes in accordance with the approved ethical guidelines. Field data collection for the land use/land cover (LULC) classification study was conducted with the formal approval of the Dire Dawa Administration. Permission to access and conduct field verification within the study sites was granted by the Dire Dawa Administration Land Development and Management Bureau on 15 May 2025. Additionally, verbal consent was obtained from local landowners and community representatives prior to data collection. All field activities were carried out in compliance with institutional, local, and national research regulations and ethical standards.

Consent for publication: Not applicable.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.