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Item The Contribution of Institutional Forests to Climate Resilience: In Eiabc and College of Natural and Computational Science At Addis Ababa University(Addis Ababa University, 2025-02-01) Hanan Awel Ahmed; Hayal Desta (PhD)One of the important strategies to address climate change concerns is to improve urban green spaces as an alternative for climate resilience. Thus this study was conducted to evaluate the contribution of forests on the EiABC Campus and the College of Natural and Computationa Sciences at Addis Ababa University. Species diversity, Carbon stock potential, and Temperatureare the parameters used to assess the contribution of forests in the campuses. Data on the vegetation were collected using a purposive sampling technique. The forest composition revealeda total of 2,641 individual trees, representing 69 species from the all live woody trees that are found in the site under ≥ 5 cm (DBH). Diversity of plant species was examined using the Shannon-Weiner Index and evenness metrics, indicating high woody species diversity based one stablished standards. The population structure, analyzed through height and diameter class distributions, displayed an inverted J-shape, suggesting a stable population. Carbon stock analysis of the biomass was conducted using the general tropical dry forest biomass regressionequation. The results showed a total carbon stock of 92.14 t/ha and 151.60 t/ha for the two sites,with 76.78 t/ha and 15.36 t/ha in the above-ground and below-ground biomass, respectively, at EIABC, and 126.3 t/ha and 25.27 t/ha at the College of Natural and Computational Sciences. Temperature measurements taken inside and around the study sites revealed that the vegetation significantly reduced local temperatures. Overall, the results highlight the stability andproductivity of the forests. From the perspective of reducing the effects of climate change and protecting biodiversity, it is recommended that these forests be sustainably managed and protected to ensure ongoing carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Keywords: Urban Green, Climate Resilience, Species Diversity, Carbon Stock, BiodiversityConservation, Addis Ababa UniversityItem Comparative Analysis of Urban Heat Island Effect Before And After Corridor Development from ‘Piassa’ to ‘Megenagna’ Route, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2025-06-01) Robel Kassahun Bogale; Aramde Fetene (PhD)Urban expansion and urbanization in cities like Addis Ababa are increasing the vulnerability of the areas to urban heat island intensity (UHII) phenomena, with an increasing trend in urban thermal dynamics. This research analyzed the spatial and temporal variations along the route from "Piassa" to "Megenagna" before and after corridor development through field observation, using a combination of remote sensing data, and Landsat 8 imagery by the tools Google Earth Engine, and ArcMap. The results demonstrate that the study area's UHII elevated higher during the research period due to increased land surface temperature (LST), fluctuation in normalized difference builtup index (NDBI), and reduced normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The annual average mean LST in 2024, with a value of 32.824670C, shows an increasing trend with a value of 31.2260C from 2015 and 30.844310C from the result in 2020. The NDVI result shows a consistently decreasing trend over time. In 2015, the NDVI was 0.34475; in 2020, it declined to 0.265243; by 2024, it further dropped to 0.199966, indicating a reduction of vegetation cover. The mean annual NDBI in 2015 was -0.03495, which increased to 0.001339 in 2020, which indicates built-up area expansion, but in 2024, the value dropped to -0.02705 due to the demolished residence in the area. From the combined impacts of these results, the most negative UHII annual mean average value was recorded in 2015 with the value of 0.246969, which increased in 2020 to -0.257157 and further increased to -0.273355. These results revealed that surface urban heat island intensity (SUHI) was more concentrated in the ‘urban’ area than in the ‘rural’ area. The findings also reveal a significant inverse relationship between NDVI and LST, highlighting the role of sustainable corridor design and Green infrastructure for mitigating the impact of UHII. Future studies should explore in-depth analysis through adaptive advanced approaches by integrating satellite imagery data with the baseline situation (ground truth) for the accuracy and spatially detailed results to develop an effective mitigation strategy. Key Words: Corridor development, impervious surfaces, street scape, and urban heat island effectItem “The Impact of Homegarden Agroforestry on Urban Microclimate: Variations Across Urban Settings in Dila Town, Ethiopia”(Addis Ababa University, 2025-06-01) Elsabet Memiru Mengesha; Kumelachew Yeshitela (Associate Professor)Homegarden agroforestry is a traditional, multi-layered way of using land that combines trees, bushes, and crops around dwellings. It is very important for improving biodiversity, food security, and microclimate control, especially in cities and suburbs. Home gardens have always been an important aspect of sustainable land management in Ethiopia, where the practice is deeply ingrained in agricultural culture. This study investigated the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of home garden agroforestry on urban climate resilience in Dila Town by compared two distinct environments: the residential Sessa Kebele and the commercial Haroressa Kebele. The study employed a purposive sample strategy and a mixed-methods approach, incorporating field observations, household questionnaires, and microclimatic data collection. It concluded that home gardens substantially mitigate temperature extremes, enhance air quality, and promote urban biodiversity. In Sessa, bigger residential lots made it possible to create intricate layers of plants that look like forest ecosystems. In Haroressa, where space is limited, vertical and container gardening became popular as ways to adapt. Despite these benefits, barriers such as insecure land tenure, weak institutional support, limited technical knowledge, and restricted access to agroforestry inputs hinder widespread adoption. Community members in both kebeles expressed strong interest in expanding homegarden practices, provided they receive adequate training, resources, and formal recognition. The study recommends integrating agroforestry into urban land-use planning, creating decentralized input supply centers, and tailoring interventions to reflect the specific socio-economic and spatial realities of each area. Additional strategies include providing incentives like green infrastructure credits and fostering collaboration among local governments, NGOs, and communities. Future research should investigate the long-term ecological and socio-economic effects of home garden agroforestry, particularly in varied urban settings, while also calibrating onsite climate data with meteorological records. Ultimately, home garden agroforestry offers a promising, locally grounded solution for advancing urban sustainability and building climate resilience in Ethiopian cities. Key Terms: Climate Resilience; Home Garden Agroforestry; Urban Climate; Urban Greening, Urban Sustainability; Dila TownItem Evaluating the Efficiency of Addis Ababa's Public Bus System: User Perspectives and Infrastructure Challenges(Addis Ababa University, 2025-01-01) Mistir Habtamu; Solomon Benti (PhD)The public transportation system in Addis Ababa, especially along the Ayat-Tor Hailoch corridor, is highly important for getting around the city, but it faces significant challenges right now that make it hard to provide good service and meet people satisfaction. This study aims to investigate the state of public bus infrastructure, assess service quality, identify key challenges affecting efficiency, and recommend actionable strategies for improvement. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, conducting stakeholder interviews and surveys with passengers and operators throughout the route. Key findings reveal that an aging bus fleet, coupled with inadequate maintenance facilities, significantly contributes to operational inefficiencies. The Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores for safety (0.37) and timeliness (0.46) indicate serious flaws in service quality, with approximately 65% of users reporting discomfort during commutes, particularly during peak hours. These results highlight how urgently systemic changes are required. In particular, improving management techniques and fixing infrastructure flaws are essential to regaining public trust in the bus system. Investing in contemporary buses, setting up real-time tracking systems, and enhancing maintenance procedures are examples of doable suggestions. This study concludes by emphasizing the significance of a thorough and user centered strategy for Addis Ababa's public transportation reform. Following tactics into practice, the city can create a dependable and effective transportation system that can accommodate the expanding needs of its urban population and, in the end, improve the standard of living for its citizens. Keywords: Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI); Mobility as a Service (MaaS); Public bus transport; Service quality; Sustainable public bus transportation; urban mobilityItem Managing the Publicly Accessible Space Supply Process in Ethiopia's Urban Transition Process: The Urbanist-Contextualist Outdoor Signage Management Gap in Addis Ababa(Addis Ababa University, 2023-06-01) Mariamawit Ayele Asfaw; Heyaw Terefe (PhD)Emerging urban transition processes like that of Ethiopia are likely to have not only development and knowledge problems but also problems of research or the process with which solutions to the first two problems are searched. This research belongs to a thematic research group consisting of 14 researches concerned with the three problems. One of the researches was dedicated to study of the third problem while the remaining were planned, on the one hand, to deal with the first two problems and, on the other, to test the recommendations of the research on the research process. Accordingly, the objectives of this research will be, on the one hand, to investigate the development and knowledge problems pertaining to outdoor signage and the Publicly Accessible Domain (PAD) of the city, which is considered as its soul and an important input for improvement of quality of life particularly for the majority whose access to high quantity and quality private domain is limited in developing country cities like Addis Ababa, and, on the other, to test the said recommendations. A qualitative research methodology including interview, document review, analysis of implemented signage designs, and discussion were used for the research. The research indicates that there is significant gap in the literature on outdoor signage management system for contexts like Ethiopia where low level and slow industrialization but rapid rate urban transition is likely to lower management capacity, create public and private domain space quantity constraints, and introduce the unmanaged/informal signage containers like buildings and open spaces.Item Urban Street Tree Planning and Management for Resilient Ecosystem Service Provision In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2024-11-01) Amanuel Bahre; Kumelachew Yeshitela (Professor)Unplanned urbanization threatens environmental sustainability, and Addis Ababa is straining its ecosystem, causing a mismatch between ecosystem service (ES) supply and demand. In essence, this study investigates Addis Ababa’s urban street tree planning and management practice from a resilience perspective while focusing on their ecosystem service supply and demand, disservice, as well as challenges. The research is a descriptive and exploratory study that employs quantitative and qualitative methods. Site observation, key-informant interviews, and questionnaire surveys were employed for data collection. Using ES Cascade model as a framework, the research performed thematic, descriptive, correlation, and apparent urgency analysis based on expert and user perception. The resilience assessment of street trees indicated a lack of functional redundancy and species richness with Churchill Road having the relatively highest Shannon diversity (1.89) and equability (0.29), while Meskel Square to Lancha showed the lowest values (0.26 and 0.04, respectively). Besides, connectivity concerns with trees in various street corridors, concerns with stakeholder participation, and limited adaptive capacity were found. Regarding zone-based ES supply and demand quantification, species diversity (2.67 periphery, 2.29 intermediate), followed by aesthetics (2.09 periphery, 1.72 intermediate), storm water management (1.93 intermediate, 1.72 periphery), and local climate regulation (1.34 intermediate) revealed a gap that requires apparent urgency. Results also highlight a high incidence of ecosystem disservices associated with, littering, infrastructural damage, and obstructing use of space. Besides, species selection and space allocation were identified as high-priority planning and design concerns. The prevalence of Grevillea robust a and Phoenix canariensis, species with 51% and 15% respective dominance indicates uniformity in tree species selection, implying the necessity for adaptable solutions that consider urban dynamics. Prioritizing ecosystem services than mere aesthetics, selection of climate-resilient and locally adaptable species, and integrating them with surrounding UGI components were among the recommendations forwarded. Keywords: Ecosystem Service (ES), ES supply and demand, ES cascade model, Resilience, Street Tree, Addis AbabaItem Unpacking Urban Resilience: Environmental Management Practices in 'Debre Birhan' City, North Shoa Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2024-04-01) Tale Mekonnen; Asfaw Mohammed (PhD)Current research advocates that studies in cities of developing countries need special attention related to environmental management practices. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the variables affecting environmental management practices and environmental management tools implemented based on household and key informants' opinions and perceptions of the experts on resilience thinking applied to environmental management practices of Debre Birhan City. Data were collected through questionnaires and expert interviews using KoboCollect and site observations. The results are analyzed using Pareto, Best Worst Method (BWM), and land use land cover change analysis using ArcGIS 10.8. The study used both random and purposive sampling techniques. Three hundred ninety-five (395) households and twenty-two (22) experts were contacted to collect data for the study. Accordingly, the result revealed eleven environmental, nine physical, ten social, and four institutional vital variables; Seven, five, four, and six environmental management tools for environmental, physical, social, and institutional factors were identified, respectively; and six resilience principles in the city. The BWM weight values rank waste management and expropration (0.5625) first, urban planning elements (0.3125) second, and lack of urban green and recreation (0.1250) third based on households.In contrast, experts ranked waste management and pollution (0.4838), lack of urban green and recreation (0.3225), and lack of urban planning elements (0.1935) ranked first, second, and third, respectively. Urban amenities and services (0.5932) and poor infrastructures (0.2373) are households' and experts' top physical variables, respectively. The city's most critical social variables are access-related and polluted industries. Promoting urban agriculture, improving road conditions, land use planning and zoning (compatibility), and collaboration among concerned institutions are the most implemented environmental management tools for environmental, physical, social, and institutional factors. Diversity and integration are the principles that are applied the most and least in environmental management practices. The study, therefore, recommends the enforced application of resilience principles as environmental management tools in environmental management policy documents to improve sustainability in the city. Keywords: Urban resilience; urban factors, Pareto Analysis; Environmental Management practices; Resilience-based management strategies;Item Quantification and Mapping of Ecosystem Services for the Conservation and Management of Dire and Legedadi watersheds, Central Highlands of Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2023-12-01) Simeneh Admasu Namaga; Mekuria Argaw (Professor)Quantification and mapping of ecosystem service is a critical en-devours for the management of the ecosystems and integrating ecosystem service in land use management and planning. The study assessed the impact of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) dynamics on Ecosystem Service in the Dire and Legedadi watersheds. First, the benefits transfer method was applied to evaluate the ecosystem service value (ESV) changes in response to LULC. Second, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model was used to determine habitat quality and assess the watersheds' annual water yield capacity. Thirdly, the previously developed recreational indicators in the ArcGIS tool were also applied to assess recreational potential. Fourth, land suitability for apple farming was assessed using the FAO land evaluation methodology and finally, the premises of compensation for ecosystem services was assessed as a watershed management and planning tool. The findings revealed that both watersheds experienced considerable LULC changes between 1985 and 2022. Natural vegetation, grassland, and eucalyptus plantations declined dramatically as settlement and cultivation increased. As a result, both watersheds experienced a substantial decrease in ESV and habitat quality. Total ESV in the Legedadi watershed has decreased from approximately US$ 65.8 million in 1985 to approximately US$ 11.9 million in 2022, and from approximately US$ 42.7 million in 1985 to approximately US$ 9.66 million in 2022, respectively. Total ESV in the Dire watershed decreased from approximately US$ 437 thousand in 1985 to approximately US$ 59 thousand in 2022, and from xvi approximately US$ 225 thousand in 1985 to approximately US$ 36 thousand in 2022, according to global and local ESV estimates. The area of high habitat quality habitat in the Legadadi watershed has shrunk from 206 km2 in 1985 to 50.26 km2 in 2022. Similarly, high habitat quality habitat has gradually declined in the Dire watershed, from 87.29 km2 in 1985 to 35.44 km2 in 2022. In terms of water-yielding capacity, the watershed’s total water yield increased between 1995 and 2021. The increase in water yield was greatly associated with increased rainfall and in the Legedadi watershed total water yield increased by 15.32%, while in the Dire watershed total water yield increased by 32.5%. Climate variability has had a greater impact on annual water yield than land use changes. The watersheds possess considerable potential for outdoor recreation, with approximately 19% and 23% of the Legedadi and Dire landscapes, respectively, exhibiting supreme recreational potential. Further, considerable land is highly suitable for apple farming, about 6.7%, and 13.1% in the Legedadi and Dire watersheds respectively. The conversion of land into other economic land uses could potentially affect the sustainable ecosystem production capacity of the watersheds. Landscape restoration integrated with a sustainable agricultural development approach would ensure the sustainability of both agricultural production and ecosystem service synergies without negatively affecting biodiversity. Therefore, the study recommends that designing market-based innovative mechanisms is critical to ensure the active participation of relevant stakeholders, particularly smallholder farmers. Keywords: LULC, Ecosystem, Watershed, ESV, Habitat quality, Water yield, Recreation, Apple, Ecosystem marketItem Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development (Eiabc)(Addis Ababa University, 2023-12-01) Simeneh Admasu Namaga; Mekuria Argaw (Professor)Quantification and mapping of ecosystem service is a critical endevours for the management of the ecosystems and integrating ecosystem service in land use management and planning. The study assessed the impact of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) dynamics on Ecosystem Service in the Dire and Legedadi watersheds. First, the benefits transfer method was applied to evaluate the ecosystem service value (ESV) changes in response to LULC. Second, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model was used to determine habitat quality and assess the watersheds' annual water yield capacity. Thirdly, the previously developed recreational indicators in the ArcGIS tool were also applied to assess recreational potential. Fourth, land suitability for apple farming was assessed using the FAO land evaluation methodology and finally, the premises of compensation for ecosystem services was assessed as a watershed management and planning tool. The findings revealed that both watersheds experienced considerable LULC changes between 1985 and 2022. Natural vegetation, grassland, and eucalyptus plantations declined dramatically as settlement and cultivation increased. As a result, both watersheds experienced a substantial decrease in ESV and habitat quality. Total ESV in the Legedadi watershed has decreased from approximately US$ 65.8 million in 1985 to approximately US$ 11.9 million in 2022, and from approximately US$ 42.7 million in 1985 to approximately US$ 9.66 million in 2022, respectively. Total ESV in the Dire watershed decreased from approximately US$ 437 thousand in 1985 to approximately US$ 59 thousand in 2022, and from xv approximately US$ 225 thousand in 1985 to approximately US$ 36 thousand in 2022, according to global and local ESV estimates. The area of high habitat quality habitat in the Legadadi watershed has shrunk from 206 km2 in 1985 to 50.26 km2 in 2022. Similarly, high habitat quality habitat has gradually declined in the Dire watershed, from 87.29 km2 in 1985 to 35.44 km2 in 2022. In terms of water-yielding capacity, the watershed’s total water yield increased between 1995 and 2021. The increase in water yield was greatly associated with increased rainfall and in the Legedadi watershed total water yield increased by 15.32%, while in the Dire watershed total water yield increased by 32.5%. Climate variability has had a greater impact on annual water yield than land use changes. The watersheds possess considerable potential for outdoor recreation, with approximately 19% and 23% of the Legedadi and Dire landscapes,respectively,exhibiting supreme recreational potential. Further, considerable land is highly suitable for apple farming, about 6.7%, and 13.1% in the Legedadi and Dire watersheds respectively. The conversion of land into other economic land uses could potentially affect the sustainable ecosystem production capacity of the watersheds. Landscape restoration integrated with a sustainable agricultural development approach would ensure the sustainability of both agricultural production and ecosystem service synergies without negatively affecting biodiversity. Therefore, the study recommends that designing market-based innovative mechanisms is critical to ensure the active participation of relevant stakeholders, particularly smallholder farmers. Keywords: LULC, Ecosystem, Watershed, ESV, Habitat quality, Water yield, Recreation, Apple, Ecosystem marketItem Quantification and Mapping of Ecosystem Services for the Conservation and Management of Dire and Legedadi Watersheds, Central Highlands of Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2023-12-01) Simeneh Admasu Namaga; Mekuria Argaw (Professor)Quantification and mapping of ecosystem service is a critical endevours for the management of the ecosystems and integrating ecosystem service in land use management and planning. The study assessed the impact of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) dynamics on Ecosystem Service in the Dire and Legedadi watersheds. First, the benefits transfer method was applied to evaluate the ecosystem service value (ESV) changes in response to LULC. Second, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model was used to determine habitat quality and assess the watersheds' annual water yield capacity. Thirdly, the previously developed recreational indicators in the ArcGIS tool were also applied to assess recreational potential. Fourth, land suitability for apple farming was assessed using the FAO land evaluation methodology and finally, the premises of compensation for ecosystem services was assessed as a watershed management and planning tool.The findings revealed that both watersheds experienced considerable LULC changes between 1985 and 2022. Natural vegetation, grassland, and eucalyptus plantations declined dramatically as settlement and cultivation increased. As a result, both watersheds experienced a substantial decrease in ESV and habitat quality. Total ESV in the Legedadi watershed has decreased from approximately US$ 65.8 million in 1985 to approximately US$ 11.9 million in 2022, and from approximately US$ 42.7 million in 1985 to approximately US$ 9.66 million in 2022, respectively. Total ESV in the Dire watershed decreased from approximately US$ 437 thousand in 1985 to approximately US$ 59 thousand in 2022, and from xviapproximately US$ 225 thousand in 1985 to approximately US$ 36 thousand in 2022, according to global and local ESV estimates.The area of high habitat quality habitat in the Legadadi watershed has shrunk from 206 km2 in 1985 to 50.26 km2 in 2022. Similarly, high habitat quality habitat has gradually declined in the Dire watershed, from 87.29 km2 in 1985 to 35.44 km2 in 2022. In terms of water-yielding capacity, the watershed’s total water yield increased between 1995 and 2021. The increase in water yield was greatly associated with increased rainfall and in the Legedadi watershed total water yield increased by 15.32%, while in the Dire watershed total water yield increased by 32.5%. Climate variability has had a greater impact on annual water yield than land use changes. The watersheds possess considerable potential for outdoor recreation, with approximately 19% and 23% of the Legedadi and Dire landscapes, respectively, exhibiting supreme recreational potential. Further, considerable land is highly suitable for apple farming, about 6.7%, and 13.1% in the Legedadi and Dire watersheds respectively.The conversion of land into other economic land uses could potentially affect the sustainable ecosystem production capacity of the watersheds. Landscape restoration integrated with a sustainable agricultural development approach would ensure the sustainability of both agricultural production and ecosystem service synergies without negatively affecting biodiversity. Therefore, the study recommends that designing market-based innovative mechanisms is critical to ensure the active participation of relevant stakeholders, particularly smallholder farmers. Keywords: LULC, Ecosystem, Watershed, ESV, Habitat quality, Water yield, Recreation, Apple, Ecosystem marketItem Towards Integrated Urban Flooding Risk Management in Ambo Town and Its Watershed, West Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2021-09-01) Gemechu Shale Ogato; Amare Bantider (Associate Professor); Davide Geneletti ( Associate Professor); Ketema Abebe ( Assistant Professor)A GIS-based spatial planning and land use management is asserted to be a versatile tool in building capacities for flood disaster reduction and preparedness underpinning sustainable urban development.The purpose of the study was to analyze urban flooding hazard and risk and develop integrated urban flooding risk management strategy for Ambo town and its watershed. The study adopted a mixed research approch which combined quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. The study confirmed that residing in flood prone area, poverty, lack of alternative livelihoods, and lack of proper drainage channels are the underlying causes of socio-economicvulner ability to urban flooding risk in Ambo town. Unwillingness of people to move away from hazard-prone areas due to the nature of their livelihoods, the high prices of properties, and a lack of awareness of the risk of hazards anticipated were identified as internal barriers to governance of urban flooding risk reduction in the study area. A strong positive association was confirmed between urban households’ perception on structural and non-structural measures practiced in Ambo town and their perception on the effectiveness of the current governance of urban flooding risk reduction. A statistically significant relationship was confirmed between respondents ’access to credit and their education level, total income, and employment status. A statistically significant relationship was confirmed between respondents’ perception on their vulnerability to disease after flooding risk and their demographic and socio-economic characteristics. 63.04% of the watershed is moderate flooding hazard area while 52.9% of Ambo town is moderate flooding hazard area. 20.2% of Huluka watershed is moderate flooding risk area while 21% of Ambo town is high and very high flooding risk area. The IDF curves developed indicate that rainfall intensities increase with increase in return periods for all the seven stations and the Huluka watershed. High rainfall intensities were confirmed to be related toshort durations while low rainfall intensities related to long durations for the same return periods. Bush and shrub land, forest, grassland, and water land use/land cover type declined with68.2%, 59.3%, 32.7%, and 5.1% respectively between 1979 and 2017. Based on the land use/ land cover analyisis in the watershed, urban built-up area, cultivated land, and bare land use/land cover type increased with 351%, 105%, and 41.9% respectively between the year 1979 and 2017.Infrastructural and agricultural expansion, increased demand for wood, local environmental and biophysical drivers, rapid human population growth, economic drivers, technological drivers, policy and institutional drivers, and local socio-cultural drivers were identified as drivers of land use and xxland cover changes. There should be urban disaster risk reduction policies and strategies at national level which guide local urban disaster risk reduction interventions and the principles of good governance should be properly practiced in governance of urban flooding disaster risk reduction in Ambo town. It is vital to pay attention to the coordination between urban development and flooding hazard and risk through appropriate spatial planning and land use management in Ambo town and its watershed. Keywords: Governance, flooding, land use/land cover, land use management, spatial planningItem Rice Intensification in the fogera Wetlands: The Need for Institutional Linkage and Environmental Trade-offs To Sustain Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve(Addis Ababa University, 2023-12-01) Mare Addis Desta; Gete Zeleke (PhD)Rice (Oryzae sativa) is one of the leading food crops in the world. It is one of the most important sources of food for the world population. Most wetland areas in the world have been developed for rice-based production systems. Lake Tana area, including the Fogra Flood Plain, has been chosen by the UNESCO founded ‘Man and the Biosphere (MAB)’ Programme (1971) as a potential biosphere reserve in Ethiopia. The wetlands of Fogera are affirmed to be under threat by human activities such as unsustainable rice cultivation, sand mining, and natural threats such as the deposition of sediment with different chemicals eroded from upland agriculture areas. The present study was conducted in the Fogera wetland areas of, Amhara National Regional State (ANRS). There was a knowledge gap on the environmental trade-offs of rice intensification and mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of ecosystem functions of the wetland of Fogera Plain. Motivated to fill some of the knowledge, and research gaps, the current study investigated the environmental trade-offs of rice intensification in the Fogera Wetlands and mechanisms of sustaining Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve. The study employed a mixed research approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, and analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the majority of the farmers (87%) had not abandoned alternative crops to produce more rice. However, normalized difference vegetation index results indicated that the area cultivated for rice is increasing while the area of other crops is decreasing. Agricultural inputs are used in rice systems but were not used before the introduction of rice. Recession farming activities have also diminished wetland areas. Water flow showed a decrease, whereas Nitrogen and Phosphorus showed an increase with Pearson’s correlation values of −0.069 and −0.072, respectively. Flow of water was negatively correlated with Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P) water concentration; whereas N and P contents were positively correlated. Following the expansion of rice cultivation in Fogera wetlands, the study revealed that during the 20 years preceding 2014, the area under rice cultivation increased from 182 ha in 1995 to 9499 ha in 2014 and the amount of rice produce increased from 6701 qt in 1995 to 714,013 in 2015. The size of grazing lands was reduced from 8550ha in 1973 to 126.93 ha in 2021; wetlands from 3114 ha in 1973 to 1245.52ha in 2021; and forests from 1542 ha in 1973 to 1567.93ha in 2021. In the same period, land use/land cover changes showed a negative balance of 40% dry matter, requiring cattle feed to be increasingly supplemented through purchases, or reducing herd number. The study also indicated that the land-use changes were brought at the expense of traditional cattle production systems. Concerning the impact of rice expansion on traditional wetland management in the Fogera floodplain wetlands, the vast majority (87%) of the respondents confirmed that increases in the price of rice encouraged them to shift from cultivating conventional crops to rice farming. Major activities being pursued in the wetlands of the study area do not consider environmental tradeoffs. In conclusion, growth of intensive rice systems has had negative environmental consequences on wetland ecology. Hence, proper management is required to maintain these valuable resources and keep their role in socioeconomic development of the area. Moreover, sense of ownership of wetland resources and their benefit should be revitalized to reduce abusive utilization. Furthermore, there is a need for better education, sustainable tourism and training for green jobs, good leadership, and sustainable development policies and strategies to regulate and manage wetland uses. Above all, rice intensification strategies and other development activities in the study area need to consider environmental tradeoffs which underpins the conservation and wise utilization of wetlands. Keywords: Environmental trade-offs, Fogera wetlands, Rice intensification, Lake Tana, biosphere reserve, institutional linkage, common-pool resource management, Soil and water assessment tool, Fogera livestock breedItem Engagement of Micro and Small Enterprises In the Construction Process of Condominium Housing the Case of Basha Wolde Chilot Condominium Redevelopment Project(Addis Ababa University, 2023-06-01) Yohanna Rezene Elias; Yonas Alemayehu SoressaDue to the poor housing conditions of the city, Addis Ababa city has undergone inner city redevelopment; as a result, the government utilized the Integrated Housing Development Program (IHDP) as one of its strategies for redevelopment. The IHDP has had several benefits in improving the physical, social, and economic image of the city and creating job opportunities for micro and small enterprises (MSEs), and other actors involved. Several studies have indicated the existence of quality problems in condominium houses in the IHDP and to solve these quality issues it is vital to understand the construction process undergone. To get a deeper understanding, this study addresses the MSEs which are the largest stakeholders in the IHDP among the actors involved in the construction work by assessing their engagement in the construction of condominium housing using the relation between process and the outcomes. A case study method was conducted to provide an in-depth understanding by taking the Basha Wolde Chilot condominium as a case and both qualitative and quantitative data were used. The findings show that the types of work performed by MSEs during the IHDP process are greater than that of other sectors that participated in the program, accounting for 60% of the total work. The study classified its findings into three categories based on quality issues, time delay, and cost overruns. The insufficient training given to MSEs that lasted seven to ten days caused quality issues, moreover, inadequate supervision and approval of MSEs work created a comfortable structure for MSEs to compromise the quality of the work. In addition, the engagement of unskilled MSEs led the task to being reworked again, and MSEs who left the work contract without any notice led to work delay. Moreover, the improper usage of supplied material and usage of damaged and replaced material with low-standard material during installation created cost overrun. Because of that, the MSEs’ work in the condominium resulted in 80% of the respondents doing from simple to entire house modification and replacement. The research recommends selection of MSEs candidates in the IHDP should be based on the qualification of their working sector upon the decision of contractors. Furthermore, professionals who can guide MSEs during construction should be assigned for a better quality of the outcome and future studies could be carried out to assess other stakeholder’s engagement in the IHDP. Keywords: Micro and small enterprises, housing construction process, integrated housing development program, urban redevelopment.Item Urban Green Space Planning, Policy Implementation and Challenges: the Case of Addis Ababa(Addis Ababa University, 2021-02) Bekele, Shibire; Yeshitela, Kumelachew (PhD)Urban green spaces play a prominent role to achieve United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals specifically, to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and resilient. Urban forestry and greenspaces have less priority in urban planning. Thereby, this research is intended to assess the policy and planning of urban green spaces with their potential implementation status and challenges the planning faces on ground implementation. The general objective of this study is to assess urban green space planning, policy and implementation strategies and challenges that encounter in the implementation process in Addis Ababa. To undertake this research, both primary and secondary data has been used. The primary data was collected through key informant interview, Focus group discussion and field observation. Secondary data has been analyzed from google maps, satellite images and secondary data; literatures review, policy and masterplan analysis of Addis Ababa. The stakeholders and institutional arrangement mapping have been analyzed using engagement of different stakeholders’ consultation and multi-criteria analysis. Triangulation method has been used for data validation and analysis. According to Proclamation No. 1712004; Addis Ababa City Master Plan Preparation, Issuance and Implementation the city cabinet can issue a regulation parks and vegetation protection and preservation. Existing policy and proclamations must be supported by legislative regulations and implementation frameworks to provide the basis for concrete action plans. The incentives that are stipulated by the forest policy are not implemented to the required level. stakeholders are involved in the same greenspace development program but operating in different organizational structure. Principles like Multifunctionality, connectivity, green-grey interaction and social inclusiveness are considered in the planning of the greenspace development in the 10th masterplan. Within different catchment radius, the masterplan proposed 8,364 ha of green space in the structural plan of 2017-2027. The challenges in green space planning implementation are week communication, increase in population and urbanization and lack of proper planning are listed by the key informants. Political commitments, using of new technologies and the existing greenspaces potential are the opportunities which can be scaled up. The greenspace area coverage of Addis Ababa is undulating over time. the housing projects take the lion share of the greenspace reduction. The organizational structure of the city and federal government has some overlapping duties and this can create a delay in implementation and lack of proper monitoring and evaluation. This research has come up with recommendation of establishing platform for discussion Annual and biannual discussions on the implementation of the masterplan. Create systems and forums for public participation in the decision-making process of 'key' issues, and for stakeholder involvement. Furthermore, monitoring and evaluation of projects and activities must be done by multi-institutions and involved bodies.Item Impacts of Metehara Sugar Factory on Awash River Water Quality(Addis Ababa University, 2020-01) Mengistu, Kalkidan; Adugna, Dagnachew (PhDWater quality refers the characteristic of water that influence its suitability for particular use that is how well the quality meets the needs of specific use. Good quality water has social, economical and environmental benefits and determined by its physical, chemical and biological characteristics. In our country the quality of water deteriorated through time due to various natural and anthropogenic activities. Awash River is one of the rivers found in our country and serves as a drinking source for millions of people. But it has been impaired by various types of contamination due to waste released from different socio - economic activities in its basin. This makes the lower awash community to depend on poor and unsafe water consumption that exposes them to water quality related health risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of wastewaters from Metehara sugar factory on the water quality of Awash River. Both the effluents and the river water samples at selected points were analyzed for physicochemical parameters. The results for different parameters range for turbidity (21.85-192 NTU), EC (518- 17,590 518µS/cm), temperature (20.5-44.5 0 c), phosphate (0.785-2.85 mg/L), COD (745-89,290 mg/L), BOD5 (476 mg/L-71,457 mg/L) and oil and grease (30-77 mg/L) were the major drinking water quality concern in Awash River which were higher than Ethiopian (CES 58) and WHO maximum allowable limit of drinking water standard. Most of the river samples result also shown variation after dissolved with wastewaters. This clearly indicates the pollution load of wastewaters. The river is threatened by factory's wastewaters and might induce health risk. Therefore, there should be up to date treatment plant for factory wastewater and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the effluent quality before discharging into the river should be carried outItem Design With Terrain and Gravels: Nature-Based Drainage Solutions for Sustainable Stormwater Management of Urban Areas(2019-11) Assefa, Alazar; Bergen, Marina (Professor)Rapid urban growth and global climatic variability result in frequent flooding in urban areas and pose unprecedented stress on the existing drainage infrastructures. In developed nations, a shift in urban stormwater management from relying exclusively on gray, pipe-based drainage infrastructures towards green, nature-based approaches referred to as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), among others, is currently taking place. In cities of developing countries, the existing gray infrastructures are not well developed, prompting an opportunity of performing a technical leapfrogging towards SuDS. Through vigilant adoption of this increasingly-practiced nature-based drainage solution, municipalities can provide better drainage and flood control and create a fertile ground for more co-benefits to local residents in terms of livelihood and livability. This Ph.D. thesis identifies options to improve the drainage challenge of settlements developed over higher slope terrains and low lying plains of urban areas in developing countries with the high rate of urban growth and drainage infrastructure deficit, through terrain modifications and introduction of gravel-based drainage design solutions as a nature based drainage option to control flooding and provide co-benefits. The study is presented in three parts based on two empirical studies from case sites, both developed in the south-western fringe of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and one desktop study building upon one of the empirical studies. The case studies present the design of novel drainage and stormwater harvesting solutions constructed by using locally available materials and terrain modifications. The first design is for drainage of cobblestone streets in hilly areas. The design is referred to as Infiltration Bumper with Tree Planter (IBTP) and targets flood prevention, groundwater recharges and city greening simultaneously. The second design is for the management of stormwater in low lying residential areas. The design is referred to as Elevated Retention and Detention Basin (ERDB), and targets waterlogging prevention, stormwater harvesting, and green area improvements. The first solution (IBTP) is developed and tested to control stormwater runoff generated from the local cobblestone streets within the designated case study catchments for a 2-year storm event corresponding to 40 mm over 2 hours. The second solution (ERDB) is developed and tested to control 100% stormwater runoff generated from the Jemo condominium (the multistory residential neighborhood in Addis Ababa) within the designated case study catchments for the same storm event. The desktop-study resulted in a GIS-based planning tool for upscaling of the IBTP to a city-wide solution.Item Climate Change Trends, Projections and Vulnerability Integration to Enhance Urban Resilience Planning: The case of Addis Ababa City(EiABC, 2019-02) Feyissa, Nahimi; Dr. Gete Zeleke, Dr.Ephrem Gebremariam; Professor Woldeamlak BewketImpacts of climate change continue to knock on the doors of different societies including urban dwellers. The effect is more severe in towns of developing world like Addis Ababa where level of mitigation and adaptation measures are low and detailed climate change information is lacking. Many of existing studies give no consideration to the future climatic conditions, spatial quantification and mapping of vulnerability hotspots and integration of these all together for enhanced resilience planning. They mainly focused on basic environmental plans, where most of them fail implementation due to low level of law enforcements and unavailability of up to dated cadastral information system. Taking these points into considerations, this study focuses on analyzing climate change trends, downscaling projected results from general circulation models, analyzing land surface temperature changes, quantifying and mapping climate change vulnerability at sub-city level to recommend better environmental planning options which could be implemented to minimize severe climate change risks at Addis Ababa city. To achieve these, various methodological approaches were applied in a sequential order. Using Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM), downscaled daily maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation in 30 years intervals from the second generation of the Earth System Model (CanESM2) and Coupled Global Climate Model (CGCM3) iv under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) Scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and two Special Report Emission Scenarios (SRES), A1B and A2, were generated to examine future changes and their extremes. Two representative meteorological stations were selected for model calibration and validation in the SDSM. With this, ten core temperature and precipitation indices were selected to assess temperature changes and precipitation extremes. Spatio-temporal Land Surface Temperature (LST) characteristics were analyzed using four Landsat satellite image series with ten years interval from 1986 to 2017. Sub-city level Climate change vulnerability analyses were undertaken by integrating the Sullivan and Meigh’s Model of composite climate change vulnerability index and the IPCC’s approach of vulnerability assessment which comprises exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Fifteen subcomponents of vulnerability indicators were identified in ten sub-cities, and their values were normalized to a number which ranges between 0 and 1, with unequal weighting system, indicating as the values increased to 1, vulnerability to climate change increases. The results were mapped using ArcGIS 10.2 package. In-depth empirical field work including a survey of 399 households in four sub-cities and key informant interviews were conducted and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests were used to summarize the findings in SPSS. Finally climate change resilience plans were proposed for a sustainable environmental protection and to reduce the vulnerability that could be induced by climate change. The results showed that maximum temperature, minimum temperature and mean temperature was increasing in the last 60 years. The second thirty years mean temperature average, was higher than the first thirty years average by 1.1 ºC within 1957-2016. The trend in precipitation shows only insignificant v rise wihin the last six decades. The projected maximum temperature, increases were in the range of 0.9ºC (RCP4.5) in 2020 to 2.1ºC (CGCM3A2) in 2080 at Addis Ababa Observatory. The minimum temperature is projected to increase by 0.3ºC (RCP4.5) in 2020 and 1.0 ºC in 2080 (CGCM3A1B). While the changes in maximum temperature are lower at Entoto station compared to Addis Ababa Observatory, the highest minimum temperature change is projected at Addis Ababa Observatory, which ranges from 0.25ºC in the 2020s to 1.04ºC in 2080 according to the CGCM3 model. Except for the coldest nights (TNn), the mean temperature and other temperature indices will continue to increase to the end of this century. The highest precipitation change is projected by CGCM3A2 and CanESM2 RCP8.5 at an increase of about 11.8% and 16.62% by 2080. The highest total precipitation increase is 29% (RCP4.5) in winter and 20.9% (RCP8.5) in summer by 2080. The rise in temperature will exacerbate the urban heat highland effects in warm seasons and an increase in precipitation is expected along with a possible risk of flooding due to a low level of infrastructure development and a high rate of urbanization. It is also found that land surface temperature was highly influenced by land cover types. The highest LST was found in built-up areas and barren lands. 49% and 47% of the study area had an LST range of 23°C - 27°C in 1986 and 1995 respectively. However, in 2007 and 2017, 41% and 59% of the study area had LST range of 27°C - 31°C respectively. The ten sub-cities in Addis Ababa were found in different levels of vulnerability to climate change with the highest exposure and sensitivity in Addis Ketema, Arada, and Lideta while the adaptive capacity was highest in Gulelle, Bole, and Arada sub-cities. The overall climate change vulnerability was highest in Arada, Addis Ketema and Kirkos. The result also found that 69.2% and 60.2% of the respondents vi perceived that temperature and precipitation increased within the last one to three decades respectively. Flash flood during high precipitation is common along the main roads in Kirkos, while river flooding is a major problem in summer for the residents living along the sides of Akaki River where the cost of damage is high sometimes to the loss of all property and life too. The study recommended city level and landscape level resilience plans within Addis Ababa and the surrounding mountainous landscapes.Item Evaluation of Addis Ababa Water Supply System Using Integrated Approach(EiABC, 2019-06) Assabu Ewunetu, Getinet; Professor Hailu WorkuEthiopian Institute of Architecture, Construction and City Development, Addis Ababa University, 2019. The city of Addis Ababa gets water from Dire, Gefersa, and Legedadi reservoirs as well as miscellaneous boreholes concentrated around Akaki and scattered at both inside outside the city. Previous studies on Addis Ababa’s urban water supply are fragmented focusing on specific issues without presenting the holistic view of the system. In the present study, we assess range of aspects of the city’s water supply system in the past, present and future periods. Data were obtained through a literature review of relevant documents, personal communication, household interviews, and key informant interviews. The time series data were analyzed by stratifying the time periods, water source, and water supply branches. Descriptive statistics and various plots were used to present the most important characteristics of water consumption and production data. Addis Ababa was initially served by springs located at the foot of the Intoto mountain ridge together with a series of hand dug wells. Population growth, improved standard of life, economic diversification, and increased urban dynamics have increased the water demand over the past several decades. This has led to water source diversification (in terms of location and source type) and complex network system (due to hybrid sourcing, increased customer water line connections, pipeline aging, pressure variations related to topographic variations, service reservoirs, pumping and/or booster stations). In 2014/2015, surface and groundwater sources contributed somewhat equally (51% and 49 %, respectively) and supplied about 49 % of the demand with 45% Non-Revenue Water. Nearly half of the water demand of the city is not met. This supply deficit is causing frequent supply interruptions. The utility is supplying water via water trucks for low pressure areas where water does not reach easily. There are also efforts to develop additional groundwater sources at various well fields and develop the Sibilu and Gerbi dams. When all the proposed projects are completed, 971,483m3/d additional water will be added to the existing water supply which will increase the supply by 273%. While efforts to increase water supply are encouraging, demand side management deserves more attention than it is receiving currently. WEAP model simulations have shown significant unmet future demand for the city even with complete implementation of the proposed projects. Households with greater number of supply failures tend to have the least access to drinking water. Similarly, both water quantity and water quality are deteriorating. A good example of water quality problem is the 2017/18 outbreak of cholera incidence. Customers are highly dissatisfied with the current service delivery characterized by long time persistent problems. Unless the water utility takes immediate action to solve these problems, the current situation which is affecting the health and economic status of water customers will exacerbate. In this study, it is identified that the major causes of the lack of adequate water supply in the city are depletion of groundwater sources, huge leakage volume, population growth, construction boom or enhanced economic activity and wasting of water by customer at lower parts of the city. Unless demand side and supply side management measures are enhanced, the gap between supply and unmet demand will resume as is. : Addis Ababa, Water supply, WEAP Model, Urban water management, Water lossItem Housing Typologies of Mud Block Construction in Central Ethiopia: the Case of Three Selected Towns(EiABC, 2019-06) Birku Gobena, Dejene; Dagnachew Adugna Dr. (PHD)Earth as a construction material is the commonly available and worldwide usable material in rural and urban areas. In developing countries, this recyclable material of earth construction was used for economically efficient and sustainable Housing Projects. Thus, in Ethiopia the mud block construction is an essential in increasing sustainable solutions for the provision of shelter for every person. Weak use of locally developed building materials has resulted in huge housing shortage and expensive housing construction. The commonly used construction materials in Ethiopia are Chika/mud bet, hollow concrete block, brick, mud block and stone masonry. In investigating the housing typology of mud block construction in central Ethiopia on the three selected towns were studied through case study approaches using physical survey, interviews, and lab analysis on the compressive strength, water absorption capacity and shrinkage value of mud blocks. The findings of the present study revealed that mud block housing was affected by ingredients, climate, construction techniques and adaptability but mud block houses were more acceptable due to the use of local material & labor, economy, energy efficiency, comfortable and easy for construction. The present study recommends that researches were needed to investigate on the use of mud block construction as alternative walling material by substituting the uses of trees and other unsustainable construction material by adapting in different climatic zones of Ethiopia.Item Planning for Core areas of Wildlife Conservation at Gambella National Park Using Habitat Classification and Habitat Mapping(EiABC, 2017-06) Gatkoth Rolkier, Gatluak; Kumelachew Yeshitala Dr.Gambella National Park has a diverse set of habitat types, which Ethiopia shares with neighboring South Sudan and the Park is considered as one of the top wildlife areas of Ethiopia. The objectives of this research were to determine vegetation types, identify habitat types on recent satellite imageries, determine the abundance,distribution and density of studied wild animal species and study migration patterns of some selected wild animal species and their habitat use. The method used for vegetation data collection and studied wild animal species were transects lines, The data for studied wild animal migrations were collected by using satellite collars.PC-ORD software was used for analyzed vegetation data. Rapid Eye image 5m resolution 2012 was used to classify the habitats map of Gambella National Park. ArcGIS version 10.1 was used for analyzing animal distributions,density and study wild animals’ migration patterns and their habitats used. The cluster analysis classified,the Gambella National Park into 6 vegetation communities and the relative abundance and relative frequency was used for naming vegetation communitiy types. However, the satellite image had classified the Gambella National Park into 5 major habitat types.In general, the abundance and distribution of studied wild animal species to be the higher in dry season than wet season. The abundance and distribution of White eared kob were observed in all habitat types of Park. However, the abundance and distributions of Nile lechwe, Buffalo, Shoe bill stork, Tiang and elephant were observed in the wetlands of the Park.The majority of White eared kob and African elephant are seasonal migratory between Gambella National Park and South Sudan. The relevance of habitat types for successful migration of elephant was woodland in wet seasons and wooded grassland in dry seasons. The core area of wildlife conservation and Four other zones of the Park had been proposed. .