Soil loss by runoff is a severe and continuous ecological problem in Koga watershed. Deforestation, improper cultivation and uncontrolled grazing have resulted in accelerated soil erosion. ...Information on soil loss is essential to support agricultural productivity and natural resource management. Thus, this study was aimed to estimate and map the mean annual soil loss by using GIS and Remote sensing techniques. The soil loss was estimated by using Revised Universal Soil Equation (RUSLE) model. Topographic map of 1:50,000 scale, Aster Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of 20m spatial resolution, digital soil map of 1:250,000 scale, thirteen years rainfall records of four stations, and land sat imagery (TM) with spatial resolution of 30m was used to derive RUSLE's soil loss variables. The RUSLE parameters were analyzed and integrated using raster calculator in the geo-processing tools in ArcGIS 10.1 environment to estimate and map the annual soil loss of the study area. The result revealed that the annual soil loss of the watershed extends from none in the lower and middle part of the watershed to 265tha−1year−1 in the steeper slope part of the watershed with a mean annual soil loss of 47t ha−1year−1. The total annual soil loss in the watershed was 255283t, of these, 181801 (71%) tones cover about 6691 (24%) hectare of land. Most of these soil erosion affected areas are spatially situated in the upper steepest slope part (inlet) of the watershed. These are areas where Nitosols and Alisols with higher soil erodibility character (0.25) values are dominant. Hence, Slope gradient and length followed by soil erodibility factors were found to be the main factors of soil erosion. Thus, sustainable soil and water conservation practices should be adopted in steepest upper part of the study area by respecting and recognizing watershed logic, people and watershed potentials.
Rapid increase in population and the continual search for farm land has induced pressure on natural vegetation in Ethiopia. As part of the effort to curb this problem, this study investigated the ...magnitude of vegetation vulnerability and the driving forces behind it in a particular watershed in the country. The variables considered for vegetation vulnerability analysis were distance from the roads, settlements, slope, and land use management practices. Different weights have been given to these factors based on the experts ranking and key informant interviews regarding their relative influences. The weights were calculated using pair-wise comparison method and weighted factors maps were integrated using weighted overlay analysis to run the vegetation vulnerability model. Finally, vegetation vulnerability risk map of the study area was produced. The results indicated that areas with gentle slope, with no any land use management practices and those located close to roads were the most vulnerable to degradation. In contrast, those areas with steep slope, far away from roads and with positive land use management have been considered as the least vulnerable to vegetation degradation. The other factors that have highly governed the vulnerability of these zones were population density. In order to improve vegetation vulnerability, establishing the relevant natural resource management practices and planning of appropriate land use plan is essential.
Modeling urban land-use dynamics is critical for urban experts’ and infrastructure managers’ planning. This study attempts to explore the land-use/land-cover (LULC) dynamics of Gondar using satellite ...images from 1984 to 2020. Markov-Chain and Cellular Automata (MC-CA) models have been recognized as performing well in predicting urban land-use change. However, only a few models work in Ethiopia in general, and no study in Gondar has applied this approach to study urban land-use patterns. Therefore, Gondar land-use/land-cover changes of Gondar were predicted using the MC-CA model in IDRISI. The built-up area in Gondar city covered 1 413 ha (3% of the total area) in 1984 and increased to 2 380 ha (5%) in 1994; 21 153 ha (45.5%) in 2004; 22 622 ha (48.7%) in 2014; and 23 427 ha (50.5%) in 2020. The area has been predicted to reach 57.5% in the 2050s, showing a faster increase that will cause a very vast loss of farmland. This will increase urban sprawl challenges as well as overall environmental disequilibrium in the preceding decade. Thus, innovative and careful structures and systems in urban planning are required to secure a sustainable urban future and to make our cities livable and competitive in the paradigm of sustainable cities.
•Ecosystem services just determined by land use and land cover change.
This study aims to assess the impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) changes on ecosystem service values (ESVs) in the Rib ...watershed of the Upper Blue Nile Basin between 2000 and 2020 periods. Image classifications were carried out using Landsat 5 TM for 2000 and 2010, and Landsat 8 OLI_TIRS for 2020 periods following the supervised classification technique with a Maximum Likelihood Algorithm (MLA) in ERDAS Imagine 2014. The study estimated the effects of LULC changes on ESVs using the modified ecosystem service value coefficients. The result indicated that a reduction of forest (46%), shrubland (44%), grassland (42%), and an increase of cultivated land (23%), settlement (137%), and waterbody (80%) during 2000 and 2020 periods. The total ESVs of the watershed were estimated about US$ 68.6 million in 2000, US$ 59.4 million in 2010, and US$ 59.3 million in 2020. The ESVs lost between 2000 and 2020 periods was about US$ 9.3 million (13.5%). The observed LULC changes during this period have also affected the individual ecosystem services. The reduction of ESVs through 2000 to 2020 periods indicates the effects of LULC changes on ecological degradation. Hence, the authors suggested the use of LULC change and ESVs together during land management decision-making processes.
Background
Given the large bamboo resource base with considerable potential to act as an important carbon sink, Ethiopia has included bamboo in the national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and ...Forest Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) and Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) programs. However, little is known about the carbon stock and sequestration potential of bamboo forests. As a result, this research was conducted to quantify the carbon sequestration and storage capacity of
Oxytenanthera abyssinica
forests in the Lower Beles River Basin, northwestern Ethiopia. To this end, a total of 54 circular plots, each measuring 100 m
2
with a radius of 5.64 m, were established to conduct the inventory in Assitsa and Eddida bamboo forests, the typical bamboo sites in Lower Beles River Basin. Biomass accumulation of bamboo was estimated using an allometric equation based on diameter at breast height (DBH) and age. Soil samples were taken from two different soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm) to determine soil organic carbon.
Results
Results indicate that the mean biomass of the bamboo forests in the study area accounted for about 177.1
±
3.1 Mg ha
−1
. The mean biomass carbon and soil organic carbon stock of the bamboo forests were 83.2
±
1.5 Mg C ha
−1
and 70
±
1.7 Mg C ha
−1
, respectively. Therefore, the mean carbon stock of the
O. abyssinica
bamboo forests was 152.5
±
2.5 Mg C ha
−1
to 559.8
±
9.0 ton CO
2
ha
−1
.
Conclusion
This study highlights the importance of assessing bamboo’s carbon stock and sequestration potential for enhancing its role in climate change mitigation and sustainable resource management. The
O. abyssinica
bamboo forests of the study area have significant carbon stock and sequestration potential. Therefore, sustainable management of these crucial vegetation resources will enhance their role in providing ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation.
The main objective of this study was to develop a malaria risk map for Bahir Dar City, Amhara, which is situated south of Lake Tana on the Ethiopian plateau. Rainfall, temperature, altitude, slope ...and land use/land cover (LULC), as well as proximity measures to lake, river and health facilities, were investigated using remote sensing and geographical information systems. The LULC variable was derived from a 2012 SPOT satellite image by supervised classification, while 30-m spatial resolution measurements of altitude and slope came from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Metrological data were collected from the National Meteorological Agency, Bahir Dar branch. These separate datasets, represented as layers in the computer, were combined using weighted, multi-criteria evaluations. The outcome shows that rainfall, temperature, slope, elevation, distance from the lake and distance from the river influenced the malaria hazard the study area by 35%, 15%, 10%, 7%, 5% and 3%, respectively, resulting in a map showing five areas with different levels of malaria hazard: very high (11.2%); high (14.5%); moderate (63.3%); low (6%); and none (5%). The malaria risk map, based on this hazard map plus additional information on proximity to health facilities and current LULC conditions, shows that Bahir Dar City has areas with very high (15%); high (65%); moderate (8%); and low (5%) levels of malaria risk, with only 2% of the land completely riskfree. Such risk maps are essential for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating disease control as well as for contemplating prevention and elimination of epidemiological hazards from endemic areas.
Land degradation because of the overutilization of natural resources is a suitable strategy for many countries of the world. This crucial strategy hasn’t been introduced or implemented widely enough. ...The present study intended to examine the status of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) for the study Rib Watershed, which covers an area of 1585 km2 and is situated in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. For the past two periods between 2000 and 2020, three indicators, such as Land Cover/Use Changes (LUC), Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) metrics were primarily used to assess the LDN status of the study site. A total of 80 soil samples were then collected from the top 15 cm for six different types of LULC, including cultivated land, forest land, shrub lands, grassland, settlement, and water body. Consequently, land uses land cover matrices, NPP metric, and SOC metrics were also obtained using Land sat images, soil samples, and MODIS satellite images, respectively, for three periods of 2000, 2010, and 2020. Lastly, by integrating the three indicators and using one out all out framework, the status of LDN in the study area was evaluated. The combined findings of the study measurements showed that there was a net loss in cultivated land (123,977 ha), forest land (5623 ha), shrub lands (13984 ha), grassland (11,999 ha), water body (1056 ha) and settlement (1993 ha) for the past two decades (2000 to 2020). For the past two decades, LDN status of the Rib Watershed was generally in a net loss condition. The information delivered by the three sub-indicators is important for experts for the good recognition of their spatial distribution and types of land degradation to attain the LDN targets.
One of the outlining challenges of the twenty-first century is managing rapidly urbanizing cities. If managed well and guided by sound urban governance principles, cities can act as instruments of ...growth, and the goal of urban sustainability can be realized. On the other hand, poorly governed cities can become hubs of poverty, disparity, and conflict. Thus, this study is aimed to explore the implementation of urban governance principles in Gondar city. UN-Habitat's Urban Governance Index (UGI) is employed as an analytical framework. UGI is a straightforward, easy, and flexible framework suited to measure the quality of urban governance practices in the local context. This study's data included quantitative and qualitative data related to customer satisfaction in service delivery, citizen charter, access to electricity, waste management, water supply connections, pro-poor water policy, citizen involvement in decision-making, and incentives for the informal market. The result indicated that the highest values had been achieved in the effectiveness and accountability sub-indexes, with scores ranging between 0.65 and 0.56, respectively. Similarly, the lowest values have been recorded in equity and participation sub-indexes with scores between 0.44 and 0.37, respectively. The results revealed that the city still needs to implement sound governance principles. Therefore, attention should be given to implementing good urban governance principles to achieve the city we need that fits the smart city paradigm. Innovative structures with systems to implement UGI should be needed for sustainable urban development and to make our cities livable and competitive in the paradigm of sustainable cities.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues among the current environmental problems and it affects the livelihood of the community by creating scarcity of renewable resources. Ethiopia is one ...of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa extremely vulnerable to climate change. This study was aimed to investigate climate-change-driven conflict by taking case from Northeast Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey study was employed and data was collected from the primary and secondary sources. The structured household survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from selected samples. About 100 survey respondents, 10 KII and 3 FGD participants were involved in generating data which was analyzed by employing descriptive and qualitative analysis techniques. The finding revealed that climate change is occurring through increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall and frequent drought caused by deforestation, degradation of natural resources and urbanization. Consequently, the participants have experienced critical shortage of water, animal fed and most of them were food insecure. Similarly, a considerable number of residents were exposed to climate-change-induced conflict. The conflict in North Wollo was climate driven and interethnic whereby Amhara ethnic are conflicting with Afar ethnic over the resources around their border. It is recommended that employing the customary law and religious institutions are the most trusted and leading agents to resolve conflict. Area-specific and local-based climate change adaptation techniques including drought-resistant plant species and reducing the number of livestock were suggested as the solutions to solve the problems.
The Suluh river basin is subjected to soil erosion due to land use and land cover change. Yet, the impact of land use/land cover change soil erosion has not been applied in the study area. Thus, the ...current study focused on the modeling of the impact of land use/land cover changes on soil erosion in the Suluh river basin, the northern highland part of Ethiopia. Landsat image data sources were used to achieve the objectives. Ancillary data was also used. The nearest neighbor's fuzzy way of classification and the land change modeler for modeling, and the revised universal soil loss equation model for estimating the soil erosion rate were employed. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The study's findings confirmed that cultivated land, bare land, and built-up areas significantly increased while areas occupied by natural vegetation such as forest land, shrub lands, and grazing lands decreased at a rapid rate in between 1990 to 2018. The predicted results suggest the continuation of the trend up to 2048 if business as usual is continued. The annual mean of soil lost in the study area was about 36.31, 43.32, and 47.78 in the years 1990, 2002, 2018, and will be 56.54, and 71.62 tons per hectare per year in 2028, and 2048, respectively. When we consider 15 t ha−1 year−1 as the maximum tolerable soil loss (TSL) rate for ease of presentation, the areas above the TSL have increased from 88.3% in 1990 to 88.6% in 2002 and to 89.6% in 2018, and are expected to increase to 89.9% and 99.8% in 2028 and 2048 periods, respectively. Thus, land use and land cover change information and its impact on soil erosion should be taken under consideration by land use planners to apply sustainable land management activities in the Suluh river basin.
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