Abstract:
This research study was assessing the effects of rural- urban linkage on livelihoods of
surrounding rural household in shahura town and its hinterlands. The objectives of this study
were to assess the effect of rural-urban linkages on the livelihood of surrounding rural
household of shahura town and its hinterlands. To attain this objective, the required data was
collected from primary and secondary sources using survey questionnaire, observation and key
informant interviews. Data was collected using questionnaires from 196 household heads
obtained through probability (simple random sampling) and non-probability (purposive)
sampling with 2 rural and 2 urban kebelles in Alefa wereda. Four kebelles select from the
wereda 37 kebeles by purposive sampling and each respondent are select by simple random
sampling from the total 1118 Tara shahura, 493 Atuga Fered, 1302 shahura town 01 and 1693
shahura town 02 kebelle households respectively. In the study both quantitative and qualitative
methods are employed. This method involves the gathering of both numeric information as well
as qualitative information though the strategies of data inquiry are quite different but the final
database represents both quantitative and qualitative data. The study adopted a cross-sectional
method to show the existing rural-urban linkages an area of 2 km to 5 km radius around shahura
as an area of intensive interaction between the town and its hinterland. In order to meet the
objectives of the study, descriptive statics, such as frequencyand binary logistic regression used
to assess the characterize of rural urban households’ perception on the effects of rural urban
linkage on the livelihoods of surrounding households. Findings of the study specified difference
between hinterland farmers and their urban colleagues to distinguish and identify relevant
challenges that hamper to rural – urban linkage. The hinterland farmers indicated subsistence
agriculture, lack of market facilities and shortage of farm inputs as main challenges. Urban
households on the other hand identified, price fluctuation, lack of market facilities, inflation, lack
of agro -processing industries and subsistence nature of agriculture as a main challenge.
Finally, it is recommended that a joint effort is needed from all concerned stakeholders to
mitigate the challenges in order to promote mutual development in the study area.
