Ethiopia is one of the most severely affected countries by natural resource depletion whichrnresulted in a decline in productivity and qualities of pastoral range resources, loss of biodiversity,rnand suffering of the people and animals in chronic food and feed shortage respectively. The fullrnimplication of loss and depletion of rangeland resources as well as main causes exposed therncountry to the natural resource depletion. The main objective of this study was to investigaternnatural resource depletion and its effects on pastoral livelihoods in Yabello District. The data forrnthis study were collected using surveys; key informant interviews, questionnaires, observation,rnand focus group discussions. Dikale, Dhadim and Haraweyu Kebeles were selected purposivelyrnwhere natural resource and other causal issues to the problem of natural resource depletion isrnobserved. 177 households were selected for collecting the data. The household number fromrneach Kebeles was considered based on the Kebeles population proportion. The results of therninvestigation showed that the natural resource of the study area is highly depleted and placedrnpastoralists under strain. The study areas three decades ago were under good resourcesrnconditions which are changed to a new problematic situation. Increase in human and cattlernpopulation pressure which increases demand on natural resource use and lack of alternativernsources of resource use and land ownership, crop cultivation which is a newly emerging systemrnin the area are the major causes for natural resource depletion in the area. Moreover, bushrnencroachment, lack of commitment at an individual level, and organizations in range resourcesrnmanagement are some of the prevailing causes of rangeland degradation in the district. Therneffect of natural resource depletion on rangeland, livestock assets, food security, water resource,rnsoil, biodiversity, range ecosystem, loss of forest cover and extinction of palatable species whichrnaffects pastoral livelihood was clearly observed in the study area. The research made throughrninvestigation of the causes of natural resource depletion, consequence and effects, perceptions,rnand trends, risks, indigenous coping, and controlling mechanism. Pastoralists whose livelihoodsrndepend on the natural resource with weakened indigenous coping mechanisms are the mostrnaffected ones and alternative ways of improving their resilient capacity need to be sought for thernfuture survival as a complement of their coping mechanisms. The indigenous copingrnmechanisms used by the pastoralists are ineffective during the age of technological advancement.rnPastoralists have managed their natural resources and livelihoods through customary institutionsrnby practicing different indigenous mechanisms to restrain the effects of resource depletion.