Background This study aimed to examine the spatial variations in malaria hotspots along Dilla sub-watershed in western Ethiopia based on environmental factors for the prevalence; and compare the risk level along with districts and their respective kebele. The purpose was to identify the extent of the community’s exposure to the risk of malaria due to their geographical and biophysical situations, and the results contribute to proactive interventions to halt the impacts. Methods The descriptive survey design was used in this study. Ethiopia Central Statistical Agency based meteorological data, digital elevation model, and soil and hydrological data were integrated with other primary data such as the observations of the study area for ground truthing. The spatial analysis tools and software were used for watershed delineation, generating malaria risk map for all variables, reclassification of factors, weighted overlay analysis, and generation of risk maps. Results The findings of the study reveal that the significant spatial variations in magnitudes of malaria risk have persisted in the watershed due to discrepancy in their geographical and biophysical situations. Accordingly, significant areas in most of the districts in the watershed are characterized by high and moderate in malaria risks. In general, out of the total area of the watershed which accounts 2773 km2, about 54.8% (1522km2) identified as high and moderate malaria risk area. These areas are explicitly identified and mapped along with the districts and kebele in the watershed to make the result suitable for planning proactive interventions and other decision making. Conclusions The research output may help the government and humanitarian organizations to prioritize the interventions based on identified spatial situations in severity of malaria risks. The study was aimed only for hotspot analysis which may not provide inclusive account for community’s vulnerability to malaria. Thus, the findings in this study needs to be integrated with the socio-economic and other relevant data for better malaria management in the area. Therefore, future research should comprehend the analysis of vulnerability to the impacts of malaria through integrating the level of exposure to the risk, for instance identified in this study, with factors of sensitivity and adaptation capacity of the local community.

Community's perception of land degradation by erosion is a key social factor that is important in deciding options for controlling soil losses. Therefore, understanding Community's knowledge and their perception and factors that influence their land management practices are of paramount importance for promoting sustainable land use in the study area. Community of the study area have good perception of soil erosion in general and its causes, indicators and the area of their plot of land vulnerable to soil erosion in particular. Moreover, they have good traditional and modern measure of soil conservation methods. However, various hindering factors such as lack of capital, poverty, small size of their land and other socio-economic and physical factors were observed which obstacle to apply the SWC technologies. In addition, Community's perception of importance of modern SWC technologies was very high. However, the way of their perception seems wrong. Because, they perceive that modern SWC is government strategy to rehabilitate highly degraded area through campaigns rather than method of soil conservation on the agricultural land. They consider that the structure occupy large area that it hinder them to fully utilize their highly fragemented farmland due to high dependency on agriculture. Therefore, it is recommended that good policy and strategies by the government, corrective intervention from any concerned organizations aimed at this issue as well as the community's participation on encouraging farmers' participation in soil conservation practices are very important to solve current soil erosion devastations and environmental deterioration of the study area.

Purpose: Global environmental change of climate variability and land use dynamics are emerging livelihood challenges facing local poor. Although, the synergetic impacts of these processes have been cognate in Ethiopia, vulnerability researches were fixed to climate variability, inadequate on conceptual and methodological considerations of non-climate stressors. To this attention, we assessed small-scale farmers’ vulnerability situations in Anger watershed of southwestern Ethiopia. Methods: The case study design guided by mixed methods approach was used. Multistage sampling technique was used for the study. The data collected from 335 household heads were analyzed by multivariate analysis, measures of differences, and substantiated by qualitative enquiry based on focus group discussions and observations. Result: Household’s vulnerability magnitude ranges from high to moderate, while in aggregate, kolla agroecology was more vulnerable than highland. The effects of social adaptability and sensitivity to land resources were significantly contributed for the vulnerability differences. Although, climate variability was notable, structural land use dynamics was unequivocal stressor deepened the household’s vulnerability in kolla. Conclusions: Vulnerability is the result of interactive and interconnected processes of climate, non-climate stressors, and households’ internal capacity in the study area. Thus, attributing local vulnerability to only climate variability, neglecting local non-climatic disturbances could mislead development planning. Hence, future studies should consider such processes simultaneously to provide comprehensive evidences on vulnerability situations. The national adaptations program needs to integrate climate change with the emerging other global changes in planning rural resilience. Policy fortifying agricultural investments should synchronize win-win strategy for relationships between investors and local community.

The study was aimed to examine the spatial variations in malaria hotspots along Dilla sub-watershed in western Ethiopia based on environmental factors for the incidences; and compare risk level among districts and their respective kebeles. Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency based meteorological data, digital elevation model, soil and hydrological data were used. Different spatial analysis tools and Software were used for watershed delineation, generating malaria risk map for all variables, reclassification of factors, weighted overlay analysis and generation of risk maps. The findings of the study reveal that all districts and kebeles have different level of malaria risk due to variation in their environmental conditions. Accordingly, significant areas in Guliso, Aira, Boji Chokorsa, Boji Dirmaji, Jarso, Najo, Gawo Kebe, and Dale Wabera are characterized as high and moderately exposed to malaria risk. More specifically, about 14 kebeles of Aira, 12 kebeles of Guliso, 8 kebeles of Jarso, 8 kebeles of Najo, 4 kebeles of Boji Chokorsa, 4 kebeles of Boji Birmaji were highly and moderately exposed to the risk. In general, out of the total area of the watershed which accounts 2773 km2, about 54.8% (1522km2) identified as high and moderate malaria risk area. The research output may help the government and humanitarian organizations to prioritize the interventions based on identified spatial variations in malaria severity. The research is aimed only for hotspot analysis which may not provide comprehensive account for community’s vulnerability to malaria. Thus, this research finding needs to be integrated with the socio-economic and other data for better malaria management in the area.

Background The recent research recommendations on the adaptations of poor are toward local specific investigations, aimed at a comprehensive understanding of the adaptation strategies through in-depth analysis of the status, and the explicit on how climate and non-climate global change processes constrain the inherent strategies. Intent to this idea, we have designed this study to assess the small-scale farmers’ adaptation and coping strategies in southwestern Ethiopia. Methods The agroecology approach steered in case-study design was used for the conceptual and analytical framework. The data collected from 335 households were analyzed for descriptive and multivariate analysis of variance and substantiated by qualitative data obtained through focused group discussion, interview, and observations. Results The significant differences were observed in the watershed among households in the case studies on their adoption of the identified adaptation and coping strategies. The sustainability of preferred strategies was different along case studies, solely determined by the impact magnitude of the adaptations constraining factors. Although free ecosystem-based strategies become less practical and replacing by new strategies in the watershed, the processes were gradual, internal to the community and managed through adaptive learning in the highland. However, the paths were perceived as toward maladaptive, resulted by the state interventions which disrupted free adaptations, deteriorated adaptive learning of the community, and shaped the adaptation responses toward the interventions in the kolla agroecology. Conclusions The study implies that the situations of households’ adaptation strategies are beyond the reflections of their respective production ecology, designated within climate variability in the previous studies. The structural land use dynamics and associated resource tenure insecurity have greater constraining effects on the strategies than the impacts of climate variability in the kolla. Thus, subsequent research interested in such contexts, and any plan for the development interventions should (re)consider the impacts of non-climate national/and global environmental change in shaping the adaptation and coping strategies of the local community.