Research
Review on the Role and Implications of Wetlands to Climate Change
Three of the world’s greatest challenges over the coming decades will be biodiversity loss, climate change, and water stress (World Bank, 2008). Global climate change is undoubtedly the most pervasive, complex and challenging of the global environmental issues facing contemporary society and it affects all aspects of development. The effects of climate change are local and vary among systems, sectors and regions. Although many natural and economic sectors will be affected by climate change, impacts on agriculture and water availability will have the greatest potential to negatively affect the livelihoods of the poor in rural areas, as well as national economic growth in the least-developed countries, especially for the people of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Roetter et al., 2002). The high dependence of the economies and rural people of SSA upon rain fed agriculture, the prevalence of poverty and food insecurity and limited development of institutional and infrastructural capacities makes coping with natural climate variability a perennial challenge. This challenge is being magnified by global climate change (Cline, 2007; Lobell et al., 2008). Expanding agriculture leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, drainage of wetlands, and impacts on freshwater and marine ecosystems through sedimentation and pollution and is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide (World Bank, 2008).
Determinants of Choice Decision for Adoption of Conservation Intervention Practices: The Case of Mt. Damota Sub-Watershed, Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia
Factors affecting choice decision are location specific and it is also important to look into farmers’ decision on conservation practices for which they are aware of. This study was undertaken in Mt. Damota sub-watershed, which is among the degraded site in the woreda as well in the zone. The study mainly investigated how farmers’ decide on conservation practices and what determines their decision. The data was collected from 103 randomly and proportionately selected households from two PAs and six villages by using stratified random sampling techniques where wealth status was used for the stratification. The relevant data were generated using a combination of methods; structured questionnaire, key informants and group discussion methods as well as secondary data sources. Descriptive statistics with appropriate statistical tests and binary logistic regression model were used to analyses the data. The study findings from ch-square test showed that the farmers’ choice decision was positively and significantly correlated to family size, educational status, social position, source and distance of farmland, tenure security, off-farm income, training, extension and credit service. Factors such as age, sex, farm size, farming experience, number of farm plots, slope gradient and soil type were not significant. The model output showed that factors such as; education, training; tenure security;
Extent & Impact of Land Degradation and Rehabilitation Strategies: Ethiopian Highlands
Throughout the world today, depletion of natural resources is among the major problems facing human beings. Land degradation, especially in the highlands, has been identified as the most serious environmental problem in Ethiopia. The Hararghae highlands in Eastern Ethiopia, Tigrai, Wollo, and Semen Shoa highlands in the north and the Gamo-Gofa highlands and the Bilate […]
