Ezana Atsbeha
Name: Ezana Amdework Atsbeha 
Title/Department: PhD Student, Sociology Department, UConn
Phone number:
Email: ezana.atsbeha@uconn.edu
Website: N/A
Research focus: Environmental sociology, sociology of knowledge, rural-urban and international migration, urbanization.
hat excites you most about your PIRE research?
In my research, I want to investigate if local/indigenous and scientific systems of hydro-climatic forecasting co-exist in the study areas, as well as if their use by farmers is complementary or competitive. As scientific forecasting, like most other ‘expert knowledge’ non-local in origin, the manner of its communication is key in influencing its utilization. Focusing on this aspect, I’d like to investigate how local farmer with varying profiles, experiences and values evaluate information sources of scientific forecast, and if their evaluation subsequently influences their degree of utilization of such information for livelihood decisions. PIRE being a project that with a comparative research approach, it will provide an excellent venue to seek answers to my research questions in study sites that have similar agro-ecological and socio-economic traits, but vary in terms of a key intervention variable.
What’s the most valuable aspect of your research for the people and communities?
In my research experience, I’ve come to recognize that by investigating underlying social processes and institutions we can more clearly see the factors that, for instance, influence whether a certain innovation is adopted by farmers, or how various actors with competing interests can shape the outcome of a development intervention. My research would contribute positively by identifying hurdles to widespread adoption of water prediction knowledge by agricultural communities and thus improving the implementation of similar interventions.