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In Ethiopia, healthcare service delivery faces various challenges, specifically in relation to prescribing the right medicine to the right patient at the right time. Thus, patients are exposed to challenges ranging from staying on treatment plans longer than necessary, leaving treatment too early and dying of complications. This paper aims to explore the trends, challenges and opportunities of applying big data analytics (BDA) in precision medicine in other locations around the globe and taking lessons for Ethiopia through a systematic review of 14 peer-reviewed articles from three popular databases. The findings indicate that cancer, epilepsy and systemic diseases altogether are areas currently getting big attention. The challenges are attributed to the nature of health data, failure in collaboration of data sharing, ethical and legal issues, interoperability of systems, poor knowledge skills and culture, and poor infrastructure. In addition to the adoption of modern technologies (new and experimental methods, cloud computing, Internet of Things, social networks, etc.), Ethiopia’s government initiative to promote private technological firms could be an opportunity to use BDA in precision medicine in Ethiopia.

For the first generation of immigrants, entrepreneurship might be a reasonable answer to their employment problems. Unfortunately, in addition to objective problems such as language, the socialization for entrepreneurship of these immigrants does not always meet the requirements of their new country. This hindrance is overcome by the second generation which, through a different process of socialization, is closing the gap.

Microlending has become one of the primary interventions intended to alleviate poverty in the developing world. However, empirical results of the benefits of microlending have been disappointing. This article proposes the common microlending practice of group lending reduces the likelihood borrowers will engage in innovative activities, which has been demonstrated to be a key factor in improving borrower outcomes. The hypotheses proposed are tested with data collected from interviews with 340 microloan borrowers in Ethiopia. The findings are consistent with a weak sorting effect where innovative individuals are less likely to participate in group loans than individual loans, and a social pressure effect where innovative individuals taking group loans are pressured to behave less innovatively than their peers taking individual loans.

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the role of different climate change adaptation strategies in supporting food productivity in Ethiopia. The analysis relies on unique primary survey data on 1000 farms producing cereal crops in the Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Based on monthly collected meteorological station data, the Thin Plate Spline method of spatial interpolation is used to impute the household specific rainfall and temperature values of each household. The rainfall data is disaggregated at season level (Meher and Belg). Econometric results show that the implementation of adaptation strategies supports farm productivity. Changing crops is found to be the most successful strategy, followed by the implementation of soil conservation and tree planting. We complement the analysis with some evidence on the determinants of adaptation. We find that extension services (both formal and farmer-to-farmer) and information on future climate changes affect positively and significantly the probability of adaptation through changing crops and tree planting. This finding highlights the crucial role played by information dissemination in improving farmers' decision-making.

There is a paucity of information on conditioning factors that hinder or promote adoption of multiple climate-smart practices and on the synergies among such practices in increasing household resilience by improving agricultural income. This study analyzes how heat, rainfall, and rainfall variability affect farmers’ choices of a portfolio of potential climate smart practices — agricultural water management, improved crop seeds, and fertilizer — and the impact of these practices on farm income in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia. We apply a multinomial endogenous switching regression approach by modeling combinations of practices and net farm income for each combination as depending on household and farm characteristics and on a set of climatic variables based on geo-referenced historical precipitation and temperature data. A primary result of this study is that farmers are less likely to adopt fertilizer (either alone or in combination with improved varieties) in areas of greater rainfall variability. However, even when there is high variability in rainfall, farmers are more likely to adopt these two yield-increasing inputs when they choose to (and are able to) include the third part of the portfolio: agricultural water management. Net farm income responds positively to agricultural water management, improved crop variety or fertilizer when they are adopted in isolation as well as in combination. But this effect is greater when these practices are combined. Simulation results suggest that a warming temperature and decreased precipitation in future decades will make it less likely that farmers will adopt practices in isolation but more likely that they will adopt a combination of practices. Hence, a package approach rather than a piecemeal approach is needed to maximize the synergies implicit in various climate smart practices.

The development of water storage schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is considered a major aid for those regions with unequal water distribution, limited accessibility and anticipated climate change impacts. Great attention is given by many SSA countries to set up different water storage schemes that may improve rural and urban development on a national level. The funding for the water storage schemes is often derived from foreign agencies which conduct feasibility studies for the financing of potential investments. Often however, the feasibility studies rely on a single monetary criterion which may not identify the most appropriate water storage in each case. In addition, limited data availability in many SSA countries increases the difficulty of identifying the most suitable storage option. This paper develops a multicriteria framework for the integrated evaluation of water storage strategies in Sub-Saharan African countries. A set of economic, agronomic and opinion-based criteria are assessed through the PROMETHEE II outranking approach. The introduction of crop modeling complements the limited field data available in agronomic criteria and enhances the scientific rigor of the method. Ethiopia is adopted as a representative case of SSA countries where a diverse set of water storage options is currently under construction, often financed by foreign agencies.

Smallholder farmers in Africa rely heavily on rainfed agriculture. Those who have access to irrigation often receive it at no charge, but quantity, frequency and reliability may be limited without adequate revenue for maintenance and operation. Moreover, the absence of fees means that there are no pricing signals to encourage conservation of this scarce resource. In a situation where farmers do not pay for irrigation water use, this study investigates demand-side issues by eliciting farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for access to irrigation water. This study employs choice experiment (CE) and contingent valuation methods (CVMs) to value access to irrigation water, taking Ethiopia as a case in point. Unlike previous studies, this study covers current users and non-users of irrigation water using the same baseline (status quo) conditions — no irrigation — and compares the preferences of these two groups. The four attributes identified in the CE are number of crop seasons, frequency of watering in a season, crop type, and payment level. Results show that marginal WTP was Birr 17.7 (US$ 0.98), 261.8 (US$ 14.54) and 87.6 (US$ 4.87) for number of crop seasons, watering frequency in a season and crop type, respectively. Our estimates of farmers’ WTP for operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes per hectare of irrigated land range from Birr 738 (US$ 41.00) (from the CE) to Birr 784 (US$ 43.56) (from the CVM). We also find that, compared to current users, non-users were willing to pay more in general, as well as for the number of crop seasons specifically.

This paper presents the first detailed analysis of the combined effects of increasing block tariff (IBT) structures for both electricity and water in an urban area of a developing country. In Addis Ababa, an IBT has been used to calculate households’ monthly bills for electricity and water services. This study estimates the magnitude of combined water and electricity subsidies received by households with private connections to both the electricity grid and the piped network water in 2016, and it evaluates the distribution of these subsidies among wealth groups. Customer billing data supplied by utility companies are matched with socioeconomic information collected through a household survey. Results show that the combined subsidies are large. The average household receives a subsidy of USD 26 per month, about 6% of household income. The findings also show that both electricity and water subsidies under the IBT disproportionately accrue to richer households. The poorest quintile receives 12% of the total subsidies for electricity and water services, while the richest quintile receives 31%. The IBT used in the water sector performed worse in terms of targeting of subsidies to poor households than the IBT used in the electricity sector.

Irrigation has significant potential to enhance productivity, resilience to climatic risks and nutrition security in Sub-Saharan Africa. While the focus has historically been on large-scale dam-based schemes, farmer-managed small-scale irrigation (SSI) has gained increased attention in recent years. Using data from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Ghana, we first examine patterns of adoption of different SSI technologies. Next, we employ hierarchical modelling to examine which variables are associated with observed adoption patterns and cluster effects that explain variation in irrigation adoption. We document significant cross-country variation in adoption patterns and find a positive association between plot-level use of SSI and the intensity of agricultural labor and inorganic fertilizers applied on the plot. Community-level intra-cluster correlation (ICC) is the highest in Tanzania, where gravity-fed irrigation is most common while farm-level ICC is the highest in Ethiopia where motorized technologies are more common. These results suggest the need for localized investments to ease locale-specific potential constraints. For example, easing possible liquidity constraints to acquiring motorized technologies can be more effective in Ethiopia while the construction of dams and improved conveyance systems, as well as the strengthening of community-based irrigation management (e.g., through Water User Associations (WUAs)) can be more effective in Tanzania. Further research is needed to understand pathways for selected plot-level characteristics that affect use of SSI including status of plot ownership and the gender of the plot manager.

Using primary data collected from Ethiopia’s Awash River basin, we study the economics of irrigation water for smallholder farmers. We estimate the impact of irrigation water on gross margin and chemical fertilizer uptake. Our results show that irrigation water has a statistically significant and positive effect on the profitability of crops and chemical fertilizer uptake. We also generate qualitative data on irrigation water returns by producing various crops in the different parts of the basin. In addition, we present the intensity of irrigation water used for various crops in the different parts of the basin as reported by farmers. In doing so, we offer some qualitative evidence on the economic trade-offs involved in irrigation water use at farm and basin levels. The policy implications of the findings are discussed.

China–Ethiopia economic cooperation in the period of 2000–2020 is marked by the convergence between the industrial policy of Ethiopia, the orientations of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and the infrastructure development strategy which is the cornerstone of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China, the largest foreign investor in Ethiopia during this period, has had a major role in terms of investment and financing in the energy sector and the transportation infrastructure: Addis Ababa Airport, roads, railway, seaport terminal, and gas pipeline.

The flagship project — the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway — connecting Addis Ababa to Djibouti City and Djibouti’s Doraleh Container Terminal, inaugurated in 2018, provided landlocked Ethiopia with a good connection between the hinterland and the seaport: the economic corridor accounts for more than 95% of Ethiopia’s foreign trade.

The development of Ethiopian Industrial Parks on the model of Chinese Special Economic Zones (SEZs) was the second pillar of the strategy of development of an export-oriented manufacturing sector. Chinese companies operating in Ethiopian Industrial Parks in the textile and leather industries have been pioneering this activity contributing to Ethiopia’s participation in the Global Value Chains (GVCs).

Ethiopian government is also planning the development of agro-industrial parks specialized in added-value agricultural products such as coffee or cut flowers exported to Europe via Addis Ababa Airport and Ethiopian Airlines Cargo.

Ethiopia’s main challenges in that direction are the necessity to go up the value chain to further penetrate European markets and, most likely, to identify the products or services which could be integrated into the African markets in the new context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement that entered into force in January 2021.

This study investigates on variabilities in annual precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature within the Weyb River basin during 2006–2100 under representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6/4.5/8.5 scenarios based on predictions of three Earth System Models (GFDL-ESM2M, CanESM2, and GFDL-ESM2G). Our results showed that precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature would rise in the near term (2011–2040), the medium term (2041–2070), and the long term (2071–2100) as compared to the baseline scenario (1981–2005). The larger increments are predicted by GFDL-ESM2M than those by GFDL-ESM2G and CanESM2 in all three time periods. The variabilities of precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature are predicted to be higher under RCP8.5 scenario than those under RCP4.5 or RCP2.6 scenario in simulations of all three ESMs. Results also revealed that there would be significant spatiotemporal variations in precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature within the Weyb River basin, which implies that the basin would possibly experience droughts or floods more frequently during the 21st century.

One of the most serious challenges in the world is climate change. This study examines variations in seasonal and yearly fluctuations in extreme temperatures and precipitation in Ethiopia from 1987 to 2020 using 36 meteorological stations located in various climatic zones. The outcomes of the study demonstrated increased trends in the average annual maximum and minimum temperatures, with values of 0.094^∘C and 0.052^∘C, respectively. Despite falling trends in the summer, most stations experienced higher winter temperatures than summer. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a trend toward an increase in the number of rain stations over the summer season, while a trend toward a decrease in the amount of precipitation for a number of stations in the winter season; otherwise, large changes expected in the dega (cold), woina dega (cool), and kola (warm) climatic zones during the summer season did not occur. Precipitation activity has been near normal in most dega (cold), woina dega (cool), and kola (warm) climatic zones over the preceding 33 years. However, precipitation in the berha (hot) climatic zone was lower than average, with fluctuating levels noted throughout the year. The average annual precipitation has been decreasing at a rate of 0.146mm per year over the past 33 years, indicating that only the winter season has shown a downward (decreasing) trend, while the other three seasons, such as summer, spring, and autumn, have shown growing trends. Furthermore, Ethiopia’s average annual rainfall continues to be on a downward trend (decreasing).

Climate change poses a global challenge with profound impacts on diverse aspects of the environment and human society. Understanding these impacts is crucial for formulating effective mitigation strategies. As one of the most critical threats to sustainable development, climate change is anticipated to affect the environment, human health, food security, economic activities, natural resources and physical infrastructure. This review focuses on climate change, its consequences and mitigation efforts in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has encountered both climate variability and change, evident in an average annual temperature increase of about 1.3^∘C since 1960, with a corresponding rise of 0.28^∘C per decade. Spatial and temporal variations in precipitation have also intensified, highlighting the country’s exposure to climate fluctuations. To address these challenges, the Ethiopian government has implemented various policies, strategies and programs aimed at enhancing adaptive capacity and minimizing the impacts of climate variability and change. The Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) of Ethiopia centers on four pillars: agriculture, forestry, renewable energy and advanced technologies. These pillars form the foundation for Ethiopia’s pursuit of a sustainable green economy. In conclusion, this review delves into the examination of climate change, its repercussions and the ongoing efforts to mitigate its effects in Ethiopia.

In this paper, I estimate the causal effect of economic shocks on religious freedom violations in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan, using a difference-in-differences empirical strategy. Controlling for country and year effects, the timing of local conflicts and genocide, and other economic, health, and population factors; a one standard deviation increase in GDP per capita annual change caused a 0.16–0.20 standard deviation decrease in freedom of religion or belief violations in these countries between the years 1999–2020.

Ethiopia has been faced with major food insecurity problems over the last 4 decades with recurrent droughts affecting millions of households. This chapter examines the link between nutrition and productivity among urban residents who are differentiated by gender using a comprehensive panel urban household survey data collected covering the period from 1994 to 2000. Controlling for endogeneity of schooling and allowing for heterogeneity of returns to human capital investment, our estimated results showed the presence of significant and positive link between nutrition (e.g. BMI and height) and productivity, as well as schooling and productivity. The link is robust and significant under all specifications. In agreement with evidence elsewhere in the developing world, we got significant returns to schooling investment. Our findings can be used to highlight the importance of improving children’s nutrition from a policy point of view as it has productivity implications when children are adults. Improving access to food (e.g. food price subsidies), investment in health and ensuring agricultural productivity growth should remain a policy priority.

Only science, technology and research would alleviate the intertwined social and economic challenges of developing nations such as Ethiopia. This study adopts a qualitative approach and uses the case study method. Fourteen researchers and librarians were interviewed in four organizations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This study reveals that the current scholarly communication system in Ethiopia is faced with technological and social challenges. Open access is undoubtedly a viable alternative to Ethiopia. It is viable because it has been proved so in many developing countries. Ethiopian universities and research institutions should adopt open access policies and strategies that would improve the access and dissemination of scientific research results. A concerted effort is required from administrators, librarians, researchers, funding agencies and government to implement and fully harness open access in Ethiopia.