Integrated Site Suitability Analysis for Urban Development Using Remote Sensing and GIS Based Multicriteria Evaluation Technique in Wolaita Sodo Town and Surrounding Area, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Urban Land suitability assessment is an important fundamental work in urban land development. Land suitability assessment, in the context of land use planning, is a bridging phase linking land resources assessment to any land use decision-making process. This study demonstrates the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and numerical Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques for selection of suitable sites for urban development of a Sodo Town and surrounding area.  Six factors (land use, road proximity, soil type, river proximity, geomorphology and slope) were identified for criteria evaluation.  Weights for each criterion are generated by comparing with each other according to their importance. Criteria weights was develop by employing GIS based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) such as Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for evaluating the suitability of the urban land site selection. Pair wise comparison matrix indicates weights for land use (=0.3729), road proximity (=0.1440), soil type (=0.1826), river proximity (=0.0714), geomorphology (=0.1777) and slope (=0.0514). Consistency Ratio, (CR =0.01) <0.10 indicated a reasonable level of consistency in the pair wise comparisons. After the final suitability analysis map was obtained from weighted overlay in Arc GIS Spatial Analyst Tools; it was found that from the available area 19.234sq km falls under low suitable, 4.579sq. km under moderately suitable and 5.048sq. km under high suitable. The result shows that highly suitable areas for urban development is agricultural land and open forest. Keywords: Urban Land suitability, Geographic Information System (GIS); Remote Sensing (RS); Multi-criteria Evaluation (MCE); Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP); Spatial Analysis tool. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-5-01 Publication date:May 31st 201

Managing dry spell risks to improve rainfed maize productivity in the semi-arid central rift valley of Ethiopia

The existing evidences support that some eighty percent of the world’s agricultural land is rainfed, contributing to the tune of sixty percent to food production worldwide. This empirical research was conducted on-station during June to September main growing season over two years (2000 and 2001) to substantiate that, managing dry spell risks through development of compatible technologies can improve rainfed maize productivity in the semi-arid zones of Ethiopia. Firstly, two soil water conserving tillage practices i.e a metal handled-Erf and Mofer attached MB plough and Tie Ridger (TR) both of which are simple tillage tools were used. Secondly, varying plant population level was linked to the inseason dry spell length for 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 and more, as well as to the crop water requirement and plot soil water content at land preparation stage. The result revealed that the shorter dry spells have higher probability of occurrence, compared to the longer dry spells in general. On the other hand, the probability of dry spells is higher during the early parts of the growing season, with a declining trend until the peak of the rainy season and slopping up towards the end of the rainy season. The result on water requirement information under Melkassa climate shows that a total of 315 mm of soil water is required for maize throughout June/July to September growing period. MB plowing realized significantly highest grain yield at 5% alpha level (1849 Kg.ha-1) at the recommended plant population (53,333 plants ha-1), whereas, TR resulting in nearly similar yield for the same population. Although the study area is known for water scarcity and hence lower plant population is preferred, it was possible to achieve high yield at this population level. This could be because, the crop water requirement was met at physiological maturity stage in both seasons and at flowering in one (2000) of the two seasons. The water requirement for vegetation was met in both seasons; however, it was followed by lower WRSI at least in one of the seasons, which could have caused a reduction in yield at this plant population level. Further, 70% of the variability in maize grain yield was explained by the root zone available soil water at planting. For instance, grain yield was 1480 kg ha-1 at 119 mm of available soil water at planting; while the same was 1845 kg ha-1 at 136.5 mm of soil water. Overall, the paper provided empirical evidence that management of dry spell risks is possible, but it demands for the innovative management practices that outsmart the business as usual (BAU) approach i.e. the miraculous drought tolerant or drought escape crop cultivar development strategy.Keywords: Dry spell, Plant population, Risk, Soil water, Tillage, WRS

Analysis of Seasonal Rainfall Variability for Agricultural Water Resource Management in Southern Region, Ethiopia

The livelihood of over 80% of the people of Southern region of Ethiopia is dependent on agriculture. However, the region is known by its food insecurity problem due to increasing population growth and alarmingly increasing natural resource degradation as well as unpredictability of rainfall. Therefore, it needs to assess the seasonal rainfall variability in selected areas of the region. Instat software version 3.36 was used to analyze and estimate the onset and end of the growing season, and the Length of Growing Period (LGP). Trend analysis for 17 rainfall stations’ data was also made by Mann-Kendall, Spearman test and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) methods. The Pattern of variability (coherent rainfall variability areas) was also identified by using Principal Component Analysis. The result shows that, the  annual rainfall in the region varied from slightly over 780 mm in Billate station to more than 2110 mm in Gerese station with mean, SD and CV as 1200 mm, 197 mm and 25% respectively and that of kiremt varied from 157 mm in Konso to 844 mm in Welkite with mean, SD and CV as 506 mm, 202 mm and 39% respectively. Belg seasonal rain varied from 863 mm in Gerese to 246mm in Bue with mean, SD and CV of 409mm, 121mm and 30% respectively. CV of 15%-64% for kiremt, 17%-52% for March April May (MAM) and 12%-46% for annual were observed. For Kiremt season, CV greater than 30% was observed in 18 stations; between 20-30% in 10 stations and below 20% for 5 stations. The mean onset, end and LGP of the main growing season was found to be at Days of year (DOY) 92, DOY 286, and 193 days for Hosaina area; at DOY 117, DOY 290 and 169 days for Welkite area; and at DOY 84, DOY 146 and 62days for Gato area respectively. OLS apparently showed a non significant decreasing linear trend for rainfall amount in 10 stations out of 17 while significant decreasing trend at Sawla; p= 0.04(-9.15 mm/yr) and Chida; p= 0.05(-16.08 mm/yr). However, for the start of MAM, March was unreliable in Hosaina and Welkite while reliable in Gato area. In addition, two homogenous areas of coherent rainfall variability, in terms of both seasons were obtained. This classification could be used for regional water management and rainfall prediction. Therefore, time of planting crops and other soil and water conservation activities should be performed accounting these variability parameters. Key words: Variability, Seasonal rainfall, rainfall trend, DOY (days of the year), Onset, End date, LGP, Homogenous rainfall areas

Connecting Green Economy goals with innovation policy in Ethiopia

Ethiopia aims to achieve middle-income status by 2025. When following the conventional development path, high growth rates would result in a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions and unsustainable use of natural resources. To avoid such negative effects, Ethiopia committed to put its growth model on a more climate friendly and sustainable basis

Integration of information on climate, soil and cultivar to increase water productivity of maize in semi-arid eco-regions of Ethiopia

Climate related risks highly influence crop performance and thus water productivity in different eco-regions of Ethiopia. In view of its low rainfall and short growing period, the semi-arid eco-regions like the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia (CRV) are the most affected. A study was conducted in Bofa, CRV to utilize climate information in guiding cropping and water management decisions. Tercile probability was computed to characterize rainy seasons into best (April), expected (May) and worst case (June) planting scenarios. Three independent experiments were designed to fit planting scenarios. In each set, one improved and one local maize cultivars (best: BH660 and Bolonde; medium: A511 and Limat; worst: Melkassa-1 and Shaye) were combined with three tillage practices: Modified-Moldboard Plow (MMP), Wing-Plow (WP) and local Maresha. Rainwater productivity and grain yield were compared. The results illustrate differences among planting scenarios and suggesting early planting decision is a possible practice in semi-arid CRV when soil water conserving tillage is integrated to escape climate associated risks. BH660 shows higher water productivity (9.46 kgmm-1 of rainfall) under 2*MMP tillage than late plantings in experimental years. About 84 % of the variability in grain yield (BH660), 88% (Bolondie), 76% (A-511) and 70% (Limat) can be explained by the available soil water in crop root zone at planting. Hence, integration of climate information, tillage practices and cultivar choice enabled not only successful aversion of climate related risks for long duration maize but also increased yield and rain water productivity in semi-arid areas. Furthermore, tailored rainfall forecast can help in selection of planting scenarios, tillage practices and crop cultivars in advance and further increase probability of success.Keywords: Climate risk, tercile probability, tillage, planting scenari

Genotype by Environment Interaction and Grain Yield Stability Analysis for Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) Genotypes from Western Oromia

Crop yield is a complex trait influenced by a number of component characters along with the environment directly or indirectly. Genotype performance  depends on its genetic potential and the environment where it is grown. Genotypes by environment (GxE) interactions are generally considered to be  among the major factors limiting response to selection and the efficiency of breeding programs. Ten advanced finger millet genotypes and one standard  check were evaluated at Bako and Gute research center for three years (2013-2015) and at Bilo Boshe for one year (2014) with objectives of identifying  high yielding and stable genotypes. Analysis using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model revealed highly significant (P≤0.01)  variations among environments, genotype and GxE interaction. This implied that the tested genotypes respond differently over environments as the test  environments are highly variable. Only the first IPCA-I was significant (p ≤0.01) and contributed 41.57% of the total genotype by environment interaction.  It is found that genotypes 214995 and BKFM0063 are high yielding and IPCA value closer to zero, an indicator of stable yield performance across years  and location. Analysis using Eberhart and Russell regression model showed that genotypes 214995, BKFM0063 and BKFM0052 were the most stable  candidates with better grain yield of 2.99, 2.70 and 2.53 ton ha-1, regression coefficients of 0.9879, 1.22 and 0.9459 and reasonably acceptable deviation  from regression 0.0321, -0.01135 and 0.0607, respectively, further confirming that these genotypes are stable and widely adaptable. Genotype and  genotype by environment interaction biplot (GGE) also portrayed the stability of Acc. 214995. Overall, the AMMI, Regression and GGE Biplot revealed  similar results and both 214995 and BKFM0063 genotypes were proposed for possible release. Finally, 214995 was released and recommended for the  test environments and similar agro-ecologies of western Ethiopia based on farmers preferences, stable yield performance and disease tolerance across    locations

Nasal and Hand Carriage Rate of Staphylococcus aureus among Food Handlers Working in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Food handlers have been recognized to play a major role in the transmission of food borne diseases, contributing significantly to the global incidence and burden of the diseases. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the nasal and hand carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among food handlers in Jimma Town.METHODS: A community based cross sectional study was conducted from February to May 2017. Swab specimens from nasopharyngeal and hands of food handlers working in food establishments were collected for isolation and identification of S. aureus using standard bacteriological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was done using disc diffusion method. Associations of selected variables for S. aureus colonization were determined using SPSS version 20 with p ≤ 0.05 taken as statistically significant.RESULTS: Among the 300 food handlers working in hotels and restaurants in Jimma Town, 86(28.7%) were colonized by S. aureus. The frequency of isolation of S. aureus from nose, hand and both parts (nose and hand) were 27(9%), 34(11.3%) and 25(8.3%), respectively. There was strong association (P=0.00336) between carriage rate of S. aureus and food handlers’ job category. The majority (90.7%) of the isolates were resistant to Penicillin and Ampicillin. Increased levels of sensitivity were observed against Ciprofloxacin (96.5%), Cefoxitin (95.3%) and Amoxicillin- Clavulanic Acid (94.2%).CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a high prevalence of S. aureus carriers among food handlers and high antibacterial resistance towards commonly prescribed drugs, justifying the screening of food handlers to detect and treat carriers and protect restaurant customers from staphylococcal food poisoning.

Exploring differences in driving behaviour across age and years of education of taxi drivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Despite statistics indicating that the African region has the highest road traffic fatality rate globally, there is limited scientific literature identifying the determinants of driving behaviour. In this study, we explore differences in self-reported driving behaviour across age groups and years of education in a population of 213 drivers from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We hypothesize that younger, less educated drivers will report engaging in more unsafe driving behaviours compared to older, more educated drivers. Contrary to expectations, we found the opposite effect, whereby older, more educated drivers reported engaging in more unsafe driving behaviours than younger, less educated drivers. We explain these findings by describing key characteristics of the sample and cultural ideologies of the region. The findings of this study offer some practical guidance for intervention to address the burden of road traffic injury and death in the African region

On-Farm Management, Processing and Post-Harvest Handling of the Indigenous Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw) Cheesman) in Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

አህፅሮት እንሰት አመቱን ሙሉ አረንጓዴ የሚሆንና ድርቅን የሚቋቋም ዕፅዋት ሲሆን ለምግብነት፣ ለመኖ፣ ለቃጫ፣ ለማገዶ፣ ለመድሀኒትነት እና ለተለያዩ ባህላዊ ክንውኖች ይጠቅማል፡፡ የጌዶኦ ዞን እንሰት አመራረት ከሰው ልጆችና ከሌሎች ህይወት ካላቸው ፍጥረቶች ጋር በቁርኝት የሚገኝ ነው፡፡ አብዛኛው የእንሰት ምርምር ስራዎች በደጋማና ከፍታ ባላቸው አካባቢዎች በማተኮር የሚሰሩ ሲሆን እነዚህም አካባቢዎች በእንሰት ምርታማነት የሚታወቁ ናቸው፡፡ ይህም ሁኔታ ዝቅተኛ ከፍታ ባላቸው አካባቢዎች ላይ የእንሰትን ጥቅምና አገልግሎት እንዲያንስ አድርጎታል፡፡ በመሆኑም የዚህ የምርምር ዋና አላማ ሁሉንም ስነ-ምህዳር ባገናዘበና ባካተተ ሁኔታ የእንስሳት አመራረትንና አዘገጃጀት በጌዲኦ ያለውን ገጽታ ለማሳየት የተደረገ ጥናት ነው፡፡ ይህንንም ተግባራው ለማድረግ ሶስት ስነ-ምህዳርን የሚወክሉ ሰባት ቀበሌዎች ከሶስት ወረዳዎች ተመርጠዋል፡፡ በመቀጠልም ስለ እንሰት ከፍተኛ ግንዛቤ ያላቸውንና ፍቃደኛ የሆኑ የማህበረሰቡን አካላት ጋር ዘርዘር ባለ ሁኔታ ጥልቅ ውይይት ተደርጓል፡፡ ለውይይት መነሻነትም መጠይቅ ተዘጋጅቷል፡፡ በመጠይቁ ከአምራቾች አስተሳሰብና ትግበራ አንጻር የእንሰት የስነ-ምህዳር ፍላጎት፣ የአረባብ ሁኔታ፣ የአፈር አጠባበቅ፣ የአተካከል ሁኔታ፣ የበሽታና የተባይ ሁኔታ፣ የምርት አሰባሰብ፣ እንዲሁም የምርት አዘገጃጀትና አቀማመጥ ሁኔታ መረጃ በ230 መጠይቅ በመጠቀም ተሰብስቧል፡፡ ከመረጃውም ብዙዎቹ የእርሻ ሥራዎች በባህላዊ መንገድ እንደሚሰሩ ለመረዳት የተቻለ ሲሆን ተጨማሪም አንዳንድ በዘር የማራባት ዘዴ ዓይነት ወሳኝ የእርሻ ተግባራት የተዘነጉበት ሁኔታም እንዳለ ለመረዳት ተችሏል፡፡   Abstract Enset is a perennial, drought-tolerant, banana-like plant that used for food, fodder, fiber production, fuel, traditional medicine, and for other different cultural practices. The enset production system of Gedeo expresses complex interrelationships between humans and biological diversity. The majority of research studies focused on higher altitudes, where enset production was established successfully for a long time. However, enset can grow in a wide range of environments including lower altitudes, where the potential use of the crop might be further exploited. Hence, the objective of this research was to provide information on on-farm management and processing of enset across the different agroecology of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. From the three agroecological representative woredas, a total of seven sample kebeles were selected. Detailed information from volunteer key informants on the crop agroecological preferences, crop calendar, propagation techniques, planting methods, soil management, disease, and pest management, harvesting, processing, and storage methods were collected. This information was organized and developed into a structured questionnaire. A total of 230 randomly selected farmer households were included in the data. In the study area, enset crop-management and processing activities performed using traditional methods. Some alternative techniques and approaches, such as the seed propagation method overlooked