Search Results (2)

Drought is one of the challenges in Ethiopia that affects the agricultural production. Ecosystems can mitigate the effects of climate-related hazards including drought. For this reason, nature-based solutions (NbS) are becoming more prominent to manage climate-related impacts in developing countries; however, there is still limited empirical evidence, which would inform NbS policy and practices. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize droughts in Eastern Ethiopia (the case of Erer Sub-basin) and assess the effectiveness of various NbS for drought. The temporal changes in soil moisture deficit index (SMDI) (agricultural drought) and standard precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) (meteorological drought) at various timescales (1, 3, and 6 months) between 1981 and 2020 were analyzed. Qualitative analysis was used to categorize and evaluate the effectiveness of NbS to mitigate drought risk by adopting a Living Labs approach. Overall, the study revealed that droughts showed an increasing trend with more frequency, longevity, and severity. The drought analysis results showed that SPEI’s variants were less reliable than SMDI_0–5 and SMDI_5–100. With an increase in rainfall, SPEI showed stronger relationships with SMDI_0–5 at one and two-month delays between May and July. SPEI and SMDI_5–100 performed better in terms of capturing actual drought occurrences than SMDI_0–5. The results of focus group discussions (FGD) suggested NbS such as habitat restoration, structural restoration, reforestation, rehabilitation, revegetation, land enclosures, conservancies, and locally managed areas have been practiced as a strategy to manage drought risks. Overall, the study indicated that a new, comprehensive approach through nature-based solutions to reduce the risk of drought is urgently needed. Full article

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) is a critical factor for enhancing the soil erosion risk and land degradation process in the Wabi Shebelle Basin. Up-to-date spatial and statistical data on basin-wide erosion rates can provide an important basis for planning and conservation of soil and water ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to examine the magnitude of LULCC and consequent changes in the spatial extent of soil erosion risk, and identify priority areas for Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) in the Erer Sub-Basin, Wabi Shebelle Basin, Ethiopia. The soil loss rates were estimated using an empirical prediction model of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) outlined in the ArcGIS environment. The estimated total annual actual soil loss at the sub-basin level was 1.01 million tons in 2000 and 1.52 million tons in 2018 with a mean erosion rate of 75.85 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ and 107.07 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, respectively. The most extensive soil loss rates were estimated in croplands and bare land cover, with a mean soil loss rate of 37.60 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ and 15.78 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, respectively. The soil erosion risk has increased by 18.28% of the total area, and decreased by 15.93%, showing that the overall soil erosion situation is worsening in the study area. We determined SWC priority areas using a Multi Criteria Decision Rule (MCDR) approach, indicating that the top three levels identified for intense SWC account for about 2.50%, 2.38%, and 2.14%, respectively. These priority levels are typically situated along the steep slopes in Babile, Fedis, Fik, Gursum, Gola Oda, Haramaya, Jarso, and Kombolcha districts that need emergency SWC measures. Full article