BackgroundLandscape features such as the Rift Valley (RV) can restrict gene flow in malaria vectors and influence resistance patterns. Here, we assessed Plasmodium infection rates, resistance alleles and profiles in Anopheles funestus s.s. populations across Kenyan malaria-endemic regions separated by the RV.MethodsAnopheles funestus s.s. populations in western, coastal and Kerio Valley (KV, within the RV) were genotyped for key resistance markers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). TaqMan assay combined with nested PCR were used to screen the samples for Plasmodium sporozoite infection and association with resistance alleles and genotype frequencies assessed using Fisher’s exact test or Pearson’s chi-square test. Following established WHO guidelines, phenotypic resistance using F1 progeny was also assessed using diagnostic, intensity and piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-synergistic assays.ResultsThe 4.3kb-SV (n = 336) and G454A-Cyp9k1 (n = 445) alleles were nearly fixed in western Kenya but declined towards the RV and coast, whereas L119F-GSTe2 (n = 392) increased across a west-KV-coast gradient with a novel haplotype distinct from known African variants detected at the coast. There were lower odds of Plasmodium infection in mosquitoes with L119F-GSTe2-RR than RS genotype (OR 0.2, P = 0.046). Likewise, mosquitoes harboring the R allele of the 4.3 kb marker had higher Plasmodium infection rates than the S allele (OR 5.7, P = 0.049). An. funestus populations exhibited a high degree of pyrethroid resistance with intensity higher in KV compared to western Kenya, a traditional malaria hotspot. Pre-exposure to PBO increased mortality for type II (deltamethrin, alpha-cypermethrin), than I (permethrin) pyrethroids, yet mortality remained lower in KV, suggesting non-P450-mediated resistance. An. funestus mosquitoes from the coast showed extreme permethrin resistance (< 10% mortality at 10 × dose). Resistance to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was widespread, while all populations remained fully susceptible to bendiocarb, pirimiphos-methyl, clothianidin, and chlorfenapyr.ConclusionsRegion-specific selection may drive varying resistance profiles in An. funestus across Kenyan malaria-endemic regions separated by the Rift Valley, with implications for malaria transmission and insecticide resistance management.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-026-01458-1.

ABSTRACT Urban bushland fragments have important natural and social values. Their management is challenging because they typically have experienced complex historical disturbances, making it difficult to settle on the most appropriate restoration targets. We illustrate these issues by chronicling vegetation and fire regime changes in the Queens Domain, a 230‐ha bushland fragment adjacent to central Hobart, Tasmania. This area is at the southernmost end of the grassy woodlands occupying a rift valley that divides western and eastern Tasmania. The establishment of Hobart in 1804 by the British disrupted millennia of Tasmanian Aboriginal management, which had maintained a balance between grass, trees, fire and marsupial herbivores in these grassy woodlands. In the early 19th century, the Domain was used for grazing by sheep and cattle, and there was ongoing removal of trees for timber and firewood. By the late 1800s, the natural values of the Domain were increasingly appreciated, leading to provision of public amenities and restrictions on grazing and tree clearing. The exclusion of domestic herbivores led to an increase in grass biomass and more frequent uncontrolled fires. By the late 20th century, dense understories of casuarina ( Allocasuarina verticillata ) established. Ecological surveys, which ran from the 1970s to the 2020s, highlighted the need for targeted management of several endangered grassland herb species, and led to a major programme to reverse casuarina encroachment using mechanical clearing and poisoning. Additionally, concerns about increasing fire risk underpinned a programme of prescribed burning in grassy eucalypt woodland. These interventions have been effective in returning the Domain to a more open woodland state. However, there remains uncertainty as to their costs and benefits for biodiversity as well as their effectiveness in reducing fire hazard. To resolve this uncertainty, targeted experimentation is needed. We briefly describe such an experiment we have established to test the effects of thinning and prescribed fire on fire hazard, floristic diversity and wildlife assemblages in a nearby reserve invaded by casuarina. The findings of this experiment are designed to be generalised to other grassy woodlands in southern Australia, especially urban bushland fragments.

ABSTRACT A new geological map of the northern sector of the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift is presented, providing unique insights into the processes driving continental rifting (ca. 45 Ma to the present). The map includes a cross-section through the rift valley and records multiple phases of rift evolution. This region, shaped by ongoing extension between the Nubian and Somalian lithospheric plates, preserves a tectonomagmatic history typical of active continental rifts. Evolution begins with a ‘pre-rift’ phase (Eocene-Oligocene), characterized by extensive flood basalt volcanism dominated by tholeiitic to alkaline basalt and trachybasalt flows, driven by mantle plume upwelling. The ‘early-rift’ phase (Miocene) features fault-controlled bimodal volcanism and the initial development of the rift valley. The current ‘late-rift’ phase (Pliocene-Holocene) is dominated by magma-assisted extension with bimodal volcanism, including alternating alkaline basalts and alkaline to subalkaline rhyolite-trachyte flows. This phase also features lava domes, cinder cones, calderas, and voluminous felsic pyroclastic deposits.

Efforts to control malaria face several challenges, including the presence of parasite reservoirs within the community that contribute to disease transmission. This study aimed to assess malaria prevalence among community members using microscopy and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect parasite reservoirs in malaria-endemic settings. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in malaria-endemic districts of the Gamo Zone in the southern Rift Valley of Ethiopia. The research was conducted as part of a baseline assessment for a trial evaluating the impact of house screening and ivermectin treatment of domestic animals on malaria incidence. Capillary blood samples were collected from the study participants to prepare blood films and dried blood spots. Malaria parasite detection and species identification were performed using both microscopy and nested PCR. Of 4745 participants screened by microscopy, malaria prevalence was 2.7% (126/4745; 95% CI: 2.2-3.2%). Nested PCR was performed on 1183 samples, including 97 microscopy-positive and 1,086 microscopy-negative samples. PCR confirmed 67% (65/97) of microscopy-positive cases, yielding a PCR-corrected microscopy prevalence of 1.4% (65/4745). Submicroscopic infections were detected in 6.1% (66/1086) of microscopy-negative samples. Malaria prevalence across Kebeles ranged from 0.5-2.3% by microscopy and 4.1-9.6% by PCR. Species misclassification by microscopy was common: 19.5% of P. falciparum infections were misidentified as P. vivax, 14.0% of P. vivax as P. falciparum, and 33.0% of microscopy-positive samples were PCR-negative. These findings emphasize that community-based malaria diagnosis using microscopy underestimates malaria prevalence, highlighting the need for improved diagnostic methods.

Land use and land cover change (LULCC), predominantly driven by human endeavors such as urbanization and agricultural intensification, has become a significant global problem. The primary aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of LULCC on surface runoff in the Meki watershed. The Google Earth Engine platform’s Random Forest machine learning classifier was used to gather, process, validate, and analyze a variety of satellite photos in order to analyze the rate of LULC changes over four time references, beginning with 1990–2022. Before using the satellite images, preprocessing, classification, and accuracy assessment were performed sequentially. During the four periods from 1990 to 2022, the watershed’s six LULC classes, cultivated land, water, shrub land, grassland, forest, and bare land, were recognized. A significant rate change of LULC was observed in the watershed in each decade. Accordingly, the growth of agricultural land increased from 47.77 to 81.16%, followed by bare land 2.88% to 7.42%. In contrast, over the course of three decades, from 1990 to 2022, the percentages of forest cover, shrub land, and grassland declined sharply from 26.62 to 7.89%, 17.73% to 1.68, and 4.11% to 1.05%, respectively. In order to calculate surface runoff for the Meki watershed, the hydrological Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was set up and parameterized for flow and sediment load. Each LULC scenario’s model calibration and validation are carried out utilizing SWAT-CUP software’s SUFI-2. Model performance statistics, such as R2, NSE, RSR, and PBIAS, as well as model uncertainty metrics, such as p-factor and r-factor, were checked after the model was calibrated and validated. The mean annual surface runoff of the watershed is 117.15, 121.48, 133.93, and 158.84 mm. Accordingly, the Change in LULC from 1990 to 2001, 2001 to 2013, 2013 to 2022, and 1990 to 2022 resulted in an increment of 3.69%, 10.24%, 18.56%, and 35.58% in surface runoff, respectively.

ABSTRACT Graphical abstract. A world map highlights regions at risk, with a droplet icon showing '1.8B' to indicate 1.8 billion people exist in areas facing severe water shortages and the text '2025 water scarcity projection.' Ethiopia’s map marks Hawassa City with a star. A pipe diagram contrasts water loss labeled 'Non-Revenue Water (NRW)' with 'Billed water.' A line graph depicts NRW reduction over time: 63% in 2020, 59% in 2021, 53% in 2023, and 49% in 2024. Research indicates that by the year 2025, around 1.8 billion people will exist in areas facing severe water shortages. One of the factors exacerbating this issue is non-revenue water (NRW), which signifies the global wastage of water resources. This study evaluated the current status of NRW within the urban water utility of Hawassa City, located in the Sidama region of Ethiopia, south of Addis Ababa in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. A comprehensive data collection strategy was employed, combining both primary and secondary sources to examine public water supplies, including their production and consumption in Hawassa City. The research utilized the top–down water balance method, a well-established technique for measuring NRW. Throughout the 5-year assessment period, the peak NRW recorded was 63% in 2020, while the minimum was 43% in 2024. Five years earlier, nearly two-thirds of the water produced was lost. Nevertheless, this situation has seen gradual improvement, now at just under half (43%). Despite this progress, a considerable amount of produced water continues to be lost as NRW, underscoring the pressing need for intervention. A more in-depth analysis of specific areas of water loss categorized as NRW is recommended for formulating more effective solutions.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonosis of major concern for human and animal health, yet no licensed human vaccine exists. Here, we engineered a self-assembling nanoparticle vaccine candidate by genetically fusing the RVF virus glycoprotein Gn to the N-terminus of a hybrid bacterial ferritin, generating nanoparticles that display 24 copies of Gn on their surface. Cryo-electron microscopy at 6 Å resolution confirmed ordered and symmetric presentation of the antigens, consistent with the structural models of ferritin and Gn. When incubated with human monocyte-derived dendritic cells, the Gn-ferritin nanoparticles were efficiently internalized and induced robust expression of maturation markers (e.g., CD54, CD83, CD86) and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p40, TNF-α), in contrast to soluble Gn or ferritin controls. These findings demonstrate that ferritin nanoparticles provide a structurally defined and immunologically active platform for RVF virus antigen display, establishing a foundation for the development of safe and effective subunit vaccines against this emerging pathogen.

The volcanic rocks from Cenozoic Trans-Khamar-Daban volcanic zone (TKDVZ) in Russia and their xenocrysts and crust-mantle xenoliths were investigated by electron microprobe (EPMA) and laser-ablation inductively coupled mass-spectrometry (LA ICP MS) and other methods. They were used to show the composition and reconstructions of structure of the crust and mantle. Volcanism started from Central Part of ridge at 23 Ma and distributed to the shoulders (18–16 Ma) rift margins (13–16 Ma) and top of volcanoes (12–10 Ma), followed by rift valleys (5–2 Ma) and culminated in cinder cones volcanoes (0.8–0.15 Ma). Lavas evolved from sub-alkali to alkaline basalts and tephrites. Lherzolitic xenoliths are nearly primitive, having relics of garnets and simplectites which represent the material of mantle diapirs. The volcanics from Tunka and Dzhida valleys carry abundant cumulate xenoliths related to 2.0–1.0 GPa. The geothermal regimes reconstructed using electron probe (EPMA) mineral analyses and mineral thermobarometry is close to the South-Eastern Australian Geotherm (SEA). At the first stage, it shows heating to 1350 ◦C near Baikal Lake (Sukhoy volcano). The trace elements in the lherzolites are close to primitive mantle being more depleted near Tunka valley and showing ancient subduction related depletion and hydration in Dzhida. The cumulates show fractionation trends for pyroxenes, garnets amphiboles. The megacrysts show high La/Yb ratios increasing with Fe# for clinopyroxenes and garnets and LILE enrichments for amphiboles and Ti-biotites. The volcanism was caused by deep plume generated with the influence of the subduction from the Pacific and correlated with the events of India- Eurasia collision.

The present study investigated the effects of Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod. trees on soil physico-chemical properties and maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield in the Karfura watershed, located in the Rift valley of Ethiopia. A total of 36 composite soil samples and corresponding maize yield data were collected at three radial distances (1 m, 3 m, and 10 m) from the trunks of M. stenopetala trees across three altitudinal zones (low, mid, and high elevations). Soil samples were analyzed for texture, moisture content, bulk density, pH, total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), organic carbon (OC), and electrical conductivity (EC). Maize grain yield was measured from plots established at the same radial distances around each tree. Results showed that soil bulk density increased significantly with distance from the tree trunk, whereas soil moisture, TN, AP, OC, and EC decreased. Maize grain yield was consistently higher under M. stenopetala canopies than in adjacent open fields. Elevation had a strong influence on soil and yield parameters: soil nutrient concentrations, moisture content, and maize yield all declined significantly with increasing altitude. These variations were likely attributed to microclimatic differences, reduced organic matter input, steeper slopes, and more intensive land use at higher elevations. Overall, the findings demonstrate the ecological and agronomic significance of M. stenopetala in smallholder farming systems. Scattered M. stenopetala trees enhance soil fertility and maize productivity, particularly in degraded landscapes. The study highlights the potential of indigenous parkland agroforestry systems as sustainable land management strategies for improving soil quality and strengthening food security. Future research should explore litter decomposition dynamics, soil microbial activity, carbon sequestration potential, and the long-term impacts of M. stenopetala orchard establishment on soil health and productivity.

Objective Prokaryotic expression and purification of the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) nucleocapsid protein (NP) were performed to establish a basis for serum NP antibody detection and to produce specific polyclonal antibodies against NP. Methods The constructed pET28a-ZH501-NP prokaryotic expression plasmid was transformed into BL21(DE3) competent cells, and the expression of the recombinant protein NP was induced by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein NP was purified using HisTrapTM HP and mixed with Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvants to immunize New Zealand white rabbits. NP polyclonal antibodies were prepared, and their specificity was identified by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and Western Blotting. Results The prokaryotic expression plasmid was successfully constructed, and expression was successfully induced in BL21(DE3) competent cells. The recombinant protein NP was expressed in the form of inclusion bodies. Western Blotting and IFA assays indicated that the polyclonal antibody could specifically recognize RVFV NP. Conclusion The pure and effective expression of RVFV NP protein was achieved. The experimental conditions for the indirect ELISA using it as the coating antigen were explored. Simultaneously, specific polyclonal antibodies against RVFV NP were prepared, providing technical support for the establishment of a reliable rapid diagnostic technology for RVF and the research and evaluation of new RVFV vaccines.

Many of the East African Rift Valley lakes are soda lakes that have attracted considerable research interest over the last decades with a focus on their extraordinarily high bioproductivity, high concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and diverse microbial communities. Yet, the distribution of trace metals, particularly dissolved rare earth elements (REE) and yttrium in these soda lake systems remain poorly constrained. We report data for surface water samples from eight rift valley lakes from the Kenyan part of the East African Rift. Speciation calculations accounting for both organic and inorganic complexation of REE were performed using PHREEQC by implementing the Humic Ion-Binding Model VII. Previous studies on REE in soda lake systems identified two characteristic features of the shale normalized REE patterns: (i) a very strong enrichment of heavy over light REE with (Pr/Yb) SN ratios well-below unity, and (ii) a distinct positive Ce anomaly ((Ce/Ce*) SN ≫ 1). The REY distribution in soda lakes of the East African Rift in Kenya follow this behavior, clearly showing a strong enrichment of heavy over light REE. Speciation calculations suggest that even at the observed high DOC concentrations (up to 8.19 mmol/kg), REE di-carbonate complexes still dominate, corroborating previous speciation calculations which only considered the inorganic REE complexes. Contrary to expectations, however, these soda lakes do not show pronounced positive Ce anomalies, a feature previously only observed at Mono Lake, USA. Whereas the presently available data does not fully resolve the Ce systematic in soda lake environments, the new data suggest high DOC as a key factor for masking the formation of positive Ce anomalies in the soda lake waters.

Rift valley fever virus (RVFV) is among the WHO list of priority diseases, yet no effective vaccine or treatment is currently available. Microbial pigments (MPs) represent a promising small-molecules library which can be exploited for the drug discovery of anti-RVFV compound. In this study, thirteen MPs were in silico screened to identify candidates with acceptable drug-likeness and possible ability to cross the blood brain barrier. Next, the binding interaction of the filtered molecules were compared against key RVFV proteins for the selection of the optimum inhibitor. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed (200 ns) to further evaluate the interactions. The selected candidate (pyocyanin; PCN) was produced, purified and analytically characterized in-house. Finally, the antiviral potential of PCN was tested in vitro against RVFV using the tissue culture infection dose 50% (TCID50) method. In silico screening studies revealed that prodigiosin and PCN exhibit ideal drug-likeness properties. PCN exerted a promising in silico interaction with the key RVFV proteins as revealed by the molecular docking and dynamic studies. Results showed that PCN may be effectively produced and purified from bacterial cultures. Its cell-safe concentration (0.49 μg/mL) demonstrated a promising 2.89 log10 reduction in TCID50 when incubated with RVFV infected cells. A lower effect was observed (2.00 log10 reduction) in cells treated with PCN prior to RVFV infection. These results suggest that PCN may represent a potential effective low-cost molecule to combat RVFV.

The objective of this paper review was depending on production and reproductive performance of dual purpose koekoek chicken under different management system in Ethiopia. According to Recent estimates the poultry population in Ethiopia is around 57 million out of which native chickens (none descriptive breeds) represent 78.85%, hybrid chickens 12.02%, and exotic breeds of chicken 9.11%. The total national annual poultry meat and eggs production in Ethiopia is estimated at 72, 300 and 78, 000 metric tons, respectively, and indigenous poultry contributes almost 99% of the national egg and poultry meat production. Dual purpose koekoek chicken is a South African breed of chicken developed in the 1960s at the Potchefstroom Agricultural College in the city of Potchefstroom by Chris Marais. The breed was intended as a dual purpose, free ranging chicken with laying capabilities as well as a large structure for meat production. According different result of study report the reproduction and production performance of this breed under different management system shows significance difference. The production and reproduction performance of koekoek chickens declined compared to intensive management system and farmers` management condition due to poor managements (lack of adequate supplementary feed and poor hygienic conditions). The production performance of koekoek chickens under back yard management condition also hindered due to inadequate veterinary service and lack of multiplying agent (source of stock replacement) and disease outbreak that caused high mortality rate. Average mortality rate during (0-8 weeks) is high and become decrease when they are age of (9-20) weeks. Their survival rate at different management system is high at the age of maturity. (9-20 weeks) Koekoek chickens are well adapted to semi-arid agroecology of mid rift valley area of Ethiopia.

Following the first laboratory confirmed human Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) outbreak in 48 years, Uganda has continued to detect sporadic outbreaks, particularly within the cattle corridor since 2016. Although wildlife potentially harbors RVFV strains, livestock exposure to RVFV at human-livestock-wildlife interfaces remains underexplored in major Ugandan conservation areas. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted between August, 2022 and March, 2023, at Satellite Research Sites (SRS), located in Bwindi-Mgahinga, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, and Pian Upe conservation areas in Uganda, which were selected for their high human-livestock-wildlife interactions. Using a two-stage sampling design, small ruminants were sampled from randomly selected herds within villages adjacent to the national parks. Blood samples were collected, and analysed with a validated in-house IgG indirect ELISA at the One Health Laboratory. ArcGIS Survey123 was used to capture the field data. Modified Poisson regression for binary outcomes and relative risks estimates were used. A total of 1,690 small ruminants were sampled: 83.4% goats (caprine species), 16.6% sheep (ovine species). Of these, 92.4% were local breeds and 7.6% were exotic breeds. The females were 88.6% and 11.4% were males, with a mean age of 3 years. Overall RVFV seropositivity for both sheep and goats was 41.1% (695/1690), 95% CI (38.7–43.4%). Seropositivity per species was 42.4% (598/1409) in goats and 34.5% (97/281) in sheep. Exotic breeds and females had higher RVFV seroprevalence rates at 55.5% (71/128) and 41.8% (625/1,495) respectively. Modified Poisson regression analysis revealed that older animals (RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.06–1.14, p < 0.001) had higher risk of RVFV seropositivity, whereas local breeds (RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63–0.93, p = 0.009) had reduced exposure risk to RVFV. Low RVFV exposure was evidenced in different management systems of grazing and watering the small ruminants. The high RVFV past exposure among small ruminants justifies the need for further studies to assess recent infections at the human-livestock-wildlife interface. Targeted interventions such as regulated park grazing, integrated vector control, and continuous surveillance should be implemented to minimize RVFV transmission in these high risk areas.

Two new species of leafminers, occurring on Senegalia mellifera (Vahl) Seigler &amp; Ebinger in Kenya, are described: Acalyptris melliferae sp. nov. in Nepticulidae and Leucoptera aurantia sp. nov. in Cemiostomidae. Both were found in the Rift valley, near Lake Bogoria. These species represent the first known leafminers on the African ‘Acacia’ genus Senegalia. We also provide arguments from phylogenetic studies to consider Cemiostomidae as a separate family, rather than a subfamily in Lyonetiidae. A checklist of African species of Cemiostomidae is appended, the genera Crobylophora Meyrick, 1880 and Microthauma Walsingham, 1891 are synonymised with Leucoptera Hübner, 1825 and the following new combinations are proposed: Leucoptera byssinodes (Meyrick, 1914) comb. nov., L. speciosa (Ghesquière, 1940) comb. nov., and L. xanthochyta (Meyrick, 1918) comb. nov. from Crobylophora and L. metallifera (Walsingham, 1891) comb. nov. from Microthauma.

ABSTRACT The Gondwana sequence has traditionally been viewed as resulting from post‐glacial fluvio‐lacustrine sedimentation within large, elongated rift valleys during the Permian Period. However, doubts have recently been raised regarding its freshwater origin. This research fills that gap through a multidisciplinary approach—incorporating sedimentological study, coal petrography, mineralogy and major and trace element geochemistry demonstrating a dynamic depositional environment controlled by tidal, wave and river interactions. Geochemical proxies viz: CaO/MgO, Sr/Ba and Th/U ratios, along with MgO and Al 2 O 3 trends, reveal fluctuating paleo‐salinity conditions from brackish to marine environment. The presence of dolomite, siderite, limited pyrite and alginite macerals further confirms episodic marine influence during peat formation. Heterolithic units, the principal sedimentary facies in the study area, archives tidal bundles, coarsening‐upward successions and wave‐ripple‐tidalite features, indicative of deposition across supratidal to subtidal salt marsh settings. The coal‐bearing heterolithic units form during multiple minor marine transgressions. A regressive shift is marked by the deposition of the Dumerbera and Parsatoli Sandstone units, followed by a major transgression that initiated the ironstone‐rich Barren Measure Formation. These transgressions predate the previously documented marine inundation of the overlying Barren Measures Formation, implying that marginal marine conditions developed earlier in this basin than previously thought. This study provides clear evidence of marine influence during Barakar sedimentation and supports the existence of a near‐continuous marine incursion pathway from the Khemgaon–Sikkim corridor to the Satpura Basin, reflecting sustained marine connectivity across Gondwana basins. By refining the regional paleoenvironmental model of Indian Gondwana, this study emphasises the efficacy of multi‐proxy frameworks in decoding complex depositional systems.

Generation of a replication-defective rift valley fever virus and development of a single-virus quantum dot tracking platform

Sand accumulation on highway pavements in wind–sand environments decreases friction and affects safety. This study uses Fluent simulations to analyze sand accumulation on the desert section of Uma Highway. Key findings include the following. Wind speed: between 10 and 12.5 m/s, wind speed minimally affects sand accumulation on embankment roads but significantly affects rift valley roads. Wind direction: sand accumulation is less likely on embankment surfaces with wind directions under 67° and on rift valley roads under 60°. Roadbed height: a 5 m roadbed height has the least impact on sand accumulation. Side slope ratio: slopes greater than or equal to 1:3 are more prone to sand accumulation. A 1:2.5 slope best transports sand and minimizes accumulation. Road width: road width has minimal effect on sand transport efficiency. Using a multivariate linear model, sand concentrations are classified into four hazard grades for the Uma Highway desert section: Grade 4 (6.15%), Grade 3 (16.44%), Grade 2 (32.21%), and Grade 1 (45.02%).

Rift Valley fever (RVF) and brucellosis are serious zoonotic diseases with significant public health and economic consequences. In livestock, both diseases are associated with abortions that are not routinely reported as part of disease surveillance. We piloted a community-driven call centre initiative in Isingiro District, Uganda, from March to June 2023, aimed at facilitating the reporting of livestock abortions. The community call centre was promoted through stakeholder engagements, social media campaigns, and targeted sensitisation materials.Over three months, we received 53 alerts reporting 423 livestock abortions. We investigated 78% of these alerts and collected 200 serum samples. Of these, 184 samples were tested via ELISA for RVF virus antibodies (IgG and IgM), while all 200 were screened for anti-Brucella (IgG) antibodies using validated commercial kits. The proportion of aborting livestock testing positive for IgG antibodies to Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) was 38% [95% CI 29–47] in cattle, 33% [95% CI 14–61] in sheep, and 20% [95% CI 12–31] in goats. For IgM, sheep showed the highest proportion at 8% [95% CI 1–35], followed by cattle at 2% [95% CI 1–6]. Further analysis showed that cattle had a 2.9-fold elevated odds of RVF IgG seropositivity relative to sheep and goats (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.27–7.07, P = 0.014). The proportion of aborting livestock testing positive for IgG antibodies to brucellosis was 36% [95% CI 25–49] in goats and 16% [95% CI 11–23] in cattle, with no evidence of antibodies found in the sampled sheep.Our pilot study revealed high seropositivity to RVFV and brucellosis in cattle, sheep, and goats that had recently experienced abortions. This study demonstrates that early reporting of abortions by communities, followed by immediate collection of samples for diagnosis, could facilitate early detection and response to outbreaks. Furthermore, the response registered at the call centre by livestock owners has the potential for collaborative efforts to establish disease reporting and surveillance, thereby enabling more timely interventions.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-26710-w.

Abstract Understanding the impacts of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes and their drivers is crucial for sustainable management of natural resources. Thus, this rigorous study aimed to examine the trends, drivers, and consequences of land use land cover changes (LULC) in the Lake Ziway catchment, central rift valley of Ethiopia. The study followed a mixed- methodological systematic and justified approach that included remote sensing and GIS techniques, household surveys, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. The rigorous study shows that the conversion of forest land into agricultural and settlement lands is the major detected LULC change over the last 30 years in the catchment. Cultivated land has increased by 40.60% and settlement and plantation lands have increased by 61.54% and 60%, respectively. On the other hand, forest land decreased by 54.85% and grazing land have decreased by 15.85% respectively. Water bodies and wetlands have also decreased by 8.70% and 19.32% area coverage, respectively. Both the direct and indirect driving forces of the LULC changes were identified. The study also indicates that the participation of local communities in watershed management is low. The study further indicates that LULC changes observed in the Lake Ziway Catchment had statistically and practically significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. Over all, the rigorous study showed the changes in land use land cover and its drivers were common in Lake Ziway Catchment. Therefore, appropriate policies and strategies are required to address LULC change impacts and enhance sustainable utilization and management of the Lake Ziway catchment.