The study was carried out in Shinile and Erer districts of Shinile Zone of the Somali National Regional State. The objectives of the study were: to characterize the production system and phenotypic characteristics of the Blackhead Somali; to evaluate on-farm survivability/ mortality of Blackhead Somali lambs during pre- weaning period and to determine the best fitted regression model for prediction of live weight of Blackhead Somali sheep breed based on body measurements under field conditions.

Session one of this report highlights ILRAD's research programs and the modelling needs of ILRAD and FAO. Session two deals with vector and helminth population dynamics with particular reference to ticks, tsetse and helminth. Parasite transmission and host parasite interaction are discussed in sessions three and four respectively. These two sessions deal with theileria, trypanosomes and leishmania. Parasite variations and polymorphism is the topic of session five. Session six discusses the effect of disease control programs and session seven reviews modelling systems.

The following stories were collected from CPWF project and theme leaders in two rounds. The first round of stories were collected in January 2007 based on the following two questions:

What has been the most significant technical development or advance made by your 1) CPWF project / theme / basin since the start?

What has been the most significant partnership change (significant in terms of making 2) scientific progress and/or developmental impact more likely) that has taken place since the start of your CPWF project (or theme or basin)?

A flock monitoring study on 60 households as undertaken from October 2008 to September 2009 to measure productive and reproductive performances; determine socioeconomic benefits and husbandry practices; and identify production barriers and suggest intervention options in Alaba Special Woreda. The Woreda was stratified on the basis of sheep and goat densities and the respective sites and households were selected using multistage (purposive and random) sampling techniques. Mean land holding per household was 1.5 ha.

The objectives of this study were to describe the production environment and production systems, characterize (phenotypic) and evaluate on-farm performances of Abergelle and Central Highland goat breeds. A total of 256 farmers in Ziquala (68), Tanqua Abergelle (70) and Lay- Armachiho (118) districts were interviewed for the household survey.

Integrated rainwater management strategies combine technologies, policies and institutions. Work in this project will aim to integrate land and water management, crop component technology, crop management, crop livestock systems, pastoral systems and even agroforestry systems so as to raise productivity and incomes and enhance resilience, while slowing land degradation and reducing downstream siltation. It is clear, however, that the shape of policies and institutions can foster or discourage farmer adoption of productivity-increasing, resource-conserving strategies.

This project is about matching technologies (or whole strategies) with environments. It has been shown that “blanket” RMS are often inappropriate. One size does not, as they say, fit all. Strategies for upper slopes are likely to be different than those for lower slopes.

This project is about showing whether RMSs are effective. It will seek to quantify the consequences of improved RMS for community livelihoods, resource productivity, land quality, and downstream water quality and siltation. It will specifically measure the downstream, cross-scale consequences of successful innovation in the Ethiopian highlands.

This project will develop methods to anticipate ex ante the likely consequences of introducing improved RMS as well as monitoring and measuring these consequences ex post. Finally, it will introduce methods for adaptive management.