Browsing by Author "Alemu Eshetu"

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    Land degradation, Seasonal Rural Out-Migration and Sustainable Land Management in the Dry Land of upper Tekeze basin, Northern Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-11-01) Alemu Eshetu; Assefa Abegaz (PhD)
    The study explores the interplay of land degradation, seasonal migration, and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) dynamics in the Upper Tekeze River Basin, Ethiopia, with a focus on land use and land cover change (LULCC), drought monitoring, soil erosion, and the impacts of migration on SLM. The study investigates the temporal and spatial dynamics of LULCC over 31 years (1990-2021) using advanced remote sensing techniques such as Google Earth Engine (GEE) and the Random Forest (RF) algorithm, using primary data from Landsat surface reflectance images. The findings reveal significant changes in LULC, including a decrease in forest, bushland, shrubland, and bareland, while water bodies, farmland, urban settlements and dry riverbeds and streams showed substantial gains. These shifts indicate ongoing land degradation and highlight the future vulnerability of the basin, emphasizing the need for SLM practices and afforestation efforts to mitigate further degradation. In parallel, the study assesse spatio-temporal drought dynamics from 1981 to 2021 using multiple indices like the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), and Vegetation Health Index (VHI). The result shows that the basin has experienced multiple episodes of moderate to extreme drought, particularly in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Soil erosion rates assessment was carried out to estimate soil erosion rates and map soil erosion in the Upper Tekeze Basin, by integrating Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) with GEE. The study showed that the mean soil loss rate is 25.5 t ha-1 yr-1. About 63% of the basin is experiencing soil erosion above the maximum tolerable rate. Specifically, 55% of the study area, which is covered by unprotected shrubland is experiencing mean annual soil loss of 34.75 t ha-1 yr-1. Shrublands, particularly in lowland agroecologies are the most vulnerable areas. The study also revealed evidence that high mean soil loss rate of the basin can be reduced by implementing integrative watershed management and exclosures. The study further showed that that seasonal migration is triggered by factors such as drought, land scarcity, and economic pressures. The finding showed remittances and migration earnings are primarily used for basic consumption rather than investment on agricultural inputs or SLM practices, and migration is leaving behind women with the responsibility of managing less productive and degraded farmland. Labor, input, and skill limitations are also challenges faced by women in managing farmland. Finally, the study employs two-stage least squares (2-SLS) regression and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to analayze the impact of migration on the adoption of SLM practices. The findings suggest that migration has a significant negative impact on the adoption of SLM practices. Overall, the study underscores the complex interplay between land degradation, seasonal rural outmigration, and SLM practices in the Tekeze River Basin, calling for integrated and context specific interventions to promote SLM while considering the seasonal mobility of farm households. Keywords: Land use/cover dynamics, drought dynamics, soil erosion severity and extent, determinants of seseanal out-migration, response to land degradation
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    Socio-Economic Rural Urban Linkages in Sire Town and its Hinterlands: East Wollega Zone, Oromia Region
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024-08-01) Alemu Eshetu; Solomon Mulugeta (PhD)
    This study aimed to assess socio-economic rural-urban connections between Sire town and the hinterlands in Western Ethiopia's Sibu Sire area. Being a daily resident of the district, the researcher had the idea to undertake this study due to saw discrimination and ineffectiveness between urban and rural inhabitants. Therefore, one of the researcher's goals when starting this study was to investigate and make recommendations to the relevant agencies. The researcher used a purposive sample strategy to choose the Sibu Sire district in order to conduct the study. The researcher chose a sample of residents from Sire town and surrounding rural areas, as well as employees of the Sire town management, the district offices for rural development and agriculture, and the district administration offices, in order to achieve the study's goal. They were chosen using systematic simple random sampling procedure since they were important in supplying the data required for the investigation. Thus, 49 workers from the district's offices of agriculture and rural development, Sire town administration, and district administration office, as well as 155 residences from Sire town and its hinterlands of rural areas . Through questionnaires, interviews, and observation, the researcher gathered the necessary data from this demographic. Descriptive statistics were used for analyzing the data acquired using these tools, taking into account both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. Based on the analysis, the researcher noticed that there was little rural- urban linkage between Sire town and its hinterlands. The only connections between the two hinterlands were related to agriculture and politics; there was little to no linkage in terms of social services, infrastructure, transportation access, and others. The results also showed that the development of urban-rural linkages between Sire town and its hinterlands was hindered by elements connected to communities, the environment, economic situations, and administrations. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended the government, the community, other researchers and others on ways of reversing the factors hindering implementation urban-rural linkage of Sire town with its hinterlands. Key words: rural, urban, urban rural linkage, Sire town and its hinterland