Rural and Urban Emissions Causing Climate Change in Ethiopia: A comparative Study

Climate change has become a major environmental challenge in Ethiopia, with greenhouse gas emissions from both rural and urban areas contributing significantly to global warming. This study assessed and compared methane (CH₄) emissions from rural and urban sources across Ethiopia using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), trend analysis, measures of dispersion, and Pearson correlation analysis. Secondary data on methane emissions and spatial datasets were analyzed to identify emission patterns, regional variations, and the relationships among major emission sources. GIS techniques were employed to map the spatial distribution of methane emissions, while trend analysis examined temporal changes in emission patterns. Measures of dispersion were used to evaluate the variability of emissions, and Pearson correlation analysis assessed the association among emission sources. The findings revealed that Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Harar were the major methane emission hotspots, whereas Tigray, Amhara, and Afar exhibited moderate emission levels, with the remaining regions showing low to very low emissions. The results further indicated that manure accumulation on pasture land was the dominant rural source of methane emissions, explaining 92% of the observed variation. Overall, rural areas contributed slightly more methane emissions (92%) than urban areas (90%), highlighting the significant influence of livestock production and manure management on national greenhouse gas emissions. The study concludes that reducing methane emissions in Ethiopia requires integrated mitigation strategies that promote sustainable livestock and manure management in rural areas alongside improved solid waste and wastewater management in urban centers to support climate change mitigation and sustainable development.