Ethiopian Journal of Environment and Development

Effects of Watershed Management Practices on Glomalin Related Soil Protein as Rapid Soil Health Indicator: The Case of Amalake Watershed, Gidabo Sub-Basin, South Ethiopia

Wakshuma Mergo — 2025-12-10

Finding the best tactics suited to particular ecological situations requires a comprehensive grasp of thelong-term impacts of watershed management techniques. Tracking trends in changes to soil biogeochemical properties is particularly useful. The purpose of this study was to look into the long-term effects on soil glomalin and associated soil physicochemical parameters of three different watershed management techniques: soil bund (SB), micro-basin (MB), and fanya-juu (FJ). Easily extractable and total glomalin were extracted following standard methods. The study analyzed the impacts of these soil management practices and the correlations between soil glomalin and other soil physicochemical properties. All three soil and water conservation practices resulted in significant changes (p < 0.05) in easily extractable glomalin and total glomalin. Notably, the SB management practice produced the highest increase (21.13%) compared to the control sample. The most substantial change (38.26%) in aggregate stability was observed for large macro-aggregates in the lower slope under SB management. Soils under SB in the lower slope had the highest percentage of water-stable aggregates (WSA), 74.35%. The increases were 57.06% to 100% for SB, 72.05% to 77.69% for MB, and 34.16% to 71.90% for FJ in terms of soil organic carbon (SOC) linked to macro-aggregates. The results indicate that all three soil and water conservation practices significantly improved soil physicochemical properties. The decreasing order of changes in soil glomalin, aggregate size distribution, WSA, and nutrient availability was SB > MB > FJ > control sample. This implies that SB is the most effective soil and water conservation practice in semi-humid regions and plateau landscapes.

Factors associated with Household Satisfaction with Community Based Health Insurance and Policy Implication in Southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional Study

Yodit Abebe — 2025-12-10

Ethiopia has been implementing the CBHI program since 2011 in an effort to increase access to healthcare and improve universal health coverage by lowering costs for low-income families. Research on household satisfaction with health care is still lacking. The major objective of this study is to assess the level of household satisfaction with community-based health insurance services and related factors. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select participating families. In each of the selected kebeles, 406 households participating in the CBHI program were selected by simple random sampling according to the population proportional to sample size (PPS). Primary information was collected using a pre-tested questionnaire completed by an interviewer. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis as well as descriptive statistics were carried out. To identify independent predictors of household satisfaction with the CBHI, p-values <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used. The finding of this study showed that, household satisfaction with the CBHI scheme was moderate in Southern Ethiopia. Age, marital status, payment fairness, healthcare coverage, waiting time, service quality, and drug availability were significant predictors of satisfaction with CBHI service. This study recommends that comprehensive health care coverage, e.g., for non-communicable diseases (chemotherapy, kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, and others) and major surgeries, as well as improvements in overall services and their quality, are critical to increasing satisfaction in the region Aggregate-associated carbon, Aggregate stability, Soil conservation, Soil glomalin, Soil organic carbon

Patterns of Nutrients Cycling and Soil Quality under Different Soil Conservation Practices: The Case of Amalake Watershed, Gidabo Sub-basin, South Ethiopia

Wakshuma Mergo — 2025-12-10

Soil conservation practices have varying long-term effects on soil quality and nutrient cycling, making it essential to identify the most effective, ecology-specific methods. This study in the Amalake watershed, Gidabo sub-basin, investigated the long-term impacts of different conservation practices: soil bund (SB), micro-basin (MB), fanya-juu (FJ), and a control sample (CS) on soil quality indicators. Bulk soil samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties using standard methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified key indicators bulk density (BD), pH, water-stable aggregates (WSA), moisture content (MC), soil organic matter (SOM), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) — to calculate a soil quality index (SQI). All three soil conservation practices significantly (p < 0.01) improved properties such as BD, pH, WSA, MC, SOM, and CEC. The most effective practice, SB, resulted in changes of 28.57% (BD), 74.35% (WSA), 14.48% (MC), 21.05% (CEC), and 100% (SOM) compared to the control. SB also significantly increased the contents of Ca2+ (50.41%), Mg2+ (36.55%), and K+ (100%). However, the impacts on micronutrients were inconsistent. Additionally, SB yielded the highest SQI values across upper (0.68), middle (0.54), and lower (0.86) slopes. Overall improvements in soil indicators followed the order: SB > MB > FJ. Therefore, SB is the most effective soil conservation practice for enhancing nutrient cycling and soil quality in steep, variable landscapes like the Amalake watershed.

Land Use Land Cover Change and its Implications for Livestock Production and Food Security in Kuyu District, Ethiopia

Tesfaye Negewo — 2025-12-10

Although Kuyu district has significant potential for animal-source food production due to its large livestock population and diverse species, the effects of land use and land cover (LULC) change on these resources remain underexplored. This study examines LULC changes over three decades (1991–2021) and their impact on livestock production and food security among rural households. Data from Landsat images from 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021 were used to develop land use maps and quantify changes through visual interpretation and supervised classification using ArcGIS Version 10.7.1. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and transect walks were employed to complement the study with qualitative data. Six LULC classes were identified: forest/plantation, grass/shrub land, bare land, cropland, rural settlement, and urban built-up areas. Over the study period, cropland and bare land experienced net gains of 45.4% and 6.5%, respectively. In contrast, forest/plantation land and grass/shrub land showed net losses of 29.3% and 23.7%, respectively. The decline in grassland is a major cause of animal feed scarcity, although the expansion of croplands provides low-quality crop by-products as alternative feed sources. Livestock relying on such feeds exhibit poor production and health performance, jeopardizing food security for rural households. The LULC changes observed in this study underscore their adverse effects on livestock production. To mitigate the constraints on livestock production and improve food security, interventions such as diversifying livestock production, enhancing mixed crop-livestock farming, adopting agroecological practices, and implementing effective livestock development planning, policies, and strategies are recommended.

Adaptation potential of Opuntia ficus-indica along altitudinal gradient of Gullele Botanical Garden, Addis Ababa

Mehari Girmay — 2025-12-10

Ethiopia’s diverse agro-climatic zones host a rich variety of endemic and introduced flowering plants, among which is Opuntia ficus-indica, an introduced species prized for its nutritional benefits for both humans and animals. This research aims to evaluate the adaptability of Opuntia ficus-indica across different altitudinal ranges within the Gullele Botanical Garden, located in the central plateaus of Ethiopia. Approximately 45 cladodes were sourced from the Gurage zone to analyze the species’ adaptation and growth performance at varying altitudes in the Gullele Botanical Garden, Addis Ababa. The cladodes were planted at three distinct altitudinal levels, with their survival rates, growth metrics, and developmental timelines closely monitored over a period of 30 months. The results indicated that while initial survival rates were modest, the species demonstrated resilience across altitudes ranging from 2,559 to 3,000 meters above sea level. Notable differences were observed in growth duration, cladode height, and flowering periods. Lower altitudes facilitated quicker growth and larger cladodes, whereas higher elevations led to delayed growth and flowering, likely due to cooler temperatures. These findings suggest that Opuntia ficus-indica can be successfully cultivated in highland ecosystems, contributing to ecological restoration, enhancing food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia’s drought-prone areas. It is recommended that further long-term studies be conducted to refine cultivation techniques and assess reproductive and yield potentials. Integrating Opuntia into restoration programs and farming systems could provide a reliable source of food and fodder, improve soil stability, and serve as a climate-resilient crop option for local communities.