Ethiopia, a nation of more than eighty ethnic groups and a similar number of languages, some of them having no written form, has a great heritage of orature. Reflections on historical events and legends as well as expressions on relig ious, politic al, social and cultural life of the people dominate this vast treasure of oral lit erature. Though the Anywaa (Anuak) people, living in the Gambel la Regi on of Ethiop ia, are a small ethnic group in the country, their oral lit erature is very vast. Their social gatherings like ‘Achonga’ and ‘Wimaach’ are occasions for oral performance. Even their conversations are packed with proverbs re lated to occupati ons, like farmi ng, hunting and fishing. This study co ncentrat es on some of their proverbs related to anim als. Thes e proverb s represen t the culture of the co ncerned society and, most im portantly, they in fluence the day-to-day life of the people. Moreover, the samples of oral sayings selected for the study are typical as they serv e the pedago gi c, etio log ical, and en tertai nment functio ns of the genr

This study investigates the relationships among neighborhood condition, school problems, parent adolescent communication, peer relation and religiosity on juvenile delinquency. Self-reported questionnaires were collected from 107 juvenile delinquents aged 11-18 years. Six standardized instruments of Amharic versions were administered. The rate of juvenile delinquency was significantly and positively correlated with the neighborhood condition, school problems, poor family communication, and peer relation. Negative significant relationships were also observed between juvenile delinquency and religiosity and open family communication. All variables together accounted for 88.6 % of the explained variance. More specifically, the strongest influence was from neighborhood condition followed by open family communication and school problems. The paper concludes that to tackle delinquent behavior proactive interventions are essential at family, school and community levels

cientific evidence indicates that climate change has posed profound effects on the wellbeing of citizens in countries throughout the world. Its impact is even stronger on the poor having limited capacity to cope-up with it. In Ethiopia, climate change risks such as droughts, floods and other extreme weather events have threatened the overall sustainability of agricultural production and, in turn, the status of food security. The objective of this study is to examine crop sensitivity to inter-annual climate variability in Lay Gayint woreda, South Gondar Zone of Amhara Region. Simple regression and drought susceptibility indices were used to analyze the data. The statistical analysis of the climate data revealed an increase in temperature, and decrease and/or erratic distribution in rainfall. Based on these findings the paper encourages strategies that can enhance the ability of farmers and soil productivity. Additionally, water conservation projects with the active participation of the rural communities are considered as essential

Tourism can play a vital role in protecting the environment, conserving biodiversity and maintaining sustainable development. Furthermore, tourism has the power to enhance the environment, to provide fund for conservation, to preserve culture and history, to set sustainable use limits, to protect wildlife and to add value to biodiversity. In this paper, a cross sectional study in Wunania, Kosoye, was used to describe the existing situations and events in the area. For the study, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. The study established that the local community’s awareness level of biodiversity conservation and the economic significance of ecotourism in Wunania-Kosoye natural attraction site was very high. Yet, this contrasted with a loss of biodiversity in the last decades due to deforestation, uncontrolled grazing, and land degradation. The research finding suggested that Community Based Ecotourism is becoming preferable when it is compared with other alternative approaches for conserving biodiversity in Wunania-Kosoye natural attraction site.

The objective of this study is to assess the pattern and to identify the major driving forces of land use and land cover change as well as to analyze the consequences of these changes in Lay Gayint woreda. The study used Landsat images of 1984 and 2004 to produce two layers of maps using Remote Sensing and GIS. The results showed that cultivation land and settlement increased by 51.8 % followed by increment in bare land by 19.1 % while communal grazing, forest cover, and shrub have reduced by 52.6 %; 79.6 % and 28.4 % respectively. Population growth, less hand holding related to traditional farming practices, and high fuel energy demand were the major driving forces for the observed changes. One of the major negative impacts of land use and land cover change in the woreda is land degradation, mainly in the form of erosion and the resulting loss of fertility. To curb this problem, the study recommends practising sustainable land management utilizing alternative energy sources, implementing expansive family planning, and creating awareness on the impacts of those changes

This paper assesses the social vulnerability to climate change in the valley of the Abbay-Beshilo, Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia. Data were collected using a survey of households and focus group discussions as well as from the global weather data for soil and water assessment tool, office documents and research reports. Climatic elements were analyzed using simple regression and standardized precipitation index, while social vulnerability index was used to calculate vulnerability scores for social capital indicators. The study found different social vulnerability scores for different indicators. Households were highly dissatisfied with the services given by local leaders. However, households were less vulnerable to climate change by policy-related indicators though discussants complain of the little or no benefits gained from the policy interventions. This study is the first assessment of relative levels of social vulnerability to climate change in the Abbay-Beshilo Valley of Ethiopia. Since social capital is so vital in reducing climate change risks during and after every disaster, it is essential to consider it when designing adaptation measures.