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Watershed-scale hydrology and soil erosion are the main environmental components that are greatly affected by environmental perturbations such as climate and land use and land cover (LULC) changes. The purpose of this study is to assess the impacts of scenario-based LULC change and climate change on hydrology and sediment at the watershed scale in Rib watershed, Ethiopia, using the empirical land-use change model, dynamic conversion of land use and its effects (Dyna-CLUE), and soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). Regional climate model (RCM) with Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) and Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) outputs were bias-corrected and future climate from 2025 to 2099 was analyzed to assess climate changes. Analysis of the LULC change indicated that there has been a high increase in cultivated land at the expense of mixed forest and shrublands and a low and gradual increase in plantation and urban lands in the historical periods (1984-2016) and in the predictions (2016-2049). In general, the predicted climate change indicated that there will be a decrease in precipitation in all of the SRES and RCP scenarios except in the Bega (dry) season and an increase in temperature in all of the scenarios. The impact analysis indicated that there might be an increase in runoff, evapotranspiration (ET), sediment yield, and a decrease in lateral flow, groundwater flow, and water yield. The changing climate and LULC result in an increase in soil erosion and changes in surface and groundwater flow, which might have an impact on reducing crop yield, the main source of livelihood in the area. Therefore, short- and long-term watershed-scale resource management activities have to be designed and implemented to minimize erosion and increase groundwater recharge., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The consequences of climate change on agriculture water demand are among the current and prospective challenges. The amount of water needed by crops is significantly affected by the regional climate. The influence of climate change on irrigation water demand and reservoir water balance components were examined. The results of seven regional climate models were compared, and the top-performing model was chosen for the study area. After model calibration and validation, the HEC-HMS model was used to forecast future water availability in the reservoir. The results show that under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios, the reservoir's water availability in the 2050s will decline by approximately 7% and 9%, respectively. The CROPWAT results showed that the required irrigation water might rise by 26 to 39% in the future. However, the water supply for irrigation may be drastically reduced due to the drop in reservoir water storage. As a result, the irrigation command area could drop up to 21% (2878.4 ha) to 33% (4502 ha) in future climatic conditions. Therefore, we recommend alternative watershed management techniques and climate change adaptation measures to endure upcoming water shortages in the area., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association 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.)

In recent years, global attention to carbon emissions has increased, becoming one of the main drivers of global climate change. Accurate prediction of carbon emission trends in small and medium-sized countries and scientific regulation of carbon emissions can provide theoretical support and policy references for the effective and rational use of energy and the promotion of the coordinated development of energy, environment, and economy. This paper establishes a grey prediction model using the classical Logistic mathematical model in a determined environment to investigate the carbon emission system. At the same time, we use the basic principle of fractional-order accumulation to establish a grey prediction model with fractional-order Logistic and obtain the parameter estimation and time-response equation of the new model by solving the model through the theory related to fractional-order operators. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to complete the optimization process of the order of the fractional order grey prediction model and obtain the optimal model order. Then, the new model is applied to predict carbon emissions in five medium-emission countries: Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ghana, Belgium, and Austria. The new model shows better advantages in the validity analysis process, and the simulation results indicate that the new model proposed in this paper has stronger stability and better simulation and prediction accuracy than other comparative models, proving the model's validity. Finally, the model is used to forecast the carbon emissions of these five countries for the five years of 2021–2025, and the results are analyzed, and relevant policy recommendations are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, large-scale agricultural investment (LAI) is promoted to foster adaptation to climate change among smallholder farmers by improving farming conditions and productivity. However, little has been known about this condition so far. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to study the implications of LAI for the capacity for climate change adaptation among smallholder farmers, based on a study conducted in Merti district in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. An asset-based approach was used to measure the adaptive capacity of smallholders, via data collected from a household survey, undertaken among smallholder households who had, or had not, benefited, from LAI, and supported by key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative thematic analysis methods were used to analyze the data. The study found that the adaptive capacity of smallholder households was improved under the influence of LAI. LAI motivated and prompted farmers to use technologies that fostered climate change adaption, including the use of irrigation, improved crop varieties, chemical fertilizer, and engagement in alternative sources of income, which improved their food security status. But this technology and knowledge transfer mainly occurred through observation (learning by doing), not by capacity-building. However, both group of smallholders (within and without contact with the LAI) received similar benefits through government rural extension services. Therefore, the paper concludes that scaling up these technologies and alternative income sources could enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholders, but that LAIs should contribute actual technical and financial support as part of benefit-sharing or corporate responsibility. [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 lack of implementation of the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) of the non-Annexe I Parties registered in the NAMA Registry of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a worrying situation in the sense that it is limiting the contributions these NAMA projects would have made towards mitigating global climate change. There is however little research on the reasons behind the lack of implementation of these NAMAs projects and this is the knowledge gap that this paper seeks to fill based on a critical overview of the NAMAs of Ethiopia, Indonesia and Georgia. The source of data for this paper is mainly from the focal persons for the NAMAs of the countries under study, which was obtained via telephone and Skype interviews with the respondents. Our findings show that lack of funding, complicated financial mechanisms, lack of technical expertise, fringe conditions to donor support and policy issues according to the findings of this study are the main hindrances to the implementation of NAMAs. International organisations, donor partners, developed countries and local governments alike are therefore encouraged to channel some of the funds meant for fighting global climate change into sponsoring the NAMAs of poorer countries, as this will see to the successful implementations of these NAMAs and their subsequent impacts on mitigating global climate change. The paper is also timely considering the scarcity of literature on NAMAs related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Crop Science Journal is the property of African Crop Science Journal 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.)

Agriculture is one of the foremost climate-responsive businesses, with open-air production systems sensitive to temperature and rainfall. This paper reviews recent literature and assesses the impact of climate change on the accessibility of water resources for irrigation. The paper critically reviews recent research findings on climate change effect on the potential of surface water and groundwater for irrigation in Ethiopia's south rift valley (Abaya-Chamo) Sub-basin. Surface water in the south rift valley Ethiopia sub-basin, including the Abaya and Chamo lakes, is estimated to be just over 5,718 million m3yr-1. Finally, the implications for future study and development are emphasized. The effect of climate change (rainfall and temperature) on the water in the Abaya-Chamo lakes feeder Rivers is different for the near future (2021--2050) and extreme future (2071--2100) time using the RCP 8.5 scenario. Overall, findings show that the availability of water resources for irrigation purposes in the south rift valley Ethiopia sub-basin will be more vulnerable to changes in rainfall and temperature. In conclusion, Stream flow future projection (%) for each feeder river Bilate, Kulfo, Gidabo, and Hare are -9.07, -11.24, 3.89, 4.135, - 0.95, - 1.5, 13.4, and 15.4% respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper focuses on the question of what will happen to the future water resource system of Grand Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia based on the projected hydrology of the Upper Blue Nile River basin. For this, the hydrological extremes, the baseline hydrological trends, and projected hydrological extremes of the Upper Blue Nile River basin were reviewed from various published and unpublished sources. Changes in the future hydrology of the Upper Blue Nile River basin due to climate change or any other natural or manmade modification of the river basin deserve concerted attention in the future water resources system of the Grand Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia, because the water resources of the dam mainly depend on the water potential nature of the Upper Blue Nile River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on evidence from in-depth interviews and a household survey, the paper provides evidence on the farmers' challenges in production, marketing and prices as well as how farmers perceive and deal with climate change impacts on coffee production in the Fero-two Peasant Association (PA) of the Wensho district of the Sidama region in southern Ethiopia. This includes prolonged dry season, erratic and insufficient rainfall, too early and too late rains and temperature rise. Unexpected heavy rains and snow events as well as weather change-driven pests and diseases negatively affect not only the volume of coffee production and quality but also the prices. The effects of climate change risks add pressure on the existing challenges such as land shortage and fragmentation, declining soil fertility and weeds. Lack of participation in decision-making and corruption are additional challenges for the coffee growers. Although the farmers rely on multiple production-related adaptation responses, most of the deployed strategies to the changing environment are less effective and short-term. The paper concluded that policy interventions should better comprehend the local vulnerability to build resilience and to undertake sustainable agricultural practices for improving the farmers' adaptive capacity to deal with the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and its impact on surface runoff in the upper Blue Nile basin and sub-basins have been widely studied in future climate projections. However, the impact on extreme flow events of rivers is barely investigated discretely. In this paper, the change in temperature and rainfall under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) highest emission scenario (RCP 8.5) and its impact on the high flow and low flow simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT 2012) in major watersheds of the Lake Tana Basin has been evaluated by comparing the baseline period (1971–2000) with the 2020s (2011–2040), 2050s (2041–2070), and 2080s (2071–2100). The high flows of watersheds were selected by the Annual Maximum Series (AMS) model, whereas the low-flow watersheds were selected by the 7-day sustained mean annual minimum flow method. The result showed that the highest change in maximum temperature ranged from 2.93 °C to 5.17 °C in monthly time scales in the 2080s. The increment in minimum temperature is also more prominent in the 2080s and it is expected to rise by 4.75 °C. Inter-annual variability of the change in rainfall has shown increasing and decreasing patterns. The highest increments are expected by 22.37%, 25.58%, and 29.75% in the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, respectively, whereas the projected highest decrease in rainfall dictates the decrease of 6.42%, 7.11%, and 9.26% in 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, respectively. Due to changes in temperature and rainfall, the low flow is likely to decrease by 8.39%, 8.33%, 6.21%, and 5.02% in Ribb, Gumara, Megech, and Gilgel Abay watersheds, respectively, whereas the high flow of Gilgel Abay, Megech, Gumara, and Ribb watersheds are expected to increase by 13.94%, 12.16%, 10.90%, and 10.24%, respectively, every 30 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is home to one of the richest and most unique assemblages of fauna and flora on the African continent. Contained within its borders are two major centers of endemism, the mesic Roof of Africa (also known as the Ethiopian Highlands) and the arid Horn of Africa, resulting from the country's varied topography and consequent geographic isolation. These centers of endemism are crucial to global conservation as evidenced by their classification within the Eastern Afromontane and Horn of Africa biodiversity hotspots, respectively. Ethiopia's diverse ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain are increasingly threatened by climate change and the growing impacts of Africa's second largest human and largest livestock populations. In this paper, we focus on several key areas of recent and ongoing research on Ethiopian biodiversity that have broadened our understanding of nature and its conservation in Africa. Topics explored include the behavioral ecology of Ethiopia's large social mammals, the ecology and conservation of its unique coffee forests, and Ethiopian approaches to community conservation, fortress conservation, and nature-based solutions. We also highlight the increasing prominence of Ethiopian scientists in studies of the country's biodiversity in recent decades. We suggest promising avenues for future research in evolutionary biology, ecology, systematics, and conservation in Ethiopia and discuss how recent and ongoing work in Ethiopia is helping us better understand and conserve nature in the human-dominated landscapes of Africa and other tropical regions today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coffee species Coffea arabica is facing numerous challenges regarding climate change, pests and disease pressure. Improved varieties will be part of the solution. Making optimal use of the scarce genetic diversity of the species is hence essential. In this paper, we present the first study of C. arabica genetic diversity covering its complete native habitat in Ethiopia together with its main domestication centers: Yemen and Hararghe region in Ethiopia. All in all, 555 samples were analyzed with a set of Single Sequence Repeat markers. Through admixture genetic analysis, six clusters were identified. A total of two "Core Ethiopian" clusters did not participate in the domestication of the species. There were four clusters that were part of the "Domestication Pathway" of C. arabica. The first one was named "Ethiopian Legacy" as it represents the genetic link between "Core Ethiopia" and the "Domestication Pathway" in Yemen and Hararghe. The geographic origin of this cluster in Ethiopia was the south of Ethiopia, namely Gedio, Guji and Sidama, which hence appears as the source of coffee seeds that led to the domestication of C. arabica. In Yemen, in addition to the "Ethiopian Legacy" cluster, we confirmed the "Typica/Bourbon" and "New-Yemen" clusters. In Hararghe, the "Harrar" cluster, never described before, likely originates from a re-introduction of domesticated coffee from Yemen into this region of Ethiopia. Cultivated varieties around the world today originate from the "Ethiopian Legacy" and "Typica/Bourbon" clusters and but none are related to the "new-Yemen" and "Harrar" clusters. Implications for breeding strategies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farmers require viable adaptation strategies for addressing climate change. Climate change adaptation project might be maladapted unless it considers the local context. This paper argued challenges of agriculture in developing countries in general and Ethiopia in particular, are highly diversified, and thus any intervention requires embarrassing the specific agroecosystems. Cognizant of this fact, the research investigated locally viable climate change adaptation strategies (CCAS) specific to Rib watershed in Ethiopia by using agroecosystem analysis framework. The study used primary data collected from 383 randomly selected farm-households complemented with data collected with key-informant interviews and focus group discussions. The study area was characterized and mapped in two groups of agroecosystems: Fogera plain and Libo-Farta highlands. The finding portrayed that across agroecosystems, there were considerable differences in terms of productivity potential, inherit constraints, crop varieties, income level and soil type. The study found the blanket application of similar CCAS irrespective of the heterogeneities. Farmers in the plain land witnessed less income inequality that stood at a Gini coefficient of 38.3 as compared to the highlanders of 42.8. The study further identified prioritized CCAS for the respective agroecosystems. It is imperative to consider local diversities before any intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanisation is affecting people in different ways, with some becoming more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Africa's cities are projected to be home to nearly 60% of the continent's population by 2050. In conjunction with climate change, these cities are experiencing critical environmental challenges, including changes in the urban thermal environment. Urban areas generally exhibit significantly higher air and surface temperatures than their surrounding rural areas, resulting in urban heat islands. However, little has been done to synthesise existing knowledge and identify the key research gaps in this area, particularly in Africa. This paper focuses on the combined effects of urbanisation and climate change on the urban thermal environment in Africa, and provides a comprehensive review of results, major advances and the dominant direction of research. Our review of 40 publications from peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2021 revealed that South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria were most frequently studied, and satellite imagery-based data and analysis were used predominantly. Results from a few studies have shown the practical implications for urban land-use planning, informal settlement management, human wellbeing and productivity, energy use, air pollution and disease spread. Integrated approaches, strengthening planning institutions, and early warning systems are proposed to address climate change. Low-income groups are emphasised in efforts to help people cope with heat stress. Solutions based on land use and land cover dynamics and blue–green infrastructure are mentioned but are in need of further research. Cities with similar patterns of urbanisation, geographies and climate conditions could benefit from multi-disciplinary research collaboration to address the combined impacts of rapid urbanisation and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private extreme flood adaptation measures are cost effective and environmentally friendly. The objective of this study is to explore the major adaptation strategies, the determinants of the decisions of households to flood adaptation, specific prophylactic measures, and the constraints of these adaptation measures. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select the 337 samples for the study. As the data analysis showed, farm households adopted moving to high elevation places, selling cattle, seasonal migration, flood tolerant rice, planting trees, and the construction of a dike as adaptation measures to flood. The binary logistic regression results from both the socioeconomic and protection motivation theory (PMT) showed that marital status, sex, family size, off-farm income, previous flood experience, access to credit, and the average number of extension visits had a statistically significant positive influence on the flood adaptation decision of households. On the other hand, age, educational attainment, farm size, and access to extension played a negative but statistically insignificant role in flood adaptation decision. The scientific novelty of the paper is that its results revealed that not only the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of households play a role in the decision-making reactions related to the flood, but also the psychological preparedness of the decision makers. The analysis also drew attention that, due to the mitigation of global influences, in the coming years, households can assume a much more decisive role in the process of local food supply. Therefore, in order to ensure safe supply, climate change-related measures and adaptation strategies must be defined very precisely. Dealing with this phenomenon must be part of social and business innovation as it can cause not only food supply problems but also various migration effects, which, in the short term, would result in the most serious damage to the social system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, with its reaching implications, has become a popular topic in recent years. Among the many aspects of climate change, one of the most pressing concerns has been identified as the impact on the terrestrial water cycle, which has a direct impact on human settlement and ecosystems. The paper begins by reviewing previous studies, and then identifies their flaws and future research directions. The effects of climate change on surface water resources in the Dhidhessa Sub-basin, Abbay Basin, Ethiopia, were studied as practices. For future potential climate change, the results of global climate models (GCMs) and high-resolution regional climate models (RCMs) from multiple climate models were combined with data from Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change from the CCAFS Data Distribution Center web page. To evaluate the impacts on water resources, various distributed hydrologic models based on local underlying surfaces were developed. The future potential climate change of the Dhidhessa Sub-basin Province was evaluated by integrating RCP outputs, whereas the climate change of the Dhidhessa River was directly derived from the results of different RCP. Dhidhessa stream flow will decrease in the future compared to the baseline era. The predictions of future discharge (stream flow) were based on climate scenarios data from 1991 to 2020 and for the future with two time windows, 2044 (2030–2059) and 2084 (2070–2099), on a monthly time-step after bias correction to both precipitation and temperature in the future climate described in the under each RCP. According to model results, the quantity of surface water resources in the Dhidhessa river region will decrease over the next 100 years, the percent decrease in mean annual stream flow by 10%, in 2044, and 6.3% in 2084, respectively, making the impact of temperature increase on runoff greater than that of precipitation. The distribution of runoff would be more even across years but more uneven across years in the long-term window, implying a higher possibility of drought and flooding. In general, this study discovered that any effect on this river that results in a decrease in flow will have a direct impact on the area's ongoing water resource development and socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global problem, which affects the various geographical regions at different levels. It is also associated with a wide range of human health problems, which pose a burden to health systems, especially in regions such as Africa. Indeed, across the African continent public health systems are under severe pressure, partly due to their fragile socioeconomic conditions. This paper reports on a cross-sectional study in six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) aimed at assessing their vulnerabilities to climate change, focusing on its impacts on human health. The study evaluated the levels of information, knowledge, and perceptions of public health professionals. It also examined the health systems' preparedness to cope with these health hazards, the available resources, and those needed to build resilience to the country's vulnerable population, as perceived by health professionals. The results revealed that 63.1% of the total respondents reported that climate change had been extensively experienced in the past years, while 32% claimed that the sampled countries had experienced them to some extent. Nigerian respondents recorded the highest levels (67.7%), followed by Kenya with 66.6%. South Africa had the lowest level of impact as perceived by the respondents (50.0%) when compared with the other sampled countries. All respondents from Ghana and Namibia reported that health problems caused by climate change are common in the two countries. As perceived by the health professionals, the inadequate resources reiterate the need for infrastructural resources, medical equipment, emergency response resources, and technical support. The study's recommendations include the need to improve current policies at all levels (i.e., national, regional, and local) on climate change and public health and to strengthen health professionals' skills. Improving the basic knowledge of health institutions to better respond to a changing climate is also recommended. The study provides valuable insights which may be helpful to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Climate change and weather shocks have multi-faceted impacts on food systems with important implications for economic policy. Combining a longitudinal household survey with high-resolution climate data, we demonstrate that both climate and weather shocks increase food insecurity; cash assistance and participation in Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme have reduced food insecurity; but food assistance has been ineffective. Importantly, households with savings, and those that stored their harvest to sell at higher prices rather than for home use, suffered less from food insecurity, yet both strategies are harder for the poorest and most food insecure households to adopt. Our paper provides micro-founded evidence needed to design policies that both improve agricultural yields in the context of a changing climate and target households' abilities to cope with shocks that put upwards pressure on food prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability and change make agricultural sector a risky venture for smallholders' farmers. This paper presents an assessment of smallholder farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change, associated impacts on agricultural sector and the adaptive responses given in Fincha'a sub-basin of the Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia. We interviewed 380 head of households selected through systematic random sampling from eight Kebeles, two each from highland, midland, wetland, and lowland agro-ecosystems. Furthermore, focus group discussion and key informant interviews also performed to supplement and substantiate the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics used to summarize quantitative data and χ2 tests used to measure significance. The result revealed that increased temperature, frequency and severity of extreme weather events (drought and flood), and overall change in seasonality of rainfall over the last 20 years is a widely held perception. The associated impacts on agriculture include decline in length of growing period, the decreased and variability of water availability, increased crop damage by insects, pests, disease and weeds. In response, farmers practiced different adaptation measures like modification in crop and livestock production practices, and investment in land and water management activities at household and community level. The study also revealed the presence of multiple barriers that hindered the adoption of adaptation measures. To meet the impending challenges, situate by climate variability and change the adaptation measures implemented until now is not adequate. There is also extrication between farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change, and actual adaptation level. Despite significant number of farmers' perceived changes in temperature (about 93%) and rainfall (about 88%), the number of farmers adopted certain adaptation measures are below average. These necessitate the need for planned interventions to identify and support effective adaptation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat production is expected to be challenged by future climate change. However, it is unclear how wheat grown in diverse agroecologies will respond to climate change and adaptation management strategies. A geospatial simulation study was conducted to understand the impacts of climate change and adaptation management strategies on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in Ethiopia. Simulation results showed that the average long-term baseline (1980-2005) wheat yield ranged from 1593 to 3356 kg/ha. This wheat yield range is within the national average (2100-2700 kg/ha) for this decade. In regions with cooler temperatures (<21 °C), mid-century temperatures and elevated CO 2 , along with increased N fertilizer slightly improved attainable yield levels above 3000 kg/ha. Whereas, in regions with heat and drought conditions wheat yield declined regardless the increase of N or CO 2 levels. Wheat yield increased at a diminishing rate with increase in N fertilizer rate. However, N fertilizer did not increase yields under low rainfall conditions. Two to five irrigation per season contributed to yield improvement for low rainfall locations, while yield did not substantially improve for locations receiving adequate seasonal rainfall. Therefore, based on this study, improved N fertilizer application in combination with increased CO 2 could improve wheat yield under future climate in most wheat producing regions (with adequate rainfall) of Ethiopia. Our results provide valuable information regarding impacts of climate change factors and adaptation strategies for producers, researchers, extension professionals and policy makers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Climate change affects livestock production and productivity, which could threaten livestock-based food security in pastoral and agro-pastoral production systems of the tropics and sub-tropics. Boran cattle breed is one of the hardiest Zebu cattle reared by Borana Oromo pastoralists for milk and meat production. However, there is limited comprensive information on production, reproduction and adaption traits of the Boran cattle in Ethiopia. Thus, this paper aims to compile the main production, reproduction and some adaptation traits of Boran cattle based on systematic review and meta-analysis of peer reviewed published and unpublished literature. Methodology: A combination of systematic review and meta-analysis based on PRISMA guideline was employed. Accordingly, out of 646 recorded articles identified through database searching, 64 were found to be eligible for production, reproduction and adaptation characteristics of the Boran cattle, 28 articles were included in qualitative systematic review while 36 articles were used for quantitative meta-analysis. Result: The Boran cattle breed has the ability to survive, produce and reproduce under high ambient temperature, utilize low quality forage resources, and resist water shortage or long watering intervals and tick infestations. The review revealed that the breed employs various adaptation responses (morphological, physiological, biochemical, metabolic, cellular and molecular responses) to cope with harsh environmental conditions including climate change, rangeland degradation, seasonal feed and water shortages and high incidences of tick infestations. The meta-analysis using a random-effects model allowed provision of pooled estimates of heritability and genetic correlations for reproduction and production traits, which could be used to solve genetic prediction equations under a population level in purebred Boran cattle. In addition, heritability and genetic-correlation estimates found in the present study suggest that there is high genetic variability for most traits in Boran cattle, and that genetic progress is possible for all studied traits in this breed. Conclusion: The Boran cattle breed has the ability to survive, produce and reproduce under high ambient temperature, utilize low quality forage resources, and resist water shortage or long watering intervals and tick infestations. However, currently there are several challenges such as recurrent droughts, pasture deterioration and lack of systematic selection and breeding programs that play to undermine the realization of the potential of the breed. Thus, we recommend systematic selection for enhancing the reproductive and production performances without compromising the adaptation traits of the breed coupled with improved management of rangelands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses Ethiopia's planned climate adaptation interventions and the barriers that impede implementation of adaptation policies at the local level by using the case study of Raya Azebo district. Data was collected through reviews of policy documents, focus group discussions with farmers and interviews with relevant government actors. Results indicate that climate change is addressed in various policy documents but there is limited progress in implementation of these policies. The study identified various barriers to climate adaptation policy implementation which included a lack of financial resources, poor coordination among institutional actors and local actors' low technical capacities for addressing climate change. The study contributes to the literature of climate change policy planning and implementation in low-income and lower-middle-income countries and suggests measures to overcome the existing barriers to climate change adaptation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Below-normal availability of water for a considerable period of time induces occurrence of drought. This paper investigates the Spatio-temporal characteristics of meteorological drought under changing climate. The climate change was analyzed using delta based statistical downscaling approach of RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 in R software packages. The meteorological drought was assessed using the Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI). Results: The result of climate change projections showed that the average annual minimum temperature will be increased by about 0.8–2.9 °C. The mean annual maximum temperature will be also increased by 0.9–3.75 °C. The rainfall projection generally showed an increasing trend, it exhibited an average annual increase of 3.5–13.4 % over the study area. The projected drought events reached its maximum severity indicated extreme drought in the years 2043, 2044, 2073, and 2074. The RDI value shows drought will occurred after 1–6 and 2–7 years under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios respectively over the study area. Almost more than 72 % of the current and future spatial coverage of drought in the study area will be affected by extreme drought, 22.3 % severely and 5.57 % also moderate drought. Conclusions: Therefore, the study helps to provide useful information for policy decision makers to implement different adaptation and mitigation measures of drought in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change raises important issues concerning hydrological engineering. The impact of climate change on important river basins should be investigated rigorously. Extreme temperature variability has a direct impact on the hydrological cycle, especially the evaporation component. In this paper, spatial and temporal patterns of changes in extreme temperatures were investigated using 10 meteorological stations' data for the period 1950–2018 in the Blue Nile Basin. Long-term trends in the Blue Nile Basin annual and monthly temperatures were investigated. The statistical significance of the trend was calculated by applying the Mann–Kendall (MK) test. The analysis of data was performed using the coefficient of variance and anomaly index. The results showed that the annual maximum and minimum temperatures were increasing significantly with a magnitude of 0.037 and 0.025 ∘ C per decade respectively in the period from 1950 to 2018. The result of the Mann–Kendall analysis test revealed a marked increase in the mean maximum and minimum temperature trends over time during the study period (the minimum temperature rate is more evident than the maximum). The long-term anomalies of mean annual minimum temperature revealed the interannual variability while the trend after 1977 was higher than the long-term average, which is proof of the warming trend's existence during the last two decades of the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coming decades, ensuring food security is one of the greatest challenges in Ethiopia. Most Ethiopians practice mixed agricultural activity which represents about 33.88% of the country's GDP. Therefore, this paper is devoted to reviewing the existing agricultural challenges and future prospects in the country. Majorly, it focused on the shortage of farmland, climate change, fragmentation and degradation of farmland, unevenly distributed constructions and urbanizations, pests, lack of integration among stakeholders, political instabilities, and its prospects. Despite the numerous challenges, Ethiopia has marvelous opportunities like the commercialization of fruit, vegetable, and ornamental plant productions. The country has also ample opportunity in the areas of animal production that ranks first in Africa in the number of livestock heads. The country has a huge labor force and water resources. It is proximity to Middle East markets is valuable to transport fresh products within a short period of time to the needed destination. However, Ethiopia's current fruit, vegetable, and animal production for export are very limited because of fragmented cultivation and lack of quality. The country has also a great variety of climate and soil types that enables it to grow a diversity of horticultural crops. Therefore, emphasizing agriculture in Ethiopia requires the political as well as the economic commitment of all parties concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate vagary has exposed farming communities in Semien Mountains (North West Ethiopia) to repeated droughts and famines in recent years. Most of the farming communities in this area have failed to produce sufficient food and have become dependent on foreign food donations. Yet, the impact, vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the community to climate change in the above-mentioned mountain areas are not well documented. This paper examined the temporal temperature and rainfall trends, and the communities' vulnerability to climate change as well as their adaptive capacities to the changing climate to fill the existing information gaps regarding issues called forth in the Semien Mountains and other highland environments. Data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. Information from meteorological recordings was also collected for this study. The collected data were analyzed using standardized precipitation index, livelihood vulnerability index, bi-logit model and descriptive statistics. The results confirmed highest climatic variability manifested in rainfall and temperature changes. Rainfall decreased by a total of 573.46 mm (by ≈ 16.38 mm per year on average) from 1979 to 2013. Mean annual temperature increased from 18.54 °C in 1979 to 20 °C in 2013. In this light, majority of the respondents (85%) reported facing climatic hazards. About 70% of them perceive that climate change has decreased land productivity and numerous others (74%) felt its future implications on farmlands. Recurrent crop and animal diseases were indicated by 95.21 and 93.41% of the sampled households, respectively. These climate change-induced incidents were exacerbated by lower adaptive capacities and limited institutional services. Livestock rearing, livelihood diversification, stone bund building, tree planting, organic fertilizer application, selling home articles, soil bund construction, rainwater harvesting, utilizing synthetic fertilizers and preparing hand-dug wells were important adaptive strategies used and ranked 1–10, respectively, by the studied households. Extension services, family size, farm income, access to training and livestock ownership found influential during the use of composting, terracing and tree planting to reduce the negative impact of climate change. Farmer-to-farmer extension appeared to significantly reduce composting, terrace building and tree planting at p < 0.01 level. This calls for further social and cultural related studies to explore the reasons. Climate change adaptation strategies should thus focus on enhancing households' access to key livelihood assets such as education (training), family size, farm income, extension service, and livestock ownership opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioecological systems transformations in Borana rangelands have reduced the resilience of the Borana pastoral system. However, Borana pastoral households have not been passive victims; rather, they have demonstrated significant capabilities to respond to their changing environment through technical and institutional innovations. This paper examined Borana pastoral households' adaptive responses to deal with contemporary climate and sociopolitical variations and factors determining households' adaptation patterns. The study is based on household survey data generated from in-depth interview of 186 households drawn from six purposively selected pastoral associations in Yabello district in southern Ethiopia. To analyze the collected data, both descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, independent-sample t test, and Chi-square test and econometric model were employed. Most of the Borana pastoral households were found to have already embraced diverse non-pastoral activities such as crop farming to sustain their life in the face of mounting internal and external pressures. Nevertheless, they are still less likely to totally abandon pastoral ways of life. The model outputs revealed that the likelihood of pastoral households to use herd mobility as an adaptive response is explained by availability of labor force, size of livestock holdings, and access to climate information. Interestingly, the size of livestock holdings determined the pastoral household's adaptation patterns, indicating that livestock production still plays major economic and sociocultural roles in Borana pastoral contexts. Based on the findings, it is recommended that pastoral responses such as long-established mobility practice and current herd diversifications should be backed by responsive institutional support services. Finally, the study suggests that current hasty private range enclosures for both crop cultivation and fodder reserves should be reframed and supported by well-structured institutions for sustainable future and equitable resource use rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a recent challenge on crop production and productivity in the world. The objective of this paper is to review the major effects of climate change on the production and productivity of wheat in the high lands of Ethiopia. Effects of climate change on wheat would be mainly through changes in [CO2], temperature, rainfall, length of growing period, actual growth rate and increased evapo-transpiration, which may lead to reduce yield or complete crop failure. Moreover, flower fertilization and grain set are highly sensitive to heat stress during mid-anthesis. In C3 crops like wheat, the elevated CO2 level is expected to increase productivity as a result of higher CO2 diffusion through stomata leading to a higher photosynthesis rate. But, elevated [CO2] may have negative effects on the grain-quality of wheat in terms of protein, lipids, number of mitochondria and nitrogen contents. Unlike CO2, elevated temperature affects crop production negatively by increasing rate of respiration; hastening plant growth and development; increasing photorespiration of wheat, reducing photosynthetic efficiency due to O2 interrupts the photosynthetic path way instead of CO2, increasing rate of water loss by increasing evapo-transpiration and decreasing nutrient use-efficiency through increased rate of decomposition and mineralization. As a result, wheat area is forecast to be displaced by other crop types. In order to tackle this issue, major mitigation and adaptation measures for example promoting area closures and conservation agriculture-based (CA), agroforestry practices, efficient use of energy sources, etc. should be practiced and given special attention by the communities as well as the government to solve the effects of climate change on wheat production and productivity in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia economy depends strongly on Coffea arabica production. Coffee, like many other crops, is sensitive to climate change and recent studies have suggested that future changes in climate will have a negative impact on its yield and quality. An urgent development and application of strategies against negative impacts of climate change on coffee production is important. Agroforestry-based system is one of the strategies that may ensure sustainable coffee production amidst likelihood future impacts of climate change. This system involves the combination of trees in buffer extremes thereby modifying microclimate conditions. This paper assessed coffee production under: (1) coffee monoculture and (2) coffee grown using agroforestry system, under: (a) current climate and (b) two different future climate change scenarios. The study focused on two representative coffee growing regions of Ethiopia under different soil, climate and elevation conditions. A process-based growth model (yield-SAFE) was used to simulate coffee production for a time horizon of 40 years. Climate change scenarios considered were: representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. The results revealed that in monoculture systems, the current coffee yields are between 1200 and 1250 kg ha−1 year−1, with expected decrease between 4–38 and 20–60% in scenarios RCP 4.5 and 8.5, respectively. However, in agroforestry systems, the current yields are between 1600 and 2200 kg ha−1 year−1, the decrease was lower, ranging between 4–13 and 16–25% in RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. From the results, it can be concluded that coffee production under agroforestry systems has a higher level of resilience when facing future climate change and reinforce the idea of using this type of management in the near future for adapting climate change negative impacts on coffee production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the impact of peer choices on the decision to adapt to climate change in rural Ethiopia. Two IVs are employed (peer‐of‐peer choices and peer‐of‐peer information sources) in order to tackle the issue of endogeneity. Through the use of a 3‐year panel of farmers in the Nile Basin region, we find that peer choices positively affect the uptake of different adaptation strategies. A 10 percentage point increase in the share of peers using a specific strategy translates to an increase in the likelihood of adaptation between approximately 7% and 14%. This emphasizes the importance of social networks to achieve adaptation to climate change in sub‐Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore smallholder farmers' risk perception associated with climate change, the adaptation strategies used and determinants of their adaptation decision behaviour in Eferatena-Gidem district, Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach: The study used household survey methods of data collection. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey by interviewing 261 randomly selected smallholder farmers and analysed using both descriptive and inferential data analysis techniques including Participation Index, Adaptation Strategy Index and Binary Logistic Regression Model. Findings: Results of the survey revealed that the vast majority of the respondents perceived the long-term changes in temperature and rainfall pattern. Although they are not transformational in nature, the majority (77 per cent) of the respondents who had perceived changes in climate took adaptive measures. Results of the econometric model analysis revealed that farmers' perceptions of climate change, extension contact frequency, farmers' attitude towards adaptation measures, tailor-made training and membership of farmers in peasant associations were found to be significant predictors that positively influenced farmers' decision behaviour, whereas off-farm employment and the age of the household head were found to be negative and significant determinants. Practical implications: This study, in general, provides an insight into the risk perception, adaptive response and determinants of farmers' decision behaviour in implementing response strategies and suggests that policies and strategies intended at building the adaptive capacity of the farming community in the study area need to take into account the aforementioned significant factors and framers risk perception, as they highly determine their decision behaviour and help in designing effective and context-specific adaptation strategy. Originality/value: The findings of this study could be informative for policy makers and development practitioners in designing locally specific effective adaptation menu that shapes adaptation to current and future climate risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the effects of long-term environmental change (represented by the abundance or scarcity relative to the long-term average level of crop yield/river flow) and short-term environmental shock (represented by the maximum number of consecutive years below the median crop yield/river flow per decade) on population redistribution in Mexico and Ethiopia. Crop production and water resources, which are affected by climate change and influence human survival and activities, were selected as research variables. Two developing countries, namely, Mexico and Ethiopia, were selected as comparison cases. The results showed that short-term environmental shocks had no correlation with population redistribution. Short-term environmental shocks might fail to influence migration decisions or cause only temporary displacements that cannot be detected by demographic statistics. Among the long-term environmental change factors, only crop yield deviation was found to have a significant positive correlation with population redistribution. Based on two different datasets and two different decades, crop yield deviation is positively correlated with population redistribution; the correlation coefficients between crop yield deviation and population redistribution were 0.134 to 0.162 in Mexico and 0.102 to 0.235 in Ethiopia. When urbanization was considered as the control variable, the correlation coefficient between crop yield deviation and population redistribution in Mexico dropped by half, while it was almost the same in Ethiopia. However, Ethiopia's population redistribution was more clearly influenced by the population itself. Crop yield deviation relative to water flow deviation meant changes in livelihoods. Population redistribution is a possible means of adapting to changes in livelihood. Mexico exhibited high resilience to changes in livelihoods caused by long-term environmental change, especially in its densely populated areas. In contrast, Ethiopia was characterized mainly by high population growth and low population migration. People in some areas of Ethiopia were forced to endure hardship of livelihood deterioration or to stay where they were due to the difficulty of obtaining sufficient resources to afford the cost of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-induced migration is an increasingly pressing issue in many African regions, as rising temperatures and extreme weather events have caused the displacement of vulnerable populations. This is especially so in Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, particularly Kenya and Ethiopia, where extreme weather events have led to rangeland degradation, crop failures, water shortages, and food insecurity. Hence, there is a perceived need to understand these processes better. Against this background, this paper reports on a study investigating the processes associated with climate-induced migration in Kenya and Ethiopia. The research method used consisted of an expert-driven assessment approach, which assesses the causes of climate-induced migration in Kenya and Ethiopia and its human and social implications on local communities. Data were collected from 110 experts residing and working on climate and migration-related issues in Ethiopia and Kenya via e-mail, whose knowledge of the current situation has enabled the identification of some important trends. The results show that climate change is a primary trigger of migration both internally and externally. The high number of migrants, many of whom living within levels of poverty in their home areas is straining resources and services in the receiving regions. Their presence is also leading to increased competition for jobs and resources. Additionally, it has increased urban poverty, as many migrants have little access to living space and health care. This paper provides a welcome addition to the literature in that it lists the causes and implications of climate-induced migration and, by doing so, fosters a better understanding of the current crisis and its implications. The implications of this paper to the overall knowledge of climate change and migration are twofold. First, it highlights the need for governments, international organisations, and other stakeholders better to understand the complex linkages between climate change and migration. Secondly, it shows the usefulness of better recognising how climate change can drive migration and the other factors shaping the decision to migrate. The paper concludes by stating the urgent need for policies and programmes that support climate change-induced migrants. Also, it draws attention to the usefulness of promoting sustainable development in their origin countries and destinations, so that migration is not necessarily perceived as the only response to climate change. A further conclusion is that there is a perceived need for providing access to resources such as education, health care, and livelihood opportunities and establishing mechanisms to ensure a safe and dignified return for those who choose to do so. • Climate change is a significant driver for migration in Kenya and Ethiopia. • Droughts, conflicts, and crop failures are among the key drivers of migration. • Male migration is more prominent than a female one. • Limited access to productive resources leads to outmigration from rural areas. • Lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic did not cause any major migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Central and North Gondar Zone, climate change is causing a challenge for smallholder farmers to improve their living standards. Rural communities face different climate change variables which negatively affect their livelihoods. Hence, this paper investigates rural households' perception of climate change, its determinants and their indigenous mitigation strategies in response to the perceived impacts of climate change. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and a review of different documents. To carry out the study, a multistage sampling procedure was employed. From each zone, study districts were selected purposively based on their economic activity and agroecological representativeness of the zone. A systematic sampling technique was employed to select 130 rural households. Primary data collected were analyzed by simple descriptive statistics and a logit regression model. The study results revealed that rural households did not similarly perceive climate change due to socioeconomic factors. Socioeconomic factors that significantly (at p≤0.05) determined rural households' perceptions of climate change were age, sex, educational status and access to extension services (at p≤0.01). The finding indicates that smallholder farmers used different indigenous mitigation strategies such as reforestation, minimizing deforestation, planting trees on their farmland and protection and tillage management practices for resolving climate change. According to the study, female-headed households participated less in agricultural training and had less access to information and restricted mobility outside the community to share information that help them to perceive climate change. Hence, equity issues should be considered for female-headed households and concerned bodies such as environmental protection experts and agricultural extension service providers should emphasize the upgrade of the farmer's capacity to mitigate climate change through indigenous knowledge for enhancing their living standard. In addition, development agents' facilitation of indigenous knowledge sharing among farmers should be emphasized to mitigate climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a new systems modeling tool that integrates knowledge from hydrology, agriculture, and economics to understand the effect of small-scale irrigation on food security and groundwater sustainability in Ethiopia. Irrigation is an effective tool to mitigate climate impacts and improve agricultural yields. Small-scale irrigation, such as decentralized groundwater irrigation, is well suited for developing countries where small-holder farming communities are widely dispersed and can only afford small infrastructure investment. We study the underlying interdependencies between food and water systems in Ethiopia, where small-holder agriculture is the foundation of the nation's economy and climate variability has led to great challenges to its food security. Our coupled market and crop model with groundwater module captures the interdependencies of climate, water availability, irrigation, crop yield, farmland allocation, crop production, transport, and consumption based on a system approach across multiple spatial scales. We study the implication of small-scale irrigation to Ethiopia's food security and water resource conditions as a "what-if" question by comparing an irrigation scenario to the calibrated baseline in 2015, a year of significant drought and crop failure over a large portion of Ethiopia. Our model offers fresh insights into geographic disparities in outcomes that are driven by baseline climate variability, soil fertility, and market conditions. In general, we find that small-scale irrigation can potentially improve food security through increases in food consumption, but it requires policy support to direct the increases of production to domestic consumption while maintaining a sustainable groundwater condition. By using Ethiopia as an example, we show the strength of our model to study how water infrastructure resources support critical functions and service in water and food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry is recognized as one of the strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation under the Kyoto protocol. The system has been practiced in Ethiopia for a while by smallholder farmers by incorporating crops with trees providing extensive socio-economic and environmental benefits. This unaccounted benefit of the system needs further and specific study. Thus, this study aimed to examine the resilience of three (homegardens, woodlots, and parkland) traditional agroforestry systems (TAFS) on the basis of biomass carbon accumulation and socio-economic characteristics in Silite district, Southern Ethiopia. Systematic random sampling was employed to collect social and biological data. Height and diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured to determine the biomass carbon stock and a questionnaire was performed for the socio-economic data. The mean differences across the system were analyzed using a post hoc test. Socioeconomic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. Climate change awareness was perceived almost by half of the respondents, thus the contribution of TAFS to climate change adaptation and mitigation was revealed socio-economically and ecologically. Carbon stock and socio-economic benefits gained from agroforestry systems consist in a great sink of carbon and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and variability have been one of the challenges to socioeconomic and environmental sustainability in the twenty-first century. Meteorological analyses of historical drought occurrences are common in East Africa, but studies devoted to its effect on land use change are yet limited. This paper aimed to assess the long-term rainfall and temperature variability and its effects on farmers’ land use change in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia over the past 30-36 years using a combination of meteorological and socioeconomic data. Results show that the overall coefficient of variation for rainfall was more than 35% for rainy seasons. Out of the 36 years, total rainfall of the rainy season showed negative anomalies for about half of these years. Summer season rainfall started after the average time of onset for about 42% of the database years, and it ceased ahead of the average time of the stop for about 56% of these years. As a result of such rainfall shortage and variability, about 82% of the drought-vulnerable farmers had already changed their land use from pastoralist/agropastoralist to mixed farming while 10% have a wish to shift to other land use options in the future. Hence, future policies need to consider strategies that strengthen the adaptation capacity of farmers to climate change in East Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now a day's food security issues become one of the critical concern and top priority area for developing countries. Having clear picture on food security status and its major determinants helps policy makers and planners to devise new policies that enhance food security. Hence, this paper was designed to review the impact of climate change on food security status of Ethiopian households. The objectives of this review are to review the impact of climate change on household food security and to review determinants of Ethiopian Households' food Security. Ethiopian rural households are vulnerable to shocks, such as drought, that affects agricultural production. Famine and drought affect food security and livelihood of rural households in the country. Consequently, crop failure, water stress, crop disease and high food prices affect the population. Household size, age, offfarm income; credit, fertilizer use, livestock ownership, and participation in local savings groups are other important factors determining Ethiopian household food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the annual and seasonal rainfall variability at five selected stations of Amhara Regional State, by using the innovative trend analysis method (ITAM), Mann-Kendall (MK) and Sen's slope estimator test. The result showed that the trend of annual rainfall was increasing in Gondar (Z = 1.69), Motta (Z = 0.93), and Bahir Dar (Z = 0.07) stations. However, the trends in Dangla (Z = -0.37) and Adet (Z = -0.32) stations showed a decreasing trend. As far as monthly and seasonal variability of rainfall are concerned, all the stations exhibited sensitivity of change. The trend of rainfall in May, June, July, August, and September was increasing. However, the trend on the rest of other months showed a decreasing trend. The increase in rainfall during Kiremt season, along with the decrease in number of rainy days, leads to an increase of extreme rainfall events over the region during 1980-2016. The consistency in rainfall trends over the study region confirms the robustness of the change in trends. Innovative trend analysis method is very crucial method for detecting the trends in rainfall time series data due to its potential to present the results in graphical format as well. The findings of this paper could help researchers to understand the annual and seasonal variability of rainfall over the study region and become a foundation for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a multi-scalar examination of the Ethiopian coffee sector and its pursuit of climate resilience. Concern is growing about the potential impact of climate change on Arabica coffee in Ethiopia and the 25 million livelihoods it supports. Arabica coffee has a relatively narrow envelope of climatic suitability and recent studies suggest that the area of bioclimatically suitable space for the species in its native Ethiopia could decline dramatically in the coming decades. We adopt a critical perspective on resilience that reflects on the situated nature of the ecology/science of coffee and climate change and the operation of social, economic, and discursive power across scales, paying particular attention to the differentiated impacts of climate change and associated resilience strategies. This analysis begins by reviewing Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy and argues that the current lack of attention to coffee is inappropriate considering the coffee sector’s vulnerability to climate change, economic importance and association with forests. The paper then examines the contemporary coffee sector which provides the context for reflecting on three potential responses to the threat climate change poses; a spatial response from farmers, adaptive farm management responses such as changing shade levels and the development of the country’s genetic resources to cultivate improved varieties. The analysis explores the disconnect between the interventions emerging from national and international institutions and the local context. The multi-scale approach highlights the presence of complex normative trade-offs associated with pursing climate resilience strategies and reinforces the importance of appreciating the dynamics which influence decision-making in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sesame is a major annual oil crop that is grown practically everywhere in tropical and subtropical Asia, as well as Africa, for its very nutritious and tasty seeds. Rising temperatures, droughts, floods, desertification, and weather all have a significant impact on agricultural production, particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the influence of climate change on the sesame yield in North Gondar, North Ethiopia, by using the autoregressive distributed Lag (ARDL) time series model. This study employed climate data from the Bahirdar Agrometeorological Center and secondary data on sesame production from the Ethiopian Statistical Service, spanning 36 years, from 1987 to 2023. Autoregressive Distributed LAG (ARDL) includes diagnostic tests for both short- and long-term autoregressive models. The results for the long-run and short-run elastic coefficients show a significant positive association between temperatures and sesame yield. Sesame yield and rainfall have a significant negative long-run and short-run relationship in North Gondar, North Ethiopia. ARDL results confirm that temperature and rainfall have significant effects on sesame productivity. Temperature had a considerable favorable effect on sesamen production, but rainfall had a negative effect in North Gondar, Ethiopia. Based on the evidence acquired from our study, we made several policy recommendations and suggestions to government officials, policymakers, new technologies, researchers, policy development planners, and other stakeholders in order to develop or implement new technology to halt its production and direct adaptation measures in light of the certainty of global warming and the characteristics of climate-dependent agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aloeankoberensis M.G. Gilbert & Sebsebe and A.debrana Christian are Ethiopian endemic species currently classified as endangered and least concern, respectively under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories. Recent studies indicate that climate change is anticipated to significantly influence the distribution of plant species. Therefore, this study aimed to model the distribution of A.ankoberensis and A.debrana under different climate change scenarios in the North Shewa Zone, Amhara National Regional State of Ethiopia. Thirty-six and 397 georeferenced presence points for A.ankoberensis and A.debrana, respectively, and 12 environmental variables were used to simulate their current and future distributions. The ensemble model approach was used to examine the current and future (2050 and 2070) climatic suitability for both species under three shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) climate scenarios (SSP 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5). Results: The performance of ensemble model was excellent for A.ankoberensis with score of area under curve (AUC) 0.96 and true skill statistics (TSS) 0.88, and good for A.debrana with score of AUC 0.87 and TSS 0.63. The main variables that affected the species' distributions were mean diurnal range of temperature, annual precipitation, and elevation. According to the model, under the current climate conditions, 98.32%, 1.01%, 0.52%, and 0.15% were not suitable, lowly, moderately, and highly suitable areas, respectively for A.ankoberensis, and 63.89%, 23.35%, 12.54%, and 0.21% were not suitable, lowly, moderately and highly suitable areas, respectively for A.debrana. Under future climate scenarios, suitable habitats of these species could shrink. In addition, under all climate change scenarios, it is anticipated that highly suitable areas for both species and moderately suitable areas for A.ankoberensis will be lost completely in the future unless crucial interventions are done on time. Conclusions: The results indicate that the future may witness a decline in suitable habitat for A.ankoberensis and A.debrana, which leads to increasing threat of extinction. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a conservation plan and enhance climate change adaptation strategies to mitigate the loss of suitable habitats for these highland and sub-Afroalpine endemic Aloe species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the status, determining factors, and challenges in adopting climate smart livestock production practices by farmers. Three-staged sampling techniques were used to select the research sites and 233 sample farmer household respondents. Data were collected mainly using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to complement the household survey data. Descriptive statistics and an ordered logistic regression model were applied to analyze the quantitative data. The result revealed that the most adopted practices were composting (85.41%) and manure management (70.39%) while the least adopted technologies were biogas generation (3.86%) and rotation grazing (22.32%). The adoption status of the sampled farmers was also categorized into low (19.74%), medium (67.81%), and high adopter (12.45%). The high cost of improved breed, use of manure for fuel, free grazing, lack of information and awareness were the major constraints to adopting the climate smart livestock production technologies. The result also revealed that education, grazing land, total livestock holding, and extension agent contact contributed significantly and positively to the adoption of smart livestock production technology, while the distance from the water source had an insignificant and negative effect on the adoption status of climate smart livestock production practices. The study suggests the relevance of the cooperation of stakeholders and strengthening extension services for the maximum benefits of climate smart livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed hydrological responses to changing climate and land use/land cover (LULC) for the past (1985–2020) and future (2021–2080) in the Chemoga watershed of the Upper Blue Nile Basin. The watershed comprises four agroecological environments: Moist Kolla, Moist Weyna Dega, Moist Dega, and Wet Wurch. Past and projected LULC changes under business-as-usual (BAU) and land conservation (LC) scenarios were utilized. Climate projections from 2021 to 2080, under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5), were downscaled from Global Climate Models. Utilizing the Soil and Water Analysis Tool, we assessed impacts on mean annual surface runoff (SR) and evapotranspiration (ET). Maximum and minimum temperatures increased significantly in the past and future climate scenarios, with a significant rainfall increase observed under SSP5-8.5. Historical trends revealed a 16.6% increase in SR and 7% in ET from 1983–2002 to 2003–2020. Under BAU LULC with the SSP2-4.5 (SSP5-8.5) climate scenario, SR increased by 24% (26.1%) and ET by 3.1% (4.4%) from 2003–2020 to 2021–2050, followed by a subsequent SR rise of 13.7% (14.0%) and ET increase of 6.0% (5.7%) from 2021–2050 to 2051–2080. Conversely, the LC LULC with SSP2-4.5 (SSP5-8.5) resulted in a 5.3% (4.2%) SR decrease and ET increase of 9.7% (11.3%) from 2003–2020 to 2021–2050 and a further SR decrease of 1% (0.7%) and 6.1% (6.9%) ET increase from 2021–2050 to 2051–2080. The Moist Kolla agroecology experienced the highest SR increase due to vegetation clearances for commercial farming. Meanwhile, the LC scenario indicated substantial decreases in SR and marginal increases in ET in the Moist Weyna Dega agroecology due to forest restoration on steep slopes. Overall, SR showed greater sensitivity to LULC changes, while ET was more responsive to climate changes. The results emphasize considering diverse agroecological contexts for effective water resource management under changing climate and LULC scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need for interventions in addressing the rapid and disproportionate impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change (CC) on low- and middle-income countries. Within this context, it is important to understand indigenous knowledge in rural communities, which are highly affected. This study examined knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding AMR and CC in the Adadle district, Somali region, Ethiopia, utilizing mixed methods, including 362 surveys and 12 focus group discussions among rural communities. Findings showed that 39% and 63% of participants were familiar with AMR and CC, respectively. Of those surveyed, 57% attributed AMR to inappropriate antimicrobial use in animals and humans, while CC was often associated with Allah/God. Multivariable analysis indicated that males exhibited superior knowledge and a positive attitude towards AMR and CC. Additionally, individuals aged 26–35 and 36–45 years showed heightened awareness of AMR and CC, respectively. Moreover, participants who were government employees, pastoralists, and business owners showed better knowledge on CC compared to family caretaker. Religious education and households with more than six members were linked to lower AMR knowledge. This study underlines a greater awareness of CC than AMR and highlights gender-based disparities, recommending integrated educational AMR programs targeting different demographics through a One Health lens, actively involving females, and incorporating local beliefs and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]