Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Urban Expansion: A Study of Dilla Town Administration in Gedeo Zone

This study was conducted in Dilla Town Administration at Gedeo Zone, SNNPRS, Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic impacts of urban expansion. The study is based on both primary and secondary data. The primary data has been collected by questionnaires and interviews with 99 respondents of Dilla Town Administration in Gedeo Zone. Even though the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution ensures provision of adequate amenities to the people. This study showed that the Dilla town has been facing lack of various basic amenities, which include insufficient public facilities, acute shortage of houses, poor sanitation, and employment, etc.; all these, in fact are manifested in deprived poverty of the metropolis. To challenge these problems, an enormous effort has so far been exercised by the Town Administration, even though these are not adequate. Based on the data analysis and interpretation, particularly the major findings, the conclusion drawn is that waste management system of the town was poor, there was lack of awareness of education, the level of primary education was low. Most of the households do not have their ownership right of housing and do not have their own water pipe. The expansion of town is making a positive impact on residents with job opportunity. Due to these reasons, the researcher concluded that most of the households were dissatisfied by waste management system, lack of primary education, and ownership right of housing as well as their own water pipe. Most of the respondents were satisfied by access of roads in the town. Based on the identified findings, the researcher recommends that the administration should provide basic amenities and facilities like building of new primary schools, arrangements of waste collection trucks and maintain residential areas for the societies.