Search

In Ethiopia, the dairy cows' major feed resources are natural pasture and crop residues, both of which are nutritionally low and do not even satisfy the maintenance requirement. Consequently, dairy productivity per head is low in the country. This paper reviews the existing knowledge of negative energy balance (NEB) and summarizes its implication on production and reproduction parameters, as well as the monitoring tools as a means of intervention in minimizing the effect on dairy cows. The presence of NEB in late gestation and early lactation of dairy cows could contribute to both short and long-term negative effects on production and reproduction ability. Lower body condition, reduced milk production, a change in the milk fat to protein ratio, an increasing incidence of health problems, a late time to become estrus, delayed ovarian cycle, and a lower conception rate are the common implications. Through the knowledge created so far, it can be concluded that NEB is almost a common phenomenon in transitional high milking dairy animals, but there is a possibility to shorten its persistence through strategic supplementation using the NEB monitoring tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper attempted to assess the tax compliance behavior of taxpayers in Ethiopia. The objectives were specifically to identify determinants and challenges of tax compliance behavior of taxpayers in Ethiopia. Taxes are the most important sources of the government that make it possible to finance infrastructure, investment, and the provision of services for citizens. Tax compliance involves being aware and complying with tax laws and regulations set by the government and tax authorities. Tax non-compliance is an unwillingness in obeying tax laws and regulations. Tax non-compliance has been a challenge to the government and tax authorities in collecting as much tax as required for the nation. Failure to comply with tax prevents adequate revenue collection of the state. The major challenges of tax compliance in Ethiopia are the complexity of the tax system, inefficiency of tax authorities, lack of tax knowledge and awareness, negative perception of taxpayers, a negative act of tax assessors, absence of tax training, lack of transparency of tax system, arbitrary estimation of taxes, personal financial constraints, political instability and lack of timely tax audit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of financial sectors is considered as one of vital determinants of the growth of Ethiopian economy, and for secure equitable distribution of the benefits to the society. However, financial distress has an effect on the sectors. This review was conducted to assess financial distress situation of financial sectors in Ethiopia. The objective is specifically to identify the determinants of financial distress, opportunities of financial sectors, and challenges and constraints of financial distress in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a developing country with majority of unbanked population. Liquidity, profitability, leverage, firm size, capital adequacy, management efficiency, earning ability, inflation and interest rate are major determinant of financial distress in Ethiopia. Moreover, Ethiopian financial sectors have an opportunity of trade openness, rapid economic growth, unexploited resource, population growth and encouragement of privatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia possess diverse natural resources and a substantial labor force that permit forming a successful trade integration. However, the recent dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project between Ethiopia and downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan, has weakened the bilateral relations and disrupted trade flows among the three countries. This paper investigates the pattern of trilateral trade between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia during the period between 1995 and 2018. The study also examines the prospects and challenges for establishing a trilateral trade integration between the three countries. The study adopted the gravity model approach, along with the export diversification and trade complementarity indices, in order to scrutinize the pattern and structure of trade between the countries under study. The analysis indicated that Egypt is the most diversified economy with many crucial comparative advantages, which may grant it a leader position in the integration. Moreover, the paper revealed many challenges that may hinder the implementation of trilateral trade integration including, export concentration, poor infrastructure and disputes over water resources. Finally, the paper recommends that facilitating bilateral trade among the riparian countries of Eastern Nile Basin would mitigate the complex clashes over water rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While land registration may increase the sense of security amongst landholders and provide a mechanism for resolving boundary disputes, its interaction with social, political-economic and ecological dynamics can actually generate conflicts by creating new opportunities by which some actors can assert claims or expand their landholdings, often at the expense of others. Conflicts over land cannot be understood without understanding the local dynamics with which they are intertwined. Drawing from case studies in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, this paper shows that, despite land registration and certification, there are widespread conflicts within and between households and state authorities regarding the usufruct of individual and communal lands. The paper argues that conflicts over land are complex and political and are linked to and embedded in the processes of commercialization, as well as in local social processes and power relations. These, in turn, influence and are shaped by the political economy of local governance and land administration processes, particularly in relation to the implementation of land registration. The paper highlights that land conflicts are attributed to a range of issues, including not only the challenges of governance in land registration but also population growth, commercialization, urbanization, inheritance and gender inequality, all of which intersect with corrupt land administration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa. Livestock subsector makes the major contribution to the overall economy. The livestock sector accounts for 19% of the GDP and generates 16–19% of the foreign exchange earnings of the country. It constitutes around 35% of the agricultural GDP, or 45% if indirect contributions are taken into account. With the rapidly growing population, increasing urbanization, and rising incomes, the domestic demand for meat, milk, and eggs is expected to increase significantly in the foreseeable future. The livestock production system in Ethiopia is traditional and contributes to both subsistence and cash generation. Hide is the raw skin of mature animals of larger kinds, example cattle, horse, and also other large animals. Skin is the skin of fully grown animals of smaller kinds. Hide and skin in the subsector is constrained by various structural, production, information exchange, and quality problems, as well as financial constraints. The opportunities of hides and skins sector in Ethiopia are raw material availability due to the large livestock base in pastoral areas, ready market, there is a growing national and international market for hides. To improve the hide and skin sector situation in Ethiopia, training needs to be provided for producers and collectors, collection and marketing of hide and skin should be done immediately after slaughtering, and household, government, and national and international organizations need to work together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper navigates Ethiopia's history of resistance against Italian colonial aggression as reported by New Times and Ethiopia News (NTEN) founded and edited by Sylvia Pankhurst in defence of Ethiopia. Her London-based weekly, which started the day fascist forces took control of Addis Ababa, was in the years to come to step up discursive pressure on Italy and the big powers for the salvation of the Eastern African nation. The paper reported on the freedom fighters' victories in the antifascist resistance through the empire as well as the diplomatic and activist crusades in Geneva, London and the United States by the government in exile as well as friends of Ethiopia. Using a sample of archival corpus of the newspaper and employing rhetorical methods, the study examines narratives of victimhood, resistance and victory as carried in headlines covering the period 1936–41. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper theorizes the gendered consequences of refugee dispossession for social reproduction, focusing on Ethiopian refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. We analyze the Kenyan refugee regime as structured by colonial legacies of racialization and by neo-colonial global political economy strategies of managing 'surplus' populations. We demonstrate that refugees' ongoing experiences of interpersonal and structural violence constitutes an attack on their capacity for social reproduction and argue the 'feminization of refugee survival' is an important gendered consequence. We identify two transnational displacements that produce a new form of racialized enclosure and the alienation of refugees from the means of social reproduction. The first transnational displacement occurs due to their dispossession from support infrastructure for social reproduction in their origin country, and in the host country. A second, invisible but racialized transnational displacement is the refusal of global North countries to take on the anticipated welfare costs of refugee social reproduction. Transformative and re-generative approaches to refugee social reproduction would need to address both forms of displacement. The paper thus urges IPE scholarship to recognize that the crisis of refugee social reproduction is not only produced by global capitalist regimes, but also deeply structured by gendered, racialized, and colonial hierarchies of inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the strategies employed by the peasantry to defend their established rights and privileges against a dominant state. A careful analysis of archival and oral sources revealed that despite having common grievances, the peasants in northwestern Ethiopia have adopted a distinct approach to resistance that aligns with their local circumstances. Thus, this paper argues that local factors play a crucial role in determining the nature, content, and duration of resistance movements. Besides, it provides an opportunity to examine the central role played by the peasantry in shaping the course of history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether faculties' affective professional commitment mediates the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors of university management, perceived organizational support, and faculties' institutional citizenship behavior. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from a total of 220 full-time academicians teaching in Debre Berhan University of Ethiopia. The mediating role of affective professional commitment in promoting faculties' institutional citizenship behaviors has been overlooked in the existing literature and this paper is original. Particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia, this investigation brings a paramount contribution to curtailing the resignation of academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we evaluate the efficiency of extension programmes in the adoption of chemical fertilizers in Ethiopia between 1994 and 2004 using matching techniques in a quasi-experimental setting. In addition to common factors, measures of culture, proxied by ethnicity and religion, aim to control for potential tensions between extension agents and peasants. We find considerable impact of extension services on the first fertilizer adoption. Although, there are several exercises of evaluation of extension services policies, this paper manages to disentangle the policy treatment from other confounding effects for two reasons. Firstly, we focus on the first adoption decision to isolate the effect of new information provided by the extension service. Secondly, we restrict the sample to villages characterized by late adoption, id est villages where adoption had not occurred before and its appearance can be associated with the policy action with more certitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, education is considered an instrument that we use to eradicate poverty. It is also presumed as an indicator of modernization and a development realization tool. Education creates an opportunity to be employed in good positions in reducing unemployment. Scholars debate whether education reduces rural unemployment. Some scholars argue that education is a powerful weapon to reduce rural unemployment. Others encounter that education does not necessarily decrease rural unemployment. This paper describes the effects of schooling on rural unemployment in Ethiopia. We used a quantitative approach with a descriptive research design in this study. A sample of 8700 participants, based on the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency data collected in 2021, was obtained. We used descriptive and probit models to analyze the data. The descriptive results showed that rural unemployment is unequally distributed based on education, sex, and regional states. The majority are still participating in the agriculture sector. Besides, the finding also reveals that lack of job opportunities, training, experience, and unrelated jobs to education in rural areas is the cause of unemployment. However, the probit model result shows that schooling has a statistically significant positive effect on employment. As a result, for a one-unit increase in education, the probability of employment increases by 0.15. It concludes that schooling is paramount in decreasing rural unemployment in Ethiopia if much attention is given. We recommend that the government should transform rural areas' activities from agricultural-oriented to services-oriented activities to create extensive job opportunities in rural areas for rural youths, especially educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people2 are more likely to migrate than older people. During the transition to adulthood, they make important choices regarding education, labour force participation, and family formation. Using a unique panel dataset on youth born in 1994–95 in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam, this paper investigates whether young migrants are 'positively' self-selected in observable characteristics, specifically on educational attainment. First, I document patterns on prevalence, frequency, timing, reasons and streams of migration. Second, I describe the factors associated with young people's reasons for migrating. Results suggest that 'favourable' self-selection only holds for those moving for education: a year of schooling is associated with a higher probability of moving for studies, while an extra year of education is correlated with a lower probability of moving for family formation. In sum, migrants are a heterogeneous group: there are systematic differences in the characteristics across them depending on their reasons for moving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights an understudied perspective on post-truth ideas in online popular communication through an examination of online popular communication during the Ethiopian conflict (or the Tigray War). It argues, in particular, that the epistemic contestations characteristic of the hybrid media environment needs to always be understood as double-layered: contemporary digital media functions both as a site where such contestations can be researched but, at the same time, the theories and frameworks of knowledge we use to articulate the debates need to be also critically contested theories originating from the West not necessarily valid in other parts of the world without critical examination. To specify the theoretical arguments made, the paper will use a mixed-method analysis that combines digital ethnographic research with a large-scale analysis of visual imagery shared on Twitter to understand popular communication and propaganda during the conflict/war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although changing, retaining, or reclaiming names can be powerful statements, there is a confounding lack of research concerning naming practices in transnational adoption. Drawing from 40 in-depth interviews with adult Ethiopian-origin adoptees from North America, Europe and Australia, this paper examines how the personal names of transnational adoptees can be used to displace from and alternatively reconnect with home cultures. More specifically, transnational adoptees discuss the loss, retention, and reclamation of original ethnic names through the lens of ethno-racial respect and culture keeping. Moreover, studying Ethiopian adoptees, who typically differ from their adoptive parents in ethnicity, birth nationality and/or racialized identity, will elucidate how an immigrant background and a Black racial identity plays a factor in adoptee naming experiences. Therefore, this paper positions the naming practices of Ethiopian transnational adoptees within the sizable literature on immigrant and African American names. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the zooplankton abundance and composition along with various environmental factors in Lake Arekit – a shallow freshwater habitat in Ethiopia's rift valley system. Zooplankton samples and specific environmental data were collected by a seasonal campaign (rainy season: June to August) and dry season: March to May 2023) from three sites: inlet area (IA), pelagic area (PA), and macrophyte area (MA). In total, 11 zooplankton taxa from four different groups – rotifera (7 taxa), cladocera (2 taxa), copepod (1 taxa), and ostracoda (1 taxa) – were identified in Lake Arekit. Large-bodied copepoda and cladocera comprised 90% of the zooplankton density in the lake, but small-bodied rotifers dominated the zooplankton diversity. The most noticeable zooplankton in the lake were Mesocyclops aequatorialis, Daphnia barbata, and Cypridopsis vidua. Seasonal difference in the total zooplankton abundance was evident (p < 0.01): being high during the rainy season which was accompanied by an increase in the lake's water temperature and nutrient levels. At MA, where D. barbata predominated, chlorophyll a was relatively low. Chlorophyll a had a strong negative correlation with the abundance of grazing zooplankton, especially with D. barbata (r = −0.563) and C. vidua (r = −0.518). The zooplankton composition and abundance of Lake Arekit reveal a low Shannon diversity index (H') (1.03) and a predominance of a few species, indicating heavy contamination of the lake's water. Moreover, Lake Arekit was determined to be hypertrophic (TSI > 70) using Carlson's trophic index (TSI), which took into account the lake's water transparency, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a. Our results indicated that high densities of Daphnia should be the goal of biomanipulation since they can achieve filtration potentials high enough to enhance the water's clarity in hypereutrophic lake. Even though high D. barbata concentrations cannot address the underlying cause of eutrophication, grazing can assist by lengthening the clear-water stages in a hypertrophic lake – Lake Arekit. The sources of pollution for the lake are the discharge of wastewater from nearby water bottling companies and possibly high nutrient levels from the lake's geological history. Stopping the discharge of wastewater from the nearby commercial industries (the major source of contaminant) into heavily washed open areas and establishing a buffer zone may help manage the water quality of Lake Arekit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many parts of the Global South, food systems are confronted with complex sustainability challenges including high levels of poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, disempowerment, and degraded environments. Transformation is broadly discussed in research, policy, and planning as the systemic change required to address complex sustainability issues. Transformation of food systems has become a global priority for research and action. However, transformation processes are not neutral, but are associated with losses and gains that are unevenly distributed. Institutions play an important role in relation to how transformation of food systems occur and with what outcomes. Empirical understandings of how institutions can influence transformation processes in a way that avoids risks or the so-called dark side of transformation are needed. This article aims to contribute towards understanding the roles that institutions play in transformation processes in the context of Global South food systems through synthesising insights from transdisciplinary case studies. The three case studies include multi-purpose cooperative institutions in farming areas in southwest Ethiopia, fisherfolk organisations in aquatic food-producing areas in northern Philippines, and Gotong Royong for irrigation canal management for pond aquaculture in Indonesia. The article examines whether and how institutions advance inclusion and participation in food systems, and whether institutions enable or constrain food system actors in mitigating or avoiding transformation risks. The paper reflects on the role of community-level institutions and hybrid governance arrangements, and the interplay of structure and agency in transformation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the impact of distributed generation (DG) integration for power loss reduction and reliability of two 33 kV radial outgoing feeders at the Motta distribution substation in Ethiopia. Transient earth faults and permanent short-circuits were identified to be the most common causes of interruptions. The substation's system average interruption frequency index (SAIFI) is 806 and its system average interruption duration index (SAIDI) is 1394.145 for planned outages. This necessitates the pursuit of effective methods to increase the reliability of the distribution system. The results show that the distribution system is more reliable with the SAIFI and customer average interruption frequency index (CAIFI) reduced by 97.8%, SAIDI reduced by 76%, average service availability index (ASAI) increased by 14.38%, and average service unavailability index (ASUI) reduced by 76%, resulting in a total power loss reduction of 0.32 MW. The cost analysis was performed using the Monte Carlo (MC) reliability analysis and the DG net present cost analysis results in a payback period of less than five years indicating that the system is profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity is one of the essential requirements for the economic development of a country. In Ethiopia, more than half of the total population does not have access to electric power. Micro-hydropower (MHP) is one of the most feasible renewable energy options for providing reliable electricity to rural areas. However, in low-income countries such as Ethiopia, the high price of a purpose-made turbine to generate electricity from MHP resources is difficult. This paper presents the feasibility study of a pump as a turbine (PAT) for MHP applications with and without impeller blade modification. The analysis was conducted in terms of initial investment cost, the net present value, payback periods, and the cost of energy. Decreasing blade thickness, blade tip rounding, adjusting blade inlet angle, and blade grooving, then comparing the result with PAT without modification and cross-flow turbine are the modification techniques considered in this research. Based on the projected system lifetime, the equivalent cost of power for the PAT and cross-flow turbines are 0.065 and 0.100 $/kWh respectively. The cross-flow turbine's payback period is 6.04 years, which is significantly longer than the PATs payback period of 3.42 years. From the entire study, it can be concluded that the MHP coupled with PAT provides a lower payback period and cheaper power production. Whereas, impeller blade modification has no significant advantage from the economic point of view. Generally, the impeller modification cost needs to be less than or equal to 25% of the initial cost of the PAT to use the less cost advantage of the PAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Profitable goat production is explained by an increased ratio of outputs (meat, milk, flees and skin) per production inputs (labour, feed and management costs). The productive potential of goats depends on their productive efficiency, which is associated with their reproductive rates. Moreover, the reproductive efficiency of individual breeding females determines the production potential of the flock. This paper reviewed the major reproductive performances of Ethiopian indigenous goat populations reported by several scholars under different management conditions. The evidence from the literature indicated that the reproductive performances of the Ethiopian goats ranged from 6.61 to 14.83 months, 11.82 to 28.46 months, 5.47 to 12.07 months, 1.00 to 2.15 kids and 4.72 to 10.2 years for pubertal age of females, age at first kidding, kidding interval, litter size at birth, and does' average productive life, respectively. This indicates that there is considerable variation within and among the Ethiopian indigenous goat populations regarding the aforementioned reproductive parameters. Similarly, some reproductive traits including age at first kidding, kidding interval and litter size at birth have shown potential differences between management conditions. Hence, reproductive performances of the Ethiopian indigenous goat populations can be optimized using improved management, and within and between breed selective breeding schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small ruminant production plays a great role in the livelihood of smallholder farmers. But their production is constrained by pneumonic pasteurellosis. It is a high-priority issue at the national level. So, in this paper, relevant aspects of pneumonic pasteurellosis in small ruminants are reviewed. The disease is most frequent as air is the main route of transmission. They are characterized by high fever, coughing, dyspnoea and muco-purulent nasal discharge that commonly develops in immunocompromized hosts. Stressors being psychological and/or physical are associated with poor management practices. It is a multifactorial disease. But clinical infections are mainly caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Bibersteinia trehalosi and Pasteurella multocida. Eleven of the known 17 serotypes of M. haemolytica and B. trehalosi have so far been identified in Ethiopia. Virulence factors like cell capsules, fimbriae and endotoxin play a great role in disease development. The disease causes heavy losses that deserve control. However, the presence of multiple serotypes without crossprotection and the development of drug resistance complicated its control. Moreover, the causative agents are normal commensal of the upper respiratory tract which may cause infection in immunocompromized conditions. Therefore, proper management, sound diagnostic methods and the available serotypes should be considered in vaccine preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using primary data collected from 462 farm households, this paper aims to examine the impact of income diversification on rural household food security in Ethiopia. A propensity score matching model was employed to analyze the impact of participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture activities on household food security. The results indicate that age, education level, household size, number of contacts with extension agents, and numbers of livestock in tropical livestock units have a significant effect on household participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture sources of income generation. The propensity score matching result suggested that participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture would increase the rural household food security status by 10.6% to 19.5%, mainly due to a positive effect of additional sources of income generation from non-agriculture activities as witnessed in present and past studies. Therefore, to make considerable improvement on the food security situation, there is need to promote and scale-up on-farm, off-farm and non-farm income-generating activities in rural areas to diversify income sources so as to improve food security status of the rural households in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate empirically the effects of technology management on firm innovation, this paper considers the antecedents and multidimensional views of technology management mechanisms on innovation performance in medium- and large-scale manufacturing firms in a developing country, namely Ethiopia. Using simple random sampling, a total of 200 firms were chosen for this study to obtain responses from respondents. Four hypotheses were proposed for testing. Structural equation modelling and cross-sectional design were used to analyze the data using the LISREL 8.80 SIMPLIS program software tool. This study finds technology transfer and technology acquisition have significant positive effects on process innovation, product innovation, and method innovation. Technology process has a significant positive effect on process and method innovation. Technology absorption has a significant positive effect on product innovation. The major implication of this study is that technology management, coupled with appropriate technology management policies and strategies, is an appropriate resource to be used in the organization to enhance firm performance, particularly innovation and creativity. The paper contributes to the literature in that, unlike previous studies that are based on one aspect of technology management practices, this study examined the effects of each different type of technology management dimension on firms' innovation. Thus, this study helps to gain further insights into the effects of technology management practices on firm innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia's agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify and select an appropriate business model for the utilization of maize shelling technologies in small-scale farming practices. Though a very old practice, agriculture is still the central activity of the entire globe due the reason that it directly or indirectly affects the livelihood of the inhabitants. West Gojjam zone of the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) in Ethiopia is among the known maize producing zones in Country for both consumption and as a cash crop. But, the problem is the high wastage of production due to post-harvest losses (PHL) due to mechanical shelling practices. Aiming to solve this PHL of maize production, at the shelling stage, assessments and discussion with the maize growing farmers and experts concerned were conducted. This paper tries to present an appropriate business model for enabling local small holder farmers get access to different maize shelling technologies. The research follows a survey-type design which provides both a quantitative and a qualitative description of operational and business variables, attitudes, or opinions of a population in the target area, and overall insight of the technology market. The current data shows that rental maize shelling service is feasible for the fragmented maize production of the West Gojjam zone, in the Amhara National Regional State of Ethiopia. Hence, a generic conceptual model has been developed based on the feedbacks of local smallholder farmers, agricultural agents, service providers and suppliers. This model shows how to select and make available appropriate maize shelling technologies that will fit the actual demand at household level. It also shows a rent-to-own approach of maize shelling service that will help the unemployed youth in the localities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An infant in the first 28 days following birth is referred to as a newborn baby. In Ethiopia, neonatal mortality is a serious problem that accounts for the lion's share of under-five mortality. Diagnosis and treatment of infant disease need specialized medical resources with plenty of expert knowledge and experience. Globally and particularly in low-income countries, there is a lack of such professional which make the diagnosis and treatment more difficult. The goal of this paper is to design a knowledge-based system for the diagnosis and treatment recommendation of neonatal diseases by collaborating with the knowledge obtained from machine learning and health experts. Design science research approach has been employed as the overall research design, and the hybrid data mining process model is used to extract knowledge from the collected clinical dataset. To this end, three classification algorithms in WEKA tools, namely, J48, PART, and JRip, were considered. Then, a partial decision tree (PART) algorithm under 10-fold cross-validation achieved the highest performance result with an accuracy of 98.06% and the researchers decided to use the generated rules for the development of a knowledge-based system. Evaluation results show that the developed prototype registers 90.9% accuracy in system performance testing and 89.2% in user acceptance testing. In conclusion, the system is used as an assistant tool for healthcare experts and could be effective if it could be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good quality data are a key to quality health care. In 2017, WHO has launched the Quality of Care Network (QCN) to reduce maternal, newborn and stillbirth mortality via learning and sharing networks. Guided by the principle of equity and dignity, the network members agreed to implement the programme in 2017–2021. This paper seeks to explore how QCN has contributed to improving data quality and to identify factors influencing quality of data in Ethiopia. We conducted a qualitative study in selected QCN facilities in Ethiopia using key informant interview and observation methods. We interviewed 40 people at national, sub-national and facility levels. Non-participant observations were carried out in four purposively selected health facilities; we accessed monthly reports from 41 QCN learning facilities. A codebook was prepared following a deductive and inductive analytical approach, coded using Nvivo 12 and thematically analysed. There was a general perception that QCN had improved health data documentation and use in the learning facilities, achieved through coaching, learning and building from pre-existing initiatives. QCN also enhanced the data elements available by introducing a broader set of quality indicators. However, the perception of poor data quality persisted. Factors negatively affecting data quality included a lack of integration of QCN data within routine health system activities, the perception that QCN was a pilot, plus a lack of inclusive engagement at different levels. Both individual and system capabilities needed to be strengthened. There is evidence of QCN's contribution to improving data awareness. But a lack of inclusive engagement of actors, alignment and limited skill for data collection and analysis continued to affect data quality and use. In the absence of new resources, integration of new data activities within existing routine health information systems emerged as the most important potential action for positive change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A leverage points perspective recognises different levels of systemic depth, ranging from the relatively shallow levels of parameters and feedbacks to the deeper levels of system design and intent. Analysing a given social-ecological system for its characteristics across these four levels of systemic depth provides a useful diagnostic to better understand sustainability problems, and can complement other types of cause-and-effect systems modelling. Moreover, the structured comparison of multiple systems can highlight whether sustainability challenges in different systems have a similar origin (e.g. similar feedbacks or similar design). We used a leverage points perspective to systematically compare findings from three in-depth social-ecological case studies, which investigated rural landscapes in southeastern Australia, central Romania, and southwestern Ethiopia. Inductive coding of key findings documented in over 60 empirical publications was used to generate synthesis statements of key findings in the three case studies. Despite major socioeconomic and ecological differences, many synthesis statements applied to all three case studies. Major sustainability problems occurred at the design and intent levels. For example, at the intent level, all three rural landscapes were driven by goals and paradigms that mirrored a productivist green revolution discourse. Our paper thus highlights that there are underlying challenges for rural sustainability across the world, which appear to apply similarly across strongly contrasting socioeconomic contexts. Sustainability interventions should be mindful of such deep similarities in system characteristics. We conclude that a leverage points perspective could be used to compare many other types of social-ecological systems around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of trade liberalization on local labour markets in Ethiopia, with a focus on the gender dimension of employment and on the process of structural transformation. By exploiting rich micro-level data on Ethiopian workers, we evaluate the effect of the Ethiopian trade reforms on the changes and composition of employment. We find that districts more exposed to trade liberalization experienced reductions in their employment levels, especially in female employment. We also show that reductions in tariffs trigger a process of sectoral reallocation from agriculture to services and that this process is particularly pronounced for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of perceived good governance practices into the relationship between ethical leadership and students' satisfaction in the context of Ethiopian public universities. The survey design took cross-sectional data from 384 valid responses from students of randomly chosen four public universities representing four generations. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was run to determine the model fit statistics, and Hayes PROCESS macro was used for mediation analysis. The study finds that ethical leadership behaviours positively affect students' satisfaction. Moreover, perceived good governance practices at the higher educational institutions acts as a partial mediator into the relationship between ethical leadership and students' satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While all anthropological experts take pride when their evidence plays a vital role in securing protection for an asylum applicant, we also acutely remember the cases in which our research and reports were rejected, particularly when our reports appear to be unfairly rejected. In this paper, I discuss two cases in which the British Home Office argued that an asylum applicant was not entitled to protection because he participated in war crimes/crimes against humanity. However, the evidence provided by War Crimes Unit in the United Kingdom's Home Office took the form of assertions based on a very poor understanding of Ethiopian politics and limited research. In the first case, the Immigration Judge accepted the evidence submitted by the Home Office and refused the applicants claim for asylum, but on appeal the Home Office withdrew the case against the applicant. In the second case, the Immigration Judge adopted some of my evidence for the applicant but denied his claim. This paper explores the pitfalls of litigation and the ability of the state to tilt the scales of justice against asylum claimants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration of people from a certain area to a new destination is as old as human history. It is often made as a result of factors necessitating the movement either in the form of pull and push factors. In Ethiopia too, there has been various peoples' movements since whenever in history from their home areas to new destinations across the country. Some have resulted for permanent settlements and full-fledged citizenship in the areas they settled but it has also produced very complicated relations in some. Besides individual oriented movements in search of better opportunities, there were also state operated movements based on the severity of circumstances. This paper, therefore, is dedicated to comment on the political and citizenship status of state operated settlers in Ethiopia in light of the experiences of Settlers in Asossa woreda, Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State (BGRS) of Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the trends of the processed wood products (PWP) trade in Ethiopia is lacking. Therefore, the objectives of this article are (a) to evaluate the trends of expenses from importing and incomes generated from exporting different PWP, (b) to assess the PWP trade balance, and (c) to forecast future ex-penses in importing PWP. To achieve the objectives, import and export data of PWP in the years of 2005–2013 were collected. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation. The trend of expenses was analyzed using Excel and future expenditures were forecasted by models for each PWP, independently. The result indicated that, Ethiopia spent on average, US$55.2 million/yr to import different PWP. The trend of expenses to import different PWP increased by 13% each year. There was a strong and positive correlation between the average yearly expenses to import different PWP with that of the population of the country in different years’ time (R2 = .80) and also the GDP of the country in different years’ time (R2 = .87). Overall, the results showed the self–insufficiency of the country in producing different PWP and the heavy expenditure to import wood products to fill the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Land price maps help the government and stakeholders to recognize fluctuations in land values in the economy. This paper aims to examine the trends of land lease prices from spatio-temporal perspectives for development. The study employed a mixed research approach. The result indicated that the lease price of residential land has been increasing rapidly in the past decade. Inefficiency in the land administration system, high speculation, and low provision of land for auction are the main drivers for the increment. The researchers thus suggest that the government rethink the tenure system, impose the maximum number and size of land parcels, and introduce the capital gain tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to water has improved globally; however, nearly 800 million people continue to lack access, particularly in resource constrained contexts. Current efforts are not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals aim of safe and affordable drinking water for all. Innovative and contextualized solutions are required. This article describes a university–government collaboration in Ethiopia that addressed key data limitations, without which equity-based decision-making was not possible. These efficient and cost-effective ways for obtaining and managing data support improved decision-making, and also identified avenues for improving water system governance through policy shifts and citizen participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia, marked by diverse geography and rapid land use/land cover (LULC) changes, grapples with formidable water resource management challenges. Understanding the hydrological response to these changes is paramount for sustainability. This review paper provides an overview of studies that investigated the hydrological impacts of LULC changes in Ethiopian basins. The review discusses methodologies, key findings, implications for sustainable land and water resource management, research gaps, and future directions. Emphasizing results from diverse studies that utilized hydrological and geospatial modelling, LULC significantly affects surface runoff, streamflow patterns, and groundwater recharge. The observed consequences are increased surface runoff, modified streamflow timing, and reduced groundwater recharge. The review underscores the urgency for integrated land and water management strategies to alleviate adverse effects. Future research priorities include basin-specific studies, long-term monitoring, integrated modelling, consideration of socio-economic factors, and incorporating climate change scenarios to enhance understanding and guide sustainable water resource management in Ethiopian basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing numbers of rural girls and young women in Ethiopia are migrating to urban towns and cities and taking up employment as domestic workers, some of whom continue their education by attending evening classes. For urban households, rural migrants help to fill the domestic work gaps created by the entry of urban women into employment. For rural young women, migrating as a domestic worker is an important strategy for achieving social mobility and empowerment. However, domestic workers are vulnerable and largely hidden in the city and we know little about their lived experiences. In this paper, we start to address this gap, drawing on interviews with eight rural female migrants who are working as domestic workers in the city and attending evening classes in urban secondary schools. Informed by a critical framing of empowerment, we explore the extent to which intersecting inequalities in rural areas disempower these young women, and how migration and education become important strategies for improving their lives. We show how the support of social network members is crucial in enabling participants' migration, yet how this also leads to power asymmetries and exploitation. We reflect on how the ability of rural young women to achieve better futures is limited due to their status as poor, rural, female migrants, yet how many wait in the city in the hope of a better future. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of critical approaches to female empowerment that includes a focus on structural inequalities and power imbalances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides insights into the experiences of children with disabilities in an Ethiopian context during prolonged school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on data gathered through telephone surveys from parents of children with disabilities who had been attending school prior to closures and teachers working in different educational settings, we discuss children's learning journeys during closures, motivations to return to school and the implications of this on current educational reform efforts in Ethiopia. Our findings highlight the significant merits of including children with disabilities explicitly in wider education reform efforts; the many positive gains seen in parental desires to send their child back to school; and the need to recognize and strengthen the role of schools as spaces for promoting children's socio-emotional well-being. Schooling of children with disabilities in Ethiopia was significantly impacted due to the lack of accessible learning materials available at home and in schools Caregivers expressed that returning to school was a strong priority for their child with disabilities Teachers and caregivers noted significant negative impact of closures on children's social and emotional well-being, with many reporting heightened feelings of sadness, loneliness, isolation, and diminished interest in learning and playing among their children. Caregivers and teachers felt that more could be done to support families and schools during such times, especially with better allocation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to assess the possible contribution of formalizing small-scale women entrepreneurs' food processing enterprises in northern Ethiopia to their empowerment or disempowerment. The rationale for evaluating this contribution to (dis)empowerment is to provide updated and policy-relevant knowledge on the issue, including assessing if the critiques of the formalization agenda are still valid or whether the situation may have changed. The main finding suggests that formalization offers limited opportunities for empowering small-scale, resource-poor women entrepreneurs in northern Ethiopia. The contribution of formalization to women's (dis)empowerment varies among the various categories of participants in different ways and forms. Some better-off women entrepreneurs benefitted from formalization in some dimensions; however, this is not the case for most of the women entrepreneurs included in the study. Instead, for the poorer women entrepreneurs, formalization rather led to disempowerment. In conclusion, if formalization in Ethiopia harms or disempowers poor women entrepreneurs rather than benefits them, this paper suggests a need for a major change in policies and practices related to the formalization and women empowerment agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Area Development & Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper unpacks the multi-level efforts to establish, promote and implement China standards in overseas contexts through an examination of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Africa. Drawing upon document analysis of government policies, institutional guidelines and corporate reports from four case companies, as well as field research in Ethiopia, it identifies ways that Chinese corporate actors interpret, incorporate and initiate CSR standards through strategic planning and during overseas business activities. Analysis of both first-hand and secondary data shows the development of Chinese CSR standards is a co-production of international, national and local standards, which involves diverse actors and institutions and is driven by multiple considerations to fulfill commercial, political, social and diplomatic objectives for overseas companies and Chinese government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across many low- and lower middle-income countries, aid donors are promoting results-based financing approaches as a means to link their funding directly with development outcomes. In this paper, we explore one such approach, the Programme for Results (PforR) financing approach in support of Ethiopia's large-scale education quality reform. We assess whether the PforR approach is fit for purpose, drawing on interviews with 72 key donor and government stakeholders. Our findings suggest that the ability of the approach to achieve its stated goals of building capacity and strengthening the system for equitable learning is limited in this context. While the approach is helping to reorient attention from inputs to results, questions remain as to whether the focus is on the right results. Our findings highlight the need for the careful design of such approaches that take account of the context including with respect to ensuring that necessary preconditions are in place prior to implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relocation from inner cities and rehousing in suburbs is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in developing countries. However, there is limited evidence about the perspectives of adolescents and most studies are from western contexts. In addressing this gap this study tracked adolescents before and after they were relocated over an eight-year interval from the centre of Addis Ababa to the outskirts, mainly to government-sponsored condominium housing. The paper also compares the views of those who were relocated with those who stayed behind. The paper argues that condominium housing enabled low-to-middle-income households to become house owners, while the poorest could not afford the costs, and the richest preferred building their own houses. From the perspective of adolescents who were relocated the move led to better housing and improved sanitation. However, students faced difficulties in the first year commuting, and schools and health centres were considered better quality in the previous locations; markets and shops were initially less well developed in the condominium areas, and there were fewer recreation options, though pollution and safety were greater concerns in the old neighbourhoods. A significant majority of the adolescents (79%) felt that the changes were positive or mainly positive and soon adapted to the new social environment, though social ties were less strong than in their previous neighbourhoods. Those who moved had better internet access and there were gender differences in decision-making, leisure activities and spending, with girls having less freedom, somewhat compensated for by mobile phones and social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the creation of several iconic protected areas (PAs) over the past decades, the charismatic megafauna of Ethiopia has continued to decline. Here, we identify the factors that are driving spatial and biological changes in PAs. The findings show that some iconic PAs were downsized while others remained unchanged, but almost all PAs significantly lost their ability to support iconic species, putting the survival of large mammals at risk. Human population growth, limited livelihoods, a lack of political commitment, insufficient funding, and climate change are all underlying threats to national PAs. The unrestricted use of natural resources, habitat degradation, the rapid spread of invasive species, illegal wildlife trade, disease, pollution, human-wildlife conflict, and roadkill are proximate factors that significantly impact upon PAs. As a result, it is of critical importance to change the management paradigm of the existing but largely degraded PA system. The authors, therefore, recommend that rather than focussing only on expanding protected and conserved areas ('quantity'), management efficiency ('quality') should instead be prioritized to halt the dramatic loss of large mammals in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper was motivated to test whether the high child labor prevalence observed in Ethiopia is explained by the poverty (luxury) hypothesis or wealth paradox theories. The data for this study is the Young Lives project, consisting of 1803 children units (a total of 7212 children in four rounds). Major determinants of child labor: household characteristics, shocks, poverty or wealth proxy indicators, and area and time fixed effect variables are controlled. The study employs a Feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) econometric technique to estimate the causal relationship between child labor; household characteristics, poverty, and wealth indicator variables. Both drought and income losses were found to be positive and significant almost across all specifications. Resource or asset ownership indicators, such as land, access to credit, and TLU) were found to be positively related to child labor, consistent with the wealth paradox. However, the wealth index, except in the two quartiles found to be negative and significant at 1 percent, consistent with the luxury axiom. One more result that is interesting is the significant differences between boys and girls in the type of tasks children engaged in. Girls' dominance in household chores and boys in economic activity. Moreover, the current high level of child labor participation rate of 45 percent is very alarming. Finally, the household head's educational status also has a strong negative impact on child labor. In view of, the moral obligation of societies and government; future economic benefit of investing in children, policy be directed towards pro-poor development programs especially targeting children's welfare, promoting adult education, and introducing agricultural insurance schemes to reduce the extent and intensity of child labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines enforcement practices and intra-ethnic interactions and encounters across the international border between Eritrea and Ethiopia from 2000 to 2018, with a particular focus on the Central Sector. The specific objective is to investigate how the Tigrinya ethnic group, who were arbitrarily separated by the colonial border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, make use of intra-ethnic relationships to combat the new border enforcement practices imposed by Eritrea and Ethiopia to advance their everyday reciprocal interests. This micro perspective is applied to two border towns, Serha and Tserona, which are located at Eritrea's border with Ethiopia. By analysing the everyday lived experiences of the people who live along the border, this article argues that the underground cross-border support and interactions among kin groups play a significant role in their everyday lives as they combat the States' everyday border enforcement practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the use of extension agents in connecting rural people to food security programs in the Irob and Gulomekeda districts, in eastern Tigray, Ethiopia. This study employed qualitative research involving 50 semi-structured interviews, 10 focus group discussions, and 15 hours of personal observation. Extension agents use public meetings to transfer agricultural technologies to rural people. However, results showed that public meetings are ineffective to connect rural people to food security programs. This has limited peoples' power to voice their concerns and restrained their agency to sanction their choices and negotiate the structures. Besides, the food security implementation procedures are not inclusive limiting people's participation in the strategy design and strategy implementation procedures. Study results also showed that administrative challenges and personal incompetence have affected extension agents from undertaking their duties effectively. Overall, despite Ethiopia invests in agricultural extension systems, little has been achieved to improve rural food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Returnee entrepreneurship has become an important topic of interest due both to the increasing number of return migrants and the particular nature of their entrepreneurial activities. In some cases, such as in Taiwan, China, and Israel, voluntary returnees have made a significant impact on their home country's economic development. However, some expatriates are forced to return due to rapid changes in the political and economic situations of their host countries. We compare and examine these two different cohorts in Ethiopia to understand what attributes are transportable and facilitate entrepreneurship, as well as barriers for the two different groups. Scholarly understanding of what drives returnee entrepreneurial entry decisions remains limited, even more so regarding sub-Sahara Africa. Using the mixed embeddedness perspective, this paper aims to unveil the multi-level drivers of returnee entrepreneurial entry decisions by comparing forced and voluntary returnees to Ethiopia. Based on in-depth interviews with 25 returnees, abductively, the findings indicate the interactive influence of personal and interpersonal factors, simultaneous engagement, and opportunity promise on returnee entrepreneurial entry decisions. Specifically, for the voluntary returnees, childhood aspirations, altruistic desire, simultaneous engagement, and nostalgia, coupled with migration capital and opportunity promise influence their business entry decisions. For the forced returnees, lack of options, regrets about migration, preconceptions, tacit capital, and government support drive their entry decisions. We discuss how these factors are contingent on migrants' pre-, post-, and during-migration conditions in facilitating returnee entrepreneurship. We also illuminate the distinctive differences between forced and voluntary returnees. Implications for theory and practice are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding spatiotemporal patterns of climate variability and trends is essential to designing context-specific adaptation and mitigation interventions for climate change impacts. To this end, this paper examines the 1983–2016 rainfall and temperature variability and trends using merged satellite-gauge station data in the UNESCO designated Cultural Landscapes of Konso, Ethiopia. We have employed a non-parametric Mann-Kendall test to analyze rainfall and temperature trends, whereas the coefficient of variation (CV) has been used for variability analysis. The distribution and severity of meteorological droughts were mapped using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Our findings revealed an increase in annual and summer (Kiremt) season rainfall by 3.16 mm and 0.42 mm per year, respectively. However, rainfall in the spring (Belg) season decreased by 1.12 mm per year. Our findings also showed a substantial spatiotemporal variability in drought events due to variations in rainfall and topography. Consequently, the observed increase in frequency and the spatial extent of drought pose potential threats to rainfed farming, which gradually exposes smallholders to food insecurity and socioeconomic vulnerability. Therefore, agroecological-based local adaptation and mitigation interventions to climate variability are needed to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers and ensure the continuity of the Konso cultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ways in which, as part of their settlement process, Ethiopian immigrants in Canada (1) draw on religious beliefs, practices, and communities; (2) how they employ the teachings of their faith to advance their well-being; and (3) how these practices pattern their resilience and frame how they articulate – and the methods by which they ultimately achieve – their post-migration aspirations. Findings underscore how religion fashions transnational belonging that allows them to maintain multi-stranded social relations, and how this in turn shapes, maintains, and informs their post-migratory lives. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]