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Land use conversion from natural vegetation to agricultural and grazing systems accelerates soil fertility decline by depleting soil organic matter, degrading soil structure, reducing porosity, and impairing water-holding capacity, thereby posing serious threats to sustainable land management and ecosystem health. Understanding how a land use and soil depth influence soil property is vital for implementing strategies to curb further degradation. Therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of various land use types; forest, shrub/bush, grazing, and cultivated land and soil depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) on the physicochemical properties of soil in the Bededo Watershed, Northeastern Ethiopia. The findings indicate that soil physicochemical properties differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) among land-use types and soil depths. Forest soils exhibited the highest silt (35.7
Abstract This research was designed to examine the effect of transformational leadership (TFL) on organizational commitment (OCC): specifically focusing on the mediating role of organizational culture (OC). Utilizing a quantitative approach, data were collected from four hundred two academic staff members at selected higher education institutions in Ethiopia and analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The results of this study showed that organizational commitment (OCC) of academic staff is positively influenced by transformational leadership (TFL) and organizational culture .The study also revealed that organizational culture partially mediating the association between TFL and faculty OCC. The implementation of TFL, the adoption of a supportive and innovative culture, and the presence of dedicated academic personnel directly influence the achievement of SDG4 and SDG8 in the designated public universities in Ethiopia. The study contributes to higher education leadership literature by highlighting that developing a strong, positive organizational culture is a vital mechanism through which leadership influences staff commitment. Practically, university administrators are advised to foster supportive and innovative culture alongside developing transformational leadership behaviours to enhance staff commitment and institutional sustainability.
Ethiopia is advancing its transition toward a green economy. However, the examination of institutional partnerships and their economic impacts remains theoretically underdeveloped. This paper attempts to integrate the Triple Helix, Stakeholder Theory, and Resource-Based View, and strives to build and test a multilevel model of university-industry linkages (UIL) and green innovation (GI), mediated by Green Entrepreneurial Orientation (GEO), with context from NGO funding. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, we examined 517 university students' survey responses and conducted in-depth interviews with 18 stakeholders in academia, industry, and NGO managers. Quantitative results show that GEO is a key mechanism for UIL to promote GI, providing evidence that collaborative structures foster innovative behavior. NGO funding shows a positive but statistically non-significant conditioning effect, suggesting that funding alone, rather than capability and institutional alignment, is less effective. Qualitative data illustrate fragmentation, weak absorptive capacity, and poor structures as the factors that limit the innovation ecosystem's effectiveness. This study contributes to theory by combining institutional and capability perspectives to explain GI in resource-constrained settings, broadening the Triple Helix scholarship beyond developed countries, and conceptualizing entrepreneurial orientation as a mediating variable. By highlighting the synthesis of collaboration, capabilities, and contextual support, the study refines the understanding of sustainability transitions in innovation systems and offers practical utility for the construction of layered policy frameworks.
Recycling waste materials into useful products is an effective strategy for reducing environmental pollution while providing cost-effective alternatives. This study highlights the novelty of using 100
Understanding long-term drought dynamics in regions dominated by rain-fed agriculture systems is essential for climate adaptation planning. Thus, monitoring drought enables the provision of data for informed decision-making, which is critical to reducing drought risk. This study reconstructs spatiotemporal drought variability in the eastern Amhara region of Ethiopia over 120 years (1901-2020) using the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI). Data from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) (https://climexp.knmi.nl/start.cgi) at 0.5 degrees resolution were analyzed across 11 representative meteorological stations. Spatial interpolation using universal Kriging was applied to identify geographical patterns of drought. Temporal trends, recurrence intervals, and spatial patterns were assessed, and results were triangulated with key informant interviews. The region experienced drought conditions of varying severity approximately every 2.4 years. Mild and moderate droughts occurred more frequently, while severe and extreme droughts recurred roughly once per decade. A marked clustering of severe and extreme drought episodes was observed after 1970, indicating intensification in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In peak years such as 1922 and 1984, over 80-90% of stations recorded severe to extreme drought conditions. Within the Eastern Amhara Region, particularly the Northern, northeastern, eastern, south-central, and southwestern areas, have frequently experienced severe and extremely severe drought, reflecting sensitivity to large-scale climate drivers. Interview participants confirmed that drought incidents have become increasingly frequent which has impeded the livelihoods of subsistence farmers. We recommend establishing comprehensive drought-monitoring and early-warning systems to inform the design of proactive measures.., Shifting to drought-tolerant crop varieties, promoting small-scale irrigation, diversifying crops to reduce reliance on high-risk crops, and developing alternative livelihoods for communities heavily dependent on agriculture are crucial. By bridging climate science with agricultural practice, this research contributes evidence for designing policies that strengthen resilience farming systems in one of Africa's most drought-prone regions.
