Integrating in-situ data with satellite-derived products to assess surface-groundwater interactions and sustainability of groundwater resources in semi-arid environment

In arid and semi-arid regions, water scarcity is nowadays a primary challenge, because of continuously increasing spatio-temporal rainfall variability and high evapotranspiration, both implying a decline of freshwater resources. Moreover, it is expected that this problem will worsen with the ongoing climate change. It is therefore important an in-depth investigations of the spatio-temporal surface-groundwater (SW-GW) interactions and sustainability of groundwater resources, which can be optimally realized through application of an integrated hydrological models (IHMs). This study proposes an approach to integrate satellite-derived products with in-situ measurements to assess the spatio-temporal SW-GW interactions and sustainability of groundwater resources in the data scarce Zamra catchment (ZC), northern Ethiopia. The research approach consists of four study chapters (chapter2-5). Chapter 2 focusses on the integration of daily satellite rainfall with in-situ rainfall. The study demonstrated that the Geographically Weighted Regression approach, could substantially reduce the daily biases between satellite and in-situ rainfall products in topographically complex areas, indicating further validation and improvement can be achieved by increasing in-situ gauge network and eventually considering more accuracy-effective explanatory variables. Chapter 3 focusses on the spatio-temporal estimate of interception loss (EI), characterized by various land use types and the overall estimated EI demonstrated high spatial and temporal variability, ranging on annual basis from zero at bare lands to 30% in forested areas. Chapter 4 focusses on derivation of PET as the product of RS-based, FAO-Penman-Monteith ETo and NDVI-based land use land cover factor (Kc). The NDVI-based Kc demonstrated high spatio-temporal variability, ranging from ~0.15 (bare land) to ~1.4 (forest), which resulted in higher PET values than the bias-corrected RS-based ETo in locations where Kc >1 and vice versa (i.e. in locations where Kc <1), which underlined substantial difference between ETo and PET. Chapter 5 focusses on IHM assessment of the spatio-temporal variability of SW-GW interactions and on sustainability of groundwater resources in the hydrologically complex ZC. RS approaches to estimate driving forces (Chapter 2-4) were applied as inputs of the MODFLOW 6 IHM (MOD6-IHM). The calibrated MOD6-IHM, showed high spatio-temporal water fluxes variability in the ZC, largely influenced by high spatio-temporal rainfall variability, in which the only source of water input. Throughout the MOD6-IHM solution, that rainfall (P) was partitioned into the two dominant sinks, evapotranspiration (ET=53.2% of P) and stream outflow (q= 46% of P). As the net recharge (1.6% of P) constrains groundwater resources sustainability, the issue of sustainability of ZC groundwater resources is crucial considering their future utilization for agricultural purposes

Assessing Teachers’ Perception on Integrating ICT in Teaching-Learning Process: The Case of Adwa College

Rapid growth and improvement in ICT have led to the diffusion of technology in education. The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers’ perception on integrating ICT in teaching-learning process. The research questions sought to measure teachers’ software usage as well as other instructional tools and materials, preferences for professional development on information gathering and support, factors that encourage teachers’ usage of technology, teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy and barriers that teachers faced during technology utilization in teaching-learning process. A population of 72 teachers at Adwa College participated in this survey. The result on hardware and software usage shows that majority of teachers in the college are unable to use hardware in teaching learning process due to mainly shortage of resources. Teachers who cannot use ICT as instructional tool are 55.6 percent higher than those who can use it.  This indicates that most teachers in the college are not integrating ICT in the course they teach. In regard the information and support services, there is no equal support service by the technical support units.  Adwa College is found as poor by most of the teachers in preparing ICT trainings. The mean of the factors that encourage technology ranged from 2.72 to 2.99 which indicate that encouraging technology is important to apply ICT in teaching-learning process. Moreover, the mean for the perception of teachers about ICT usage ranged from 4.28 to 4.79 shows that Adwa College teachers have strong positive perception to use ICT in teaching-learning process. Pearson correlation (r=0.412) shows that there is significant relationship between teachers’ perception towards ICT integration into Teaching-learning process and the factors that encourage ICT usage. This indicates that the teachers’ perception towards ICT integration into teaching-learning process increases if ICT usage is encouraged and vice versa. The results of the correlation for the  relationship between teachers’ perception toward ICT usage to increase quality of courses they teach and their productiveness due to ICT usage is also found as significant (r=0.615). This indicates that the teachers’ productiveness is realized if ICT is integrated to the course they teach. However, majority of the teachers pointed out that one of the barriers to technology implementation is lack of teachers’ technical knowledge and shortage of resources. This shows that equipping the college with ICT is not enough for attaining educational change. Therefore, the college should critically focus to integrate ICT in each course to make courses interactive and easily understandable by their students. Key words: Adwa, Barriers, Diffusion of technology, Hardware and Software, ICT, Integration, Perceptions

Results-based monitoring and evaluation for organizations working in agricultural development: a guide for practitioners

The purpose of this guide for practitioners is to contribute to the development of RBM&E capacity and to facilitate its institutionalization in organizations dealing with agricultural development. The target audiences of the guide include the staff in planning, monitoring and evaluation departments/units of public organizations and non-governmental organizations dealing with agricultural development at federal, regional, zonal or district levels. Staff of the agricultural research and higher learning institutes may also find the guide useful. It is assumed that users of the guide would have some basic knowledge of project/program/policy planning and implementation. The guide is based on an extensive review of M&E literature and the experiences of the RBM&E activities of the IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian farmers project.1 As part of its overall approach to market-oriented agricultural development, the IPMS project is working to facilitate the use and institutionalization of RBM&E system. The guide is organized as follows. Section two deals with basic concepts of RBM&E. Section three presents the relationships between the concepts and practices of M&E. Section four deals with the concepts and applications of participatory monitoring and evaluation. Sections five and six present the practices and processes of the selection of results to monitor and evaluate, and the selection of key performance indicators, respectively. Section seven discusses the methods of setting baseline data and targets, and section eight deals with data collection and analysis. While section nine deals with reporting and using M&E information, section ten discusses issues, approaches and requirements for institutionalizing and sustaining the RBM&E system

Assessing Quality of Education: In Perspective with Continuous Assessment and Learners’ Performance in Adwa College, Ethiopia

This study attempted to explore education quality in Adwa College of Teacher Education. The general objective of this study was assessing the quality of education in the perspective of continuous assessment and learner’s performance in Adwa College of Teachers Education. The study explored the class size and its influence on education quality; conditions of implementing continuous assessment and learners’ performance in the college. To explore all these researchers employed census method (72 teacher respondents). The study finds that in average there are 52 students in one class. Because of large class size regular giving of take-home assignment, careful scoring of the students’ work, adequate monitoring and supervision of the students’ class work, easy identification of the gains and difficulties of each student and providing feedback to individual students is not possible. Moreover, the college continuous assessment format is difficult to implement in the ground and it has been doing nothing to help students’ performance since there is copping assignments. Especially, it is difficult to implement in some courses. Furthermore, teachers have a problem to take attendance daily in classroom. Performances of students in individual work and presentation and students’ general knowledge is poor. Moreover, habit of students to read and their readiness to use library is poor.  Moreover, students’ academic background is low and there is high cheating in time of exam in the college. In general the main obstacles that hindered education quality in the college are students’ low performance and background, lack of controlling cheating in time of assignment and exams, lack of follow up to students and lack of support to students. Furthermore, large class size and inappropriate implementation of the continuous assessment are other problems that deteriorated education quality. Therefore, the regional government should make overall expansion program on the college especially, constructing buildings to address the class size.  Moreover, college should make the entrance time of fresh students on time. College should also consolidate network activities (cooperative learning) as a basic strategy and rent rooms from the nearby schools in time of exam. Keywords: Adwa, Education quality, continuous assessment, class size, students’ performance

Teachers in Politics: Impact of Political Party Membership on Teachers’ Freedom and Stability. The Case of Nigste-Saba High School, Adwa, Tigray, Ethiopia.

This study attempted to explore the main influences of politics on teacher’s academic freedom and on the independence of academic institutions. The general objective of this study was assessing the impact of political party membership among teachers on their freedom in the study area. Nigste Saba is a model high school which is selected purposefully from the total three high schools in Adwa town. The study explored the influence difference made on the teachers who are members of the ruling political party and non-members. Moreover, it explored the influence of the woreda on the school and teachers’ academic freedom by using census method (86 teacher respondents). The study finds that majority (62.2 percent) of teachers in the school are not members to any political party since they hate politics. But they are obliged to join the ruling party directly or indirectly. Majority of the teachers (68.9 percent) agreed that members of the ruling party get priority in getting benefits from the school. The school is turned in to a center of politics instead of academics. Moreover, the main influences made on teachers who are not member of the ruling party are: intimidated by the school director, intimidated by the woreda educational office, neglected from trainings, victimized during promotion, transfer and other service related issues, delayed documents in transferring from one to another work place and exposed to lack of transparency. Furthermore, the members of the ruling party have also influences such as expending more time to political issues, de-motivated   to teach accurately and loose freedom. All these make teachers to hate their profession in the school. In addition, the study finds that in average one teacher who is member of the ruling party paid up to 3 percent of their monthly salary to the party. In general, there is treatment difference between teachers who are members to the ruling party and those who are not. Moreover, Political interference in the affairs of an educational institution destroys teachers’ freedom and education quality. Freeing schools from political intervention to do their academic issues independently can sustain academic freedom and quality of education.  Furthermore, the discrimination between members of the ruling party and nonmembers should avoid. Key words: Politics, political party, membership, academic freedom, EPRDF, teachers, influence

Finite Element Based Investigation of Belled Piers in Expansive Soils

To address previous limitations of belled piers embedded in expansive soils, a numerical investigation is performed using the finite element-based software Abaqus. A parametric study, cost comparison, and trend line development (for design) were conducted. The parametric investigations indicated that when designing belled piers in expansive soils, increasing the shaft diameter is preferred to increasing the length, or the bell size; the limiting diameter for belled piers is much higher than that for straight shaft piers; most belled piers in expansive soils in Ethiopia do not need tensile reinforcement; and the applied load needed to fully eliminate tensile stresses in belled piers is less than that needed in straight shaft piers. The cost comparison indicated that for smaller values of the swelling pressure and the depth of the swelling zone, straight shaft piers are more cost-effective; while for medium to large values of the swelling pressure and the depth of the swelling zone, large bell size belled piers are more cost-effective. The trend lines indicated that in Ethiopia belled piers with the minimum sizes can be used

Farm Land Conflict and its Socio-Economic Consequences in Tahtay Qoraro, Tigray, Ethiopia.

This study attempted to explore the main causes of farm land conflicts and its socio-economic consequences on the rural residents. The general objective of this study was assessing the causes and socio-economic consequences of farm land conflict in the study area. The study explored the agricultural productivity loss and socio-economic costs by using 175 rural farm household respondents. Moreover, focus group discussions and interview were also employed to collect qualitative data. The main causes of farm land conflicts are building extension on private land, population growth, fragmented land and drainage. Moreover, scarce farm land, high demand for land, inheritance problem and land grabbing are other causes of farm land conflicts. Disputant farmers do not invite or support each other in the social association and organizations. Therefore, farm land conflict terminates the social interaction of the community. Furthermore, the study finds that in average one farm household respondent waste more than one month and birr 2445.72 annually to execute his/her case when the farm land conflict went to the court. Moreover, farmers loss 18.8 percent to 23.2 percent agricultural productivity because of farm land conflict. Farm land conflict hampers local and national development by mainly affecting rural agricultural productivity. The large proportion of caseloads handled by the woreda court is farm land conflicts and more than half of farm land conflicts reach to the woreda court while few proportion address in the local area. Keywords: Farmers, farm land, conflict, socio-economic, agricultural productivity, Tahtay Qoraro

The characteristics and determinants of entrepreneurship in Ethiopia

Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) approach, the study analyzes the characteristics and determinants of entrepreneurship in Ethiopia. Primary data are collected through the Adult Population Survey (APS) and analyzed using Probit model. To overcome the hetroscedasticity problem, which is prevalent in cross section studies, robust standard errors were employed. The findings of the study reveal that about 53% of the adults in Ethiopia are potential entrepreneurs. The perceived opportunity rate in Ethiopia (65%) is above the average for factor-driven economies (63%); while the perceived capabilities rate (69%) is below the average for factor-driven economies (71%). Ethiopia’s rate of entrepreneurial intention (22%), early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate (12.2%), and established business activity rate (8.3%) are below the average for both factor-driven economies and Sub-Saharan African countries. The econometric analysis indicates that demographic variables such as age, level of education, societal attitude towards entrepreneurship, and social networks (knowing someone in business) are significant in influencing potential entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intensions in Ethiopia. In early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA),"Fear of failure" is found to have a negative and statistically significant effect. On the other hand, the probability of engaging in TEA significantly differs between those living in urban and rural areas. Furthermore, the results provide basic data to develop national entrepreneurship strategy, consistent with the MSE development strategy and other macro and sectoral level strategies. Thus, the low rate of TEA and established business in Ethiopia can be improved by expanding the quantity and quality of support services. Moreover, there is also a need to develop region-specific entrepreneurial development plan to reduce region to region or urban-rural differences.Keywords: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), Perceived Opportunities and Capabilities, Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA

Changes in total and per-capital ecosystem service value in response to land-use land-cover dynamics in north-central Ethiopia

Ecosystems provide a wide range of services crucial for human well-being and decision-making processes at various levels. This study analyzed the major land cover types of north-central Ethiopia and their impact on total and per-capita ecosystem service value (ESV). The ESV was estimated using the benefit-transfer method along the established global and local coefficient values for the periods 1973, 1986, 2001, 2016, and 2024. The findings show that agricultural lands continued to expand at a rate of 563.4 ha year−1, at the expense of forests and grasslands. As a result, the total ESV of the study area declined from $101.4 to$61.03 million and $60.08–$43.69 million, respectively. The ESV per capita was also diminished by $152.4 (37.7$257 (40.6%), respectively. However, land-cover improvement during the period 2001–2016 enhanced the total and per capita ESV in the study area. Therefore, potential future research may be required to develop a valid approach for assessing the robustness and sensitivity of value coefficients for the valuation of the ESV at the landscape level.</p

Adaptations to Climate-Mediated Selective Pressures in Humans

Humans inhabit a remarkably diverse range of environments, and adaptation through natural selection has likely played a central role in the capacity to survive and thrive in extreme climates. Unlike numerous studies that used only population genetic data to search for evidence of selection, here we scan the human genome for selection signals by identifying the SNPs with the strongest correlations between allele frequencies and climate across 61 worldwide populations. We find a striking enrichment of genic and nonsynonymous SNPs relative to non-genic SNPs among those that are strongly correlated with these climate variables. Among the most extreme signals, several overlap with those from GWAS, including SNPs associated with pigmentation and autoimmune diseases. Further, we find an enrichment of strong signals in gene sets related to UV radiation, infection and immunity, and cancer. Our results imply that adaptations to climate shaped the spatial distribution of variation in humans.</p