SATREPS-MNGD Project in Ethiopia:
improving rural road infrastructure
Background
Since 2019, seven institutions from Ethiopia and Japan have been implementing a joint
project that focuses on improving rural road infrastructure in Ethiopia. The seveninstitutions are Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), Jinka
University (JKU), Ethiopian Roads Authority, Kyoto University, University of Miyazaki,
Ehime University, and Nagoya Institute of Technology. The project came be known as
SATREPS-MNGD. SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for
Sustainable Development) is the Japanese government’s program that promotesinternational joint research. The title of the Ethiopian SATREPS is “Project forDevelopment and Operation Model of Plant-derived Soil Additives for Road Disaster
Reduction on Problematic Soil.” Since this title is too long and its acronym cumbersome,another working title “Making Network for Global Development” (MNGD) has been
adopted and the abbreviation is intentionally pronounced as Menged, which means roadin the Ethiopian lingua franca.
The SATREPS-MNGD project focuses on addressing the difficulties of road construction
and maintenance on expansive soil. This is because expansive soil swells when itabsorbs water during the rainy season and shrinks when it loses moisture during thedry season, and such drastic changes in the volume of soil cause road disasters, whichconstrain the mobility of people, economic activities and the provision of different
services. The conventional solution to road disasters is mixing cement with theexpansive soil or replacing it with other weightier soil. However, this approach requires
the allocation of significant budget, which is not suitable and realistic for developing
countries like Ethiopia. Therefore, the goal of the project is to find simple, inexpensiveand convenient methods to construct and maintain roads thereby contributing to themission of the Universal Rural Road Access Program (URRAP), which is connecting allkebeles in Ethiopia by all-weather roads.
The SATREPS-MNGD project is implemented in Addis Ababa and Jinka, South Omo Zone
in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. While
much of the laboratory analyses have been conducted at AASTU in Addis Ababa (thecapital of Ethiopia), the social studies have been undertaken in Baytsimal and Kaysa
Kebeles (the lowest administrative tier in Ethiopia) near Jinka Town, the capital ofSouth Omo Zone. The project intends to identify, through laboratory analysis, thephysical mechanisms of the expansive soil and develop plant-derived soil additives toimprove the stability of unpaved roads. Researchers of AASTU have been working on
this in collaboration with the Japanese partners and they regularly update each other on
their findings.
Besides, the social science study explores the local contexts that include, among others,
the history of road construction and maintenance, the frequency and purpose of roaduse, the occurrence of road disasters and the causal agents, local agencies responsible
for road construction and maintenance, the current state of roads, and the views of local
people about the SATREPS-MNGD project. The first phase of the social sciences research
was undertaken between 01 July 2021 and 30 September 2021 by employing
qualitative research approach. Data were collected from different members of selectedHouseholds through face-to-face interviews and direct observation. Prof. Gebre Yntiso
Deko (representing the Japanese team, who could not travel to Jinka due to COVID 19pandemic) in collaboration with researchers from Jinka University carried out the study
in Baytsimal and Kaysa Kebeles. The details of the research team are presented at theend of this summary report on the preliminary findings.
Facts & Figures about Baytsimal Kebele- Situated between latitude and longitude value of 5°44′43′′N to 36°34′47"E- Population: 6595 (Male 4190, Female 2405)- Households: 3845, most male-headed, most with large family size
- Economy: Primarily agricultural, also engage in many activities- Education: Most adults (especially women) are little educated or not educated- Religion: Most are Proestant Christians and some belong to Orthodox Christianity- Affiliation: Almost all people belong to various community-based organizations

Map of major roads in Baytsimal
Facts & Figures about Kaysa Kebele- Situated between 5°44′56′′N latitude to 36°38′10"E longitude- Population: 7163 (Male 3495, Female 3668)- Households: 3075, most male-headed, most with large family size
- Economy: Primarily agricultural, also engage in many activities- Educated: Most adults, especially women, are little educated or not educated- Religion: Most Proestant Christians + some Orthodox- Affiliation: Almost all people belong to various community-based organizations

Map of major roads in Kaysa
Types of Roads
In Baytsimal and Kaysa Kebeles, there are three types of roads.
1) Asphalt road that crosses Kaysa, constructed and maintained by the government2) Earthen roads (1 in each kebele), constructed and maintained by the government3) Dirt roads (many in each kebele), constructed and maintained by the community
In the two research sites, road disasters are very common, especially during the rainyseason. The earthen and dirt raods are severly affected by the disasters, and thecommon agents are water logging, soil erosion, and landside. The asphalt and earthen
roads are rarely maintained due to budget constraints to mobilize machinery, material
input, and fuel, among others. The dirty roads are especially vulnerable to roaddisasters because they lack structural strength to withstand erosion, water logging, andlandslide. Hence, they are frequently repaired by community-based organizations. In
Baytsimal and Kaysa Kebeles 10 roads (5 in each kebele) have been identified asproblematic due to the recurrence of road disasters multiple times in a single year.

Road use in Baytsimal Kebele
RoadFrequencyof Road Use

Purpose of Road
Use

Means ofTransport

RoadCondition

BaytsimalJinka earthen
road

Very
frequently

To go to school,business site, marketplace, health center,shop, family home,and recreation

Motorbike,Goodbajaj, donkey
cart, foot,rarely vehicles

HargenBitemal dirtroad

Frequently(in dryseason)

To go to health centerand Woreda offices

Walking,
motorbike

Very bad

MaylakManchri dirt
roadFrequently(duringfarmingseason)

To go to agricultural
fields, grazing areas,
and temporary
shelter

Walking

Very bad

HachekerBalma dirtroad

Frequently(duringfarmingseason)

To go to agricultural
fields, grazing areas

Walking (NeriRiver acts asobstacle)

Very badHargen-Gista
dirt roadLessfrequently

To visit relatives andfriends

Walking

Very bad

Note: The Baytsimal-Jinka road is expected to be maintained by the government, as it
requires and machinery, fuel and select materials, which the local community cannot
afford. Likewise, the government is expected to construct the Baytsimal-Gista road in
the near future. However, there is no government plan to maintain the other threeroads (Hargen-Bitemal, Maylak-Manchri, and Hacheker-Balma), which are in bad shapeand require regular maintenance. The community will continue to maintain those roads.

Road Use in Kaysa Kebele
Road

Frequencyof Road Use

Purpose of Road
Use

Means ofTransport

Road
Condition

Kaysa-Ally
unpaved roadVeryfrequently

To go to school,
Motorbike,market, church, shop, walking,relatives
sometimesVehicles

Very bad

Kaysa-Yirga
dirt road

Frequently

To go to School,market, health, etc.

Walking,
motorbikeGood

Kaysa-Gitsa
dirt road

Frequently

To go to agri. fields,
grazing areas,
relatives

Walking

Very bad

Kaysa-Goldia
dirt road

Frequently

To go to agri. fields,
grazing areas,
relatives

Walking

Very bad

Kaysa-Senegal
dirt roadLess
Frequently

To go to market,
relatives

Walking

Very bad

Note: The government is expected to maintain the Kaysa-Ally unpaved road because it
requires machinery, fuel, and other expensive inputs. It is not clear when this road will
be maintained. But there is no government plan to maintain the other four roads. Hence,the community will continue to repair them whenever road disasters occur.

Local views about SATREPS-MNGD Project
Informants in Kaysa knew little about the SATREPS-MNGD project. However, theresidents of Baytsimal are familiar with the project. Many people have positive views,
and hope that the project will be beneficial to their community in terms of addressing
road disasters. Knowledge about the project has been enhanced by the involvement ofthe Japanese partners in the construction of 150 m experimental road to the BaytsimalPrimary School using earth-bag, employing the do-nou technology. Do-nou technology isa Japanese technique of soil reinforcement, which involves the use of bags filled withsand, soil or gravel. It is an inexpensive method for rural road construction ormaintenance.
Informants in Baytsimal and Kaysa kebeles expressed interest in the SATREPS-MNGD
project and offered to participate through labor contributions on voluntary basis. The
positive reaction to the project can be explained in terms of the hope that the projectwill solve the common problem of road disasters. During the fieldwork, many
informants actually inquired whether the project would help the people of Baytsimaland Kaysa in constructing and/or maintaining highly needed or priority roads using thedo-nou technology. The experimental 150 m road maintenance at Baytsimal Kebele
proved successful and won the trust of people, who are now demanding for moresimilar intervention.
While working on the SARTEPS-MNGD project (exploring ways to improve roadstability by applying soil additives from plants), it is important to employ the provenand accepted do-nou technology side-by-side for three reasons. First, addressing someof the current practical road problems of the people would serve as inceptive for theparticipation of the local people in the SATREPS-MNGD project. Second, in case theproject totally fails to produce the expected result for different reasons, the proven donou technology may be promoted as an alternative approach - a fallback backup
strategy that enables the project to leave some imprints behind. Third, even if thelaboratory experiments lead to promising breakthrough, translating the scientificknowledge into practical application will take several years or even decades dependingon the maturity period of the plants, the regularity of supply, etc. The do-nou technology
can be used as an interim solution in terms of addressing pressing problems.

Members of the Social Sciences Research Team

Principal Investigator
Gebre Yntiso Deko, Professor
Department of Social Anthropology,
Addis Ababa University

Assistant Researcher
Tamene Deysmi Geremew, Lecturer and Dean,
College of Social Sciences and Humanities, JinkaUniversity

Researcher
Amlaksetegn Zenebe Ede’o,
Lecturer and Director,
Research Directorate, Jinka University

Researcher
Bachu Girmaye Belcha, Graduate Assistant,
Department of Social Anthropology, Jinka
University

ResearcherGetachew Alene Chekol, Lecturer
Department of Management, Jinka University

ResearcherMamuye Ashagire Diga, Lecturer
Department of Geography & Environmental
Studies, Jinka University

ResearcherTemesgen Woza Wonbera, Lecturer
Department of History & Heritage Management,Jinka University

Researcher
Yirgaalem Sorsa Gemeda, Lecturer
Department of Geography & Environmental
Studies, Jinka University