Challenges of Tourism Destination Development in the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia.

The main objective of this study was to identify the major challenges hampering destination development in the Amhara Region. For the purpose of collecting, presenting and analyzing data for this study, a crosssectional study design with qualitative and quantitative approaches has been used. The researchers used both primary and secondary sources of data. The target populations were selected using purposive sampling from government officials, tourism experts of different levels, private tourism businesses, and local community leaders in Gondar, Bahir Dar, Debark (SMNP) and Lalibela. Self-administered structured questionnaires, an in-depth open-ended and semi-structured interview, focus group discussion, observation checklists and document consultations were employed for data collection. The collected data from the various sources were analyzed and synthesized to draw inferences and make conclusions using both the qualitative and quantitative approach. Of the total respondents more than fifty-five percent either strongly agreed or agreed on the existence of current destination challenges such as poor community participation in tourist destination area; lack of benefit sharing; the lack of knowledge about the importance of tourism by a large segment of the society, problems in trained staffs and employees in tourism development. Moreover, destruction of natural resources in destination, lack of funding for tourism development, and resource competition from other sectors, less priority given for tourism investment, insufficient investment incentives, and lack of policy support were the major challenges in the four destination areas. Based on the analysis, we can conclude that major tourist destination in Amhara Regional State has been challenged by different factors including inter alia, low levels of community participation, lack of community leadership and good governance, lack of stakeholders collaboration, tourism resources degradation, low/lack incentive to tourism investment, poor tourist facility and infrastructure and weak policy implementation. Therefore, it is recommended that the government bodies and other tourism sector stakeholders give special attention supporting initiatives aimed at reducing all challenges

Water Balance Model: Implications for Groundwater Recharge Estimation in Data Scarce Arid Catchment, Northern Ethiopia

The paper presents results related to water balance model of the Gumselassa catchment (28.1 km2), Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. The catchment includes a small dam called Gumselassa dam having an effective watershed area of 22.14 km2 with reservoir capacity of 1.92 x 106 m3 and command area of about 1sq. km. The hydrology of the area was characterized on the basis of land use, soil, slope and climatic parameters. Different methods were employed in this study: rainfall coefficient method was used to determine monthly distribution of rainfall; Penman method to calculate evaporation from the reservoir; Thornthwaite method and Thornthwaite water balance model to determine potential and actual evapotranspiration; runoff coefficient method to estimate runoff; and, the water balance model was used to quantify the recharge. The catchment is characterized by one rainy season (three months) and two dry seasons (nine months) during the year. The mean annual rainfall of the catchment is 485.89 mm. The total annual water loss by evaporation from the reservoir is 1263.27 mm. The mean annual actual evapotranspiration of the effective watershed area one and two is 318.57 mm and 310.27 mm, respectively. The mean annual actual evapotranspiration of the water contributing area 1 and 2 to the command area is 337.06 mm and 355.29 mm, respectively. The mean annual actual evapotranspiration of the command area is 319.3 mm. The mean annual runoff generated from the effective watershed area one and two is 1.167 and 0.44 million cubic meters, respectively. The mean annual runoff generated from the water contributing area 1 and 2 to the command area is 0.048 and 0.349 million cubic meters, respectively. The mean annual runoff generated from the command area is 0.0875 million cubic meters. The total amount of water which is actually available to recharge the groundwater within the catchment is 4.065 million cubic meters, and any application of water for irrigation from the reservoir should take into account this readily available water

Spatiotemporal distribution and bionomics of Anopheles stephensi in different eco-epidemiological settings in Ethiopia

Background: Malaria is a major public health concern in Ethiopia, and its incidence could worsen with the spread of the invasive mosquito species Anopheles stephensi in the country. This study aimed to provide updates on the distribution of An. stephensi and likely household exposure in Ethiopia. Methods: Entomological surveillance was performed in 26 urban settings in Ethiopia from 2021 to 2023. A kilometer-by-kilometer quadrant was established per town, and approximately 20 structures per quadrant were surveyed every 3 months. Additional extensive sampling was conducted in 50 randomly selected structures in four urban centers in 2022 and 2023 to assess households’ exposure to An. stephensi. Prokopack aspirators and CDC light traps were used to collect adult mosquitoes, and standard dippers were used to collect immature stages. The collected mosquitoes were identified to species level by morphological keys and molecular methods. PCR assays were used to assess Plasmodium infection and mosquito blood meal source. Results: Catches of adult An. stephensi were generally low (mean: 0.15 per trap), with eight positive sites among the 26 surveyed. This mosquito species was reported for the first time in Assosa, western Ethiopia. Anopheles stephensi was the predominant species in four of the eight positive sites, accounting for 75–100% relative abundance of the adult Anopheles catches. Household-level exposure, defined as the percentage of households with a peridomestic presence of An. stephensi, ranged from 18% in Metehara to 30% in Danan. Anopheles arabiensis was the predominant species in 20 of the 26 sites, accounting for 42.9–100% of the Anopheles catches. Bovine blood index, ovine blood index and human blood index values were 69.2%, 32.3% and 24.6%, respectively, for An. stephensi, and 65.4%, 46.7% and 35.8%, respectively, for An. arabiensis. None of the 197 An. stephensi mosquitoes assayed tested positive for Plasmodium sporozoite, while of the 1434 An. arabiensis mosquitoes assayed, 62 were positive for Plasmodium (10 for P. falciparum and 52 for P. vivax). Conclusions: This study shows that the geographical range of An. stephensi has expanded to western Ethiopia. Strongly zoophagic behavior coupled with low adult catches might explain the absence of Plasmodium infection. The level of household exposure to An. stephensi in this study varied across positive sites. Further research is needed to better understand the bionomics and contribution of An. stephensi to malaria transmission. Graphical Abstract

Physical properties of coarse particles in till coupled to bedrock composition based on new 3D image analysis method

The physical properties of the coarse fraction of the till (0.4 to 20 cm) and the surface boulders have been studied at two different sites in Sweden. The research work included: development of a new image analysis software for 3D size and shape measurements of particles; lithological analysis on multiple size fractions in till and magnetic susceptibility survey on coarse till clasts, surface boulders and local bedrock. The new 3D image analysis method provides an enormous amount of size and shape data for each particle in the coarse fraction (2 to 20 cm) in till. The method is suitable for field study, cost effective and the software is executable in Matlab. The field imaging method together with the image analysis software give non subjective results of size and shape of coarse particles and makes it feasible and easy to study representative sample size, which is one tonne for testing clasts of size up to 20 cm. The lithological analysis of the multiple size fraction of the till clasts has been investigated on six different size fractions of the till (0.4 to 20 cm); the result of the different samples from the two sites shows that this method can potentially be used as a stratigraphic tool in the areas where there is no unique indicator lithologies. The magnetic susceptibility has been made on the surface boulders, the 6-20 cm till fraction and on insitu bedrock outcrops near to the study sites. The method has good potential for determining stratigraphic relationships between different till units as well as for determining the provenance ofcoarse clasts and surface boulders.QC 2011041

Physical characterization of coarse clasts with 3D image-analysis method : development, evaluation and application

This thesis presents a novel three dimensional (3D) image-analysis method for characterizing the physical characteristics of coarse particles in the field, and introduces new methodology for the total analysis of glacial till samples. The novel image analysis method, called the GID method, is capable of determining the size, shape and surface texture of each individual clast analysed. Images of particles are taken in the field and analysis is done in the laboratory. Therefore the GID method makes it feasible to analyse statistically representative large sample in short period; for poorly sorted sediments, such as till, one-tonne is required if the analysis includes cobble size. The capability of the GID method was demonstrated by studying coarse clasts (20-200 mm) from till. There is excellent agreement in the results of the size distribution obtained from the GID method and sieve analysis. The GID method results for size and shape parameters show high and very high repeatability. The particle angularity in the GID method has not been measured to acceptable level; the repeatability test shows some variability. The new methodology for total analysis of till applied the GID method at four different locations in Sweden. The total analysis included 3D size and shape distribution of coarse particles coupled to electrical resistivity, lithological distribution and magnetic susceptibility of the clasts. The results show clear difference in the till samples from the different sites.QC 20120828</p

A New Image Analysis Technique to Quantify Particle Angularity

Angularity is a fundamental morphological descriptor of a particle; it determines the aggregate performance in asphalt and concrete works. This paper introduces an innovative matlab based image analysis technique to quantify the angularity of an aggregate. The algorithm is based on application of two successive b-spline smoothing techniques around the aggregate profile. The first b-spline smoothing curve is generated by joining the mid-points of the adjacent segments; and the second smoothing curve is generated by a smoothing function upon the first b-spline. Then the distribution of the perpendicular distance between these two-b-splines is evaluated, which provides an excellent estimate to the aggregate angularity. In this paper the angularity index of six aggregate samples is determined using our new technique. Then we compared the index obtained with an existing Aggregate Imaging Measurement System (AIMS) and the measurement from the two methods revealed good similarity. Therefore our new method can be considered as a useful alternative in the aggregate industry for distinguishing the angularity of the samples obtained from different sources.QS201

A New Image Analysis Technique to Quantify Particle Angularity

Angularity is a fundamental morphological descriptor of a particle; it determines the aggregate performance in asphalt and concrete works. This paper introduces an innovative matlab based image analysis technique to quantify the angularity of an aggregate. The algorithm is based on application of two successive b-spline smoothing techniques around the aggregate profile. The first b-spline smoothing curve is generated by joining the mid-points of the adjacent segments; and the second smoothing curve is generated by a smoothing function upon the first b-spline. Then the distribution of the perpendicular distance between these two-b-splines is evaluated, which provides an excellent estimate to the aggregate angularity. In this paper the angularity index of six aggregate samples is determined using our new technique. Then we compared the index obtained with an existing Aggregate Imaging Measurement System (AIMS) and the measurement from the two methods revealed good similarity. Therefore our new method can be considered as a useful alternative in the aggregate industry for distinguishing the angularity of the samples obtained from different sources.QS201

A New Image Analysis Technique to Quantify Particle Angularity

Angularity is a fundamental morphological descriptor of a particle; it determines the aggregate performance in asphalt and concrete works. This paper introduces an innovative matlab based image analysis technique to quantify the angularity of an aggregate. The algorithm is based on application of two successive b-spline smoothing techniques around the aggregate profile. The first b-spline smoothing curve is generated by joining the mid-points of the adjacent segments; and the second smoothing curve is generated by a smoothing function upon the first b-spline. Then the distribution of the perpendicular distance between these two-b-splines is evaluated, which provides an excellent estimate to the aggregate angularity. In this paper the angularity index of six aggregate samples is determined using our new technique. Then we compared the index obtained with an existing Aggregate Imaging Measurement System (AIMS) and the measurement from the two methods revealed good similarity. Therefore our new method can be considered as a useful alternative in the aggregate industry for distinguishing the angularity of the samples obtained from different sources.QS201

The Contribution of Groundwater to the Salinization of Reservoir-Based Irrigation Systems

This study evaluates the cause of salinization in an irrigation scheme of 100 ha supplied from a reservoir. The scheme is located in Gumselasa catchment (28 km2), Tigray region, northern Ethiopia. The catchment is underlain by limestone–shale–marl intercalations with dolerite intrusion and some recent sediments. Water balance computation, hydrochemical analyses and irrigation water quality analyses methods were used in this investigation. Surface waters (river and reservoir) and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed. The water table in the irrigated land is ranging 0.2–2 m below the ground level. The majority of groundwater in the effective watershed area and the river and dam waters are fresh and alkaline whereas in the command area the groundwater is dominantly brackish and alkaline. The main hydrochemical facies in the groundwater in the effective watershed area are Ca-Na-SO4-HCO3, Ca-Na- HCO3-SO4, and Ca-Na-Mg-SO4-HCO3. The river and dam waters are Mg-Na-HCO3-SO4 and HCO3-SO4-Cl types, respectively. In the command area the main hydrochemical facies in the groundwater are Ca-Na-HCO3-SO4 and Ca-Na-Mg-SO4-HCO3. Irrigation water quality analyses revealed that salinity and toxicity hazards increase from the effective watershed to the irrigated land following the direction of the water flow. The results also showed that the analyzed waters for irrigation purpose had no sodicity hazard. The major composition controlling mechanisms in the groundwater chemistry was identified as the dissolution of carbonate minerals, silicate weathering, and cation exchange. One of the impacts of the construction of the dam in the hydrologic environment of the catchment is on its groundwater potential. The dam is indirectly recharging the aquifers and enhances the groundwater potential of the area. This increment of availability of groundwater enhanced dissolution of carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite, and gypsum), silicate weathering and cation exchange processes, which are the main causes of salinity in the irrigated land. The rising of the brackish groundwater combined with insufficient leaching contributed to secondary salinization development in the irrigated land. Installation of surface and subsurface drainage systems and planting salt tolerant (salt loving) plants are recommended to minimize the risk of salinization and salt accumulation in the soils of the irrigated land

Genetic Diversity of Merozoite Surface Protein-1 and -2 Genes in Plasmodium falciparum Isolates among Asymptomatic Population in Boset and Badewacho Districts, Southern Ethiopia

Background. The genetic variation of Plasmodium falciparum has been studied to assess local malaria transmission genetic profile using evidence-based intervention measures. However, there are no known previous reports of P. falciparum polymorphism in Badewacho and Boset districts, Southern Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of the merozoite surface protein-1 and -2 (msp-1 and msp-2) allelic families in P. falciparum isolates from an asymptomatic populations. Methods. This study was conducted from finger-prick blood samples spotted on 3 mm Whatman filter paper collected during a community-based cross-sectional study. Nested polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to type the allelic variants of msp-1 and msp-2. Results. From 669 asymptomatic study participants, a total of 50 samples positive for P. falciparum were included for molecular analysis. Of 50 positive samples, 43 P. falciparum isolates were successfully amplified for the msp-1 and msp-2 allelic families. A total of twelve different allele sizes (75–250 bp) were identified within the three allelic families of msp-1, whereas ten different allele sizes (250–500 bp) were detected within the two allelic families of msp-2. MAD20 had a higher allelic proportion, 65% among allelic families of msp-1, whereas the 3D7 allelic family 90.7% was higher in msp-2. A slightly higher frequency of polyclonal infection 53.5% was found in msp-2 allelic family, whereas a low proportion polyclonal infection 46.5% was found in msp-1 allelic family. The overall mean multiplicity of infection (MOI) for msp-1 and msp-2 was identical (MOI = 1.56). Correspondingly, the expected heterozygosity (He) value for msp-1 (He = 0.23) and msp-2 (He = 0.22) was almost similar. Conclusions. The findings of this study revealed low genetic diversity of the msp-1 and msp-2 allelic families in P. falciparum isolates. However, continued monitoring status of the local genetic diversity profile in the P. falciparum population is required to support current malaria control and elimination strategies