Climate Information Needs and Channel Preferences among Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia

Climate information provisions are mostly supply-driven and not tailored to the needs of farmers and communities. Moreover, studies on climate information services in Ethiopia are scanty and pay less attention to climate-risk-related information needs and delivery channel preferences of smallholder farmers. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess major climate risks, climate information needs and preferred climate information delivery channels among farming communities in the major crop-livestock systems. Respondents identified the major climate and climate-related risks in the Belg and Meher seasons. Household heads, spouses and expert respondents agreed on most of the climate risks, although there were differences in the rating of some of the climate risks. Almost all respondents acknowledge that they received climate information mostly once a season and used it to plan for land preparation operations only. According to the respondents, Development Agents (DAs), kebele meetings, radio, and religious gatherings are the most common sources of climate information. More than 95% of the household head and spouse respondents expressed their strong desire to receive climate information services, preferably through DAs, radio and kebele meetings

Impact of Education on Knowledge and Practice of Kala Azar Preventive Measures among Seasonal and Migrant Agricultural Workers in Northwest Ethiopia.

Kala azar occurs among seasonal and migrant agricultural workers in northwest Ethiopia and accounts for almost 60% of the disease burden in the country. We conducted a quantitative study on the level of knowledge and practice of this vulnerable group in relation to kala azar transmission and acceptability of its vector control tools. A total of 403 workers were randomly selected from eight farms using a purposive sampling technique. Knowledge and practice scores were calculated based on 12 and 9 core questions, respectively. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with knowledge and practice. A large gap in knowledge of the disease and the vector was evident with 61.8%, 24.6%, and 13.6% of the workers having poor, moderate, and good levels of knowledge scores, respectively. Similarly, 95% of the seasonal workers reported poor level of use of protective measures against the bite of the sand fly vector. Good level of knowledge about kala azar and its sand fly vector was statistically associated with formal education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.11; 95% CI = 1.17, 3.80; P < 0.05) and previous exposure to health education (AOR = 4.72; 95% CI = 1.99, 11.16; P < 0.001). Despite poor current knowledge and practice, a large proportion of the study participants showed interest in using vector control tools if made available, with 78% of the seasonal and migrant workers expressing some willingness to pay for different measures that can protect against sand fly bites. Therefore, we strongly recommend that comprehensive health education and vector control programs should be provided to these workers

The adoption impact of wheat-chickpea double cropping on yield and farm income of smallholder farmers in Central Highlands of Ethiopia: the case of Becho district

This paper examines impacts of adoption of wheat chickpea double cropping on yield and farm income of smallholder rural farmers in Becho district, South West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The study used cross-sectional data collected from 203 smallholder farm households selected randomly through two-stage stratified random sampling technique. Propensity score matching was employed to analyze the impacts of adoption on yield and farm income. The result showed that adoption of wheat-chickpea double cropping has significant impact on yield and farm income of the group of adopter households compared to the group of non-adopters. With regard to yield, adopters harvested average wheat yield of 2120 kg/ha, while the non-adopters harvested average wheat yield of 1420 kg/ha. In addition, the treated households earned average annual farm income of about 709.125 Euro per year from sale of both wheat and chickpea as adopters; while the non-adopters earned average farm income of 129 Euro from sale of wheat. These results imply that scaling out of wheat-chickpea double cropping contributes to food security and rural livelihood improvement through yield and farm income increment. Hence, encouraging farmers towards adoption of wheat-chickpea double cropping is essential for improving livelihoods of rural households by properly addressing factors such as access to improved seeds, training on double cropping, involvement in non-farm income activities, access to broad bed maker (BBM), ownership of tropical livestock unit (TLU) and access to fertilizer

Vulnerability of household livelihoods to climate variability and change in the central rift valley sub-basin of Ethiopia

Ethiopia, despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, is consistently cited as one of the most vulnerable countries, not only in Sub-Saharan Africa regions but also globally, to climate variability and change. The country's farming households are most vulnerable because of their climate-sensitive livelihoods and limited resources to finance adaptation measures. This study aimed to assess the livelihood vulnerability of communities reliant on a mixed crop-livestock agricultural system and natural resources in the Central Rift Valley sub-basin of Ethiopia to climate variability and change. Structured interviews were used to collect quantitative data from 339 randomly selected households. Livelihood Vulnerability Index was developed to assess the degree of livelihood vulnerability between the two districts. The survey results were supported and substantiated by focus group discussions. The findings show that farm households living in the sub-basin experience different levels of vulnerability to climate variability and change because of their varying adaptive capacities. Considering the aggregate Livelihood Vulnerability Index, Arsi Negele district is considered to be more vulnerable to climate variability and change. The livelihood Vulnerability Index-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change results also show that Arsi Negele is more vulnerable since its exposure scores exceed its adaptive capacity. Several factors contribute to the weak adaptive capacity of farmers in Arsi Negele. These factors include lesser adoption of agricultural technology, a low level of knowledge and education, insufficient social networks, less diversification of livelihood strategies, and higher socio-demographic vulnerability. In contrast, Adami Tullu Jido Kombolcha district has a higher sensitivity score due to its limited access to potable water, housing, and land ownership. Strategies that minimize households' degree of sensitivity and enhance their adaptive capacity should be promoted. Such strategies should include the adoption of improved agricultural technologies, strengthening awareness and technical capacity, promoting better soil and water management, accessing credit options, and building community networks. Diversifying household income and establishing alternative livelihoods should also be encouraged

Perceived Stress and Its Associated Factors during COVID-19 among Healthcare Providers in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background. Coronavirus causes serious health problems worldwide including increased mental health burden to the society at large scale and particularly the healthcare providers. Understanding the immediate mental health and psychological response of the healthcare providers after a public health emergency is important for implementing better prevention and response mechanisms to a disaster. Objective. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of perceived stress and risk factors of coronavirus disease 2019 among healthcare providers in Dilla, Southern Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 244 samples selected with the systematic random sampling technique from March to April 2020. Data collection was carried out with a validated perceived stress scale adapted from the World Health Organization. Data were coded and entered into Epi Info Version 7 and were exported and analyzed with SPSS version 20. Crude and adjusted OR were analyzed using logistic regression, and the level of significance of association was determined at P value <0.05. Result. The prevalence of perceived stress among participants was 126 (51.6%). Being at the age range of 25–31 years (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI, 1.12, 5.81), master’s and above in their qualification (AOR = 6.0, 95% CI 1.59, 22.31), nurse professionals (AOR = 8.2, 95% CI 2.69, 24.74), and pharmacist professionals (AOR = 4.8, 95% CI, 1.25, 18.64) were variables found to have a strong statistically significant association with the perceived stress of coronavirus disease. Conclusion. More than half of the study participants were found to have perceived stress for coronavirus disease. Early screening and intervention of stress among frontline healthcare providers based on the findings are suggested