The thesis submittGd is dividGd into three part81rntheoJ:eticalJ computRtional, and experimental"rnIn the first .p. art... R.- eneral theory of attenuation ofrnsolRr radiation in the atmosphGl'G due to molecular scatterlng,rnwat~)~' vapour and aerosol absorpt ion is presented" Therntheoretical consideration inclUdes integral turbidity factorrnand its relation to different absorption n}(~Ch'l.llisms. Thernc3.lcul'J.ted value due to the above absol'ption llIechanismsandrnthe integral turbidity factors for Addis Ababa region, arernshown in ChRptel' '1'wo.rnIII the second. part of the thesis different empiricalrn£ol'lllul(1-s relaU,ng gIob:).} solar radiation, geographical andrnmeteoroIogical parameters of a given locality are collected.rnThe most general formula by S'aiyigh et.al. i29 I has beenrncbosen and applied to Addis Ababa region. With constantsrngiven by Sayigh et. al. which 8.1'e claimed to be universal,rnconsiderable discrepanejJ~s were obtained. Because of thisrnreason, an ef£O).'t was wl1.de to determillG fl, new set of ninernconstants of the Sayigl1' s equation whi,ch are applicablernto Addis Ababa region.