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This study was designed with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of decentralization of disaster risk management in Borana zone and South-West Shawa zone of Oromia region. A mixed research approach was used to collect data from federal, regional, zonal, district (woreda), and ward (kebele) representatives. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were the qualitative methods used to collect data, while survey questionnaires were distributed to experts to collect quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis whereas the quantitative data were analyzed using STATA software version 14. The findings of the research have shown that, the actors are aware of Busa Gonofa as a new indigenous self-help institution. The policy on decentralization of disaster risk reduction was better understood at the federal, regional, and zonal levels of the government tiers than at the woreda and kebele levels. Administrative decentralization was found to be more effective than fiscal and political decentralization. The decentralization of Ethiopian disaster risk reduction is incomplete with limited effectiveness. There exists significant difference between Borana and South-West Shawa zones in decentralization of disaster risk management. The implementation of decentralization was constrained by training, technology, collaboration, financial resources, skill and knowledge, institutional arrangement, and local capacity. Hence, there is a need to address these challenges and make continuous efforts to focus on local-level capacity building in terms of empowerment of actors through training, technology, and financial resources for adaptation and mitigation to drought in Borana and flood in South-West Shawa zones respectively.

In Ethiopia, floods are frequent and destructive natural hazards, often resulting in loss of life and significant damage to livelihoods. This study examines floods causal factors, and adaptation strategies in the Ejere, Sabata Hawas, and Welmera Districts of Upper Awash Basin, Oromia, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey method was utilized, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources. Data was collected through questionnaire, group discussions, interviews, and observations. A total of 370 respondents from six villages were selected using simple random sampling. Quantitative data was analyzed using percentages and Likert scales, whereas qualitative data was examined through thematic analysis. The findings highlighted the primary causal factors in the region as heavy rainfall, low-lying elevations, river closures, and insufficient drainage systems. Affected households reported livestock, crops, and other assets losses, along-with health issues, education disruptions, social-network breakdowns, displacement, infrastructure damage, economic declines, and increased poverty. Rainfall in the basin triggers flash floods downstream, inundating the area for an average of 25 days, particularly during farming season. Adaptation strategies included evacuation, moving property to safer areas, constructing bridges, altering planting schedules, and preparing loft on the house’s roof. However, these measures were insufficient due to limited early warning systems, inadequate focus on flood effects, and challenging topography. The study urgently recommends integrating early warning and flood management into local development plans to immediately mitigate flood causes, adapt to impacts, and save resources. Furthermore, coordinated efforts involving government and NGO, beyond emergency relief, are vital for comprehensive and sustainable solutions.

We aimed to determine the household distribution and viability of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) from the eyes, face, and hands during the initial two visits of a year-long fortnightly cohort study in geographically defined adjacent households. We enrolled 298 individuals from 68 neighbouring households in Shashemene Woreda, Oromia, Ethiopia. All individuals above 2 years of age residing in these households were examined for signs of trachoma. Swab samples were taken from the conjunctiva, faces, and hands and analysed for the presence and viability of Ct. Ct viability was determined using reverse transcription (RT) PCR. At the initial visit, out of 298 individuals, 133 (44.5%) were children aged 2-9 years. Among these children, 27/133 (20.3%) had trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF), while 8/133 (6.0%) had trachomatous inflammation-intense (TI). Ct (omcB or pORF2) was detected in 16/133 (12.0%) eye swabs, 14/105 (13.5%) face swabs, and 11/105 (10.5%) hand swabs from children aged 2-9 years. Among these children at visit one, 12/14 (85.7%) with Ct on faces and 9/11 (81.8%) with Ct on hands also had detectable ocular Ct. The severity of the disease worsened from the first visit to the second, and no participants showed clearance of the disease within the two-week period. Ct infection was associated with TF (P = 0.002) and TI (P = 0.060). At visit one, among children aged 2-9 years, viable Ct was detected in 12/16 (75.0%) ocular, 6/14 (42.9%) face, and 4/11 (36.4%) hand swab samples. All viable Ct detected on the faces and hands were identified from individuals with viable ocular infections. Among caregivers whose child tested positive for Ct on their hands, 3 caregivers also had Ct on their hands, accounting for 20% (3 out of 15). Additionally, among caregivers whose child tested positive for Ct on their faces, 2 caregivers had Ct on their faces, which accounts for 14.3% (2 out of 14). In two participants, we detected Ct on the hands of ocular-negative children at the initial visit and later detected ocular Ct at the second visit. Using RT-qPCR assay to detect Ct omp2 mRNA to define viability offers a new, informative perspective of trachoma transmission in this community in Ethiopia. The presence of viable Ct on the faces and hands of individuals living in households with people with current ocular Ct infection supports the hypothesis that hands and faces are important routes for transmission of trachoma. This highlights the importance of targeted interventions to address these sites of Ct carriage to help interrupt transmission.