Publications

This paper presents results of a data partnership framework for strengthening evidence-based planning and implementation that was initiated in 2019 in five selected African countries (Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, and Togo) during the second round of the CAADP biennial review (BR) process. It analyzes the effect of the activities conducted on the data reporting rate and the quality of data reported in the five pilot countries, compared with what was achieved in like-pilot countries. The like-pilot countries are non-pilot countries that have characteristics like the pilot countries at the baseline which affect selection into the pilot or the data reporting and quality outcomes. Different methods (standard deviations, propensity score matching, and two-stage weighted regression) are used to identify the like-pilot countries, and a difference-in-difference method is used to estimate the effect of the pilot activities on the outcomes. The capacity-strengthening activities focused on working with the country Biennial Review (BR) team to: assess the inaugural or 2018 BR process and identify the data gaps; constitute and train members of data clusters to compile and check the data for the 2020 BR; and then validate and submit the data. The findings show that the activities helped the pilot countries to improve their performance in the data reporting rate and the quality of data reported in the 2020 BR. The largest improvement is observed in Togo and Senegal, followed by Kenya and Malawi, and then Mozambique. The average increase in the data reporting rate between 2018 and 2020 BRs for the pilot countries is greater than the average progress made in the like-pilot countries by about 6 to 9 % pts. This derives mostly from improvements in the data reporting rate for the indicators under theme 3 on ending hunger. Regarding the quality of data reported (measured as the percent of the data reported that have issues) too, the pilot countries on average performed better than the like-pilot countries, especially with respect to the data reported under themes 2 on investment in agriculture and 3 on ending hunger. But most of the estimated differences have low or no statistical significance. Implications for sustaining the progress made in the pilot countries, as well as for extending the activities to other countries, for the next rounds of the BR are discussed.

This report presents a spatial analysis conducted at global scale to identify areas of high suitability for implementing the Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) approach. The study used multiple global spatial datasets, and the related data were arranged under three categories water supply, water demand and water storage to assess global UTFI suitability. Among the river basins with high suitability, the Awash in Ethiopia, Ramganga in India (one of the major tributaries of the Ganges River Basin) and Chao Phraya in Thailand were selected for the economic analysis in this study. The results from this study are intended to provide a first step towards identifying the broad areas (at the river basin or country scale) where more detailed investigation would be worthwhile to ascertain the technical and economic feasibility of UTFI, with greater confidence.

Land degradation is a critical problem around the world. Intensive rain-fed and irrigated crop and livestock systems have contributed to the degradation of land and natural resources. Numerous institutional and socioeconomic challenges complicate attempts to reverse land degradation, including the lack of short-term incentives for investment; low investment by communities in natural resources management that offers little immediate financial reward; failure of public sector institutions to invest sufficiently in natural resources management because of low, immediate political rewards; and sectoral fragmentation, among others. In poor communities, the incentive to extract short-term economic returns from land and natural resources often outweighs perceived benefits from investing in long-term environmental restoration, and related economic and ecosystem returns. Restoring degraded ecosystems through the establishment of exclosures areas that are excluded from woodcutting, grazing and agricultural activities is an increasingly common practice in the Ethiopian Highlands, and regional states are also following this practice. This report proposes and applies an adapted business model to explore the feasibility of exclosures for land restoration. It aims to identify short-term revenue streams from activities that can be carried out within exclosures, such as beekeeping, harvesting fodder for livestock fattening, and cultivating high-value plant species, including fruits and herbs. These are feasible, sustainable economic activities that could allow for the restoration of ecosystem services over the long term. Mobilization of financial resources, engagement of local communities, provision of training and continuous follow-up, as well as facilitation of market opportunities in the value chain for local communities and enterprises (e.g., creating market linkages and establishing innovation platform to engage with market actors) could support the sustainable implementation of the revenue streams.

The Middle East and North Africa region experiences severe socioeconomic and political impacts during droughts and faces increasing drought risk in future climate projections. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Sendai Framework and the International Drought Management Programme provide a global standard (a norm) to manage droughts through natural hazard risk reduction approaches. We use participatory engagement to evaluate whether norm diffusion has taken place in four countries. Data were collected in interviews, focus groups, workshops, and policy documents. Analysis reveals incomplete norm diffusion; stakeholders subscribe to relevant values, but national policies and implementation do not fully reflect the norm. Process tracing reveals that the availability of drought early warning data is a key barrier to risk reduction. Further more, a drought early warning system would not be feasible or sufficient unless paired with policy measures and financial mechanisms to reduce the political and economic costs of a drought declaration.

Understanding the influence of large-scale oceanic and atmospheric variability on rainfall over Ethiopia has huge potential to improve seasonal forecasting and inform crucial water management decisions at local levels, where data is available at appropriate scales for decision makers. In this study, drivers of Ethiopia‘s main rainy season, July-September (JAS), are investigated using correlation analysis with sea surface temperature (SST). The analysis showed local spatial variations in the drivers of JAS rainfall. Moreover, the analysis revealed strong correlation between March to May (MAM) SST and JAS rainfall in particular regions. In addition to the influence of SSTs, we highlighted one of the mechanisms explaining the regional pattern of SST influence on Ethiopian rainfall, the East African Low-Level Jet. Moreover, examining the occurrence of large-scale phenomena provided additional information, with very strong ENSO and positive IOD events associated with drier conditions in most part of Ethiopia. A sub-national analysis, focused at a scale relevant for water managers, on the Awash basin, highlighted two distinct climate zones with different relationships to SSTs. June was not included as part of the rainy season as in some areas June is a hot, dry month between rainy seasons and in others it can be used to update sub-seasonal forecasts with lead time of one month for JAS rainfall. This highlights the importance of understanding locally relevant climate systems and ensuing sub-seasonal to seasonal forecasts are done at the appropriate scale for water management in the complex topography and climatology of Ethiopia.

African eggplant, a traditional and important nutrient-dense crop to Tanzania’s nutrition and food security. However, yields remain low as a result of sub-optimal irrigation and fertilizer practices. To reduce the yield gap, a randomized split-plot design set up with irrigation as a main and nitrogen (N) treatments as a sub-factor. The irrigation regimes were 100 % (I100), 80 % (I80) and 60 % (I60) of crop water requirements whilst nitrogen levels were 250 kg N/ha (F100), 187 kg N/ha (F75), 125 kg N/ha (F50) and 0 kgN/ha (F0). The study evaluated the effect of irrigation water and N on crop growth variables and yield, fruit quality, WUE and NUE. The study showed the importance of combining different irrigation performance indicators which responds to different levels of water and nitrogen to evaluate and assess suitable irrigation and fertilizer strategies for African eggplant. The crop growth variables (plant height and LAI) had a good correlation with fruit yield (R2 = 0.6 and 0.8). The fruit quality was best performed by 100 % water in combination with 75 % N treatment. The best WUE and NUE was attained at 80 % and 100 % levels of water in combination with 75 % N. However, minimizing trade-offs between the various indicators, the optimal application for African eggplant would likely be around 80 % of the total irrigation requirement and 75 % of the N requirement in sandy clay loam soils under tropical sub-humid conditions.

Water-permit systems are widely used across Africa as a blanket requirement for small and micro irrigation enterprises, as well as large enterprises. The present study aimed to, first, further understand the implications of permit systems for both the most vulnerable and the state, and, second, based on the findings, identify options for pro-poor water legislation that also meet the water governance requirements of the state. The growing recognition of the importance of farmer-led irrigation development for food security across the continent underlines the importance of these questions. Focusing on Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and other African countries, we found that permit systems criminalized instead of protected the water rights of small-scale farmers. Moreover, little if any attention is paid to the logistical burdens and costs to the state of implementing such systems relative to the intended revenue generation. As many small-scale farmers in Africa were found to operate under customary land and water tenure systems, the study proposes a hybrid system of water rights that formally recognizes such practices, along with the use of permits, including enforcement of conditions for large users, to serve the interests of both the state and small-scale farmers.

Understanding the different perceptions of the local community regarding the use and management of common pool resources, such as exclosures, could better support targeted interventions by government and development partners. Here, we report on a study conducted in the Gomit watershed, northwestern Ethiopia, using a survey and key informant interviews, to examine community perceptions on (a) the biophysical condition (i.e., challenge of land degradation and restoration), (b) the action situations (userapos;s access to and control over resources and decision-making processes involved in taking actions in managing the exclosure), (c) actorsapos; interactions (formal and informal institutions involved in the management of exclosures), and (d) perceived outcomes (benefits and tradeoffs of managing exclosures). Many people in the Gomit watershed recognize land degradation as a serious problem and believe that exclosures support restoration of degraded landscapes and improve ecosystem services. Informal institutions play a key role in managing exclosures by improving benefit sharing and mobilizing the local community for collective action. However, some community members have concerns about recent expansion of exclosures because of (a) limited short-term derived benefits, (b) reductions in fuelwood availability, (c) increased degradation of remaining communal grazing lands, and (d) poor participation of marginalized groups in decision making. Addressing such concerns through the promotion of short-term benefits of exclosures and increasing community participation in decision-making and benefit sharing is crucial. The study provides evidence to support government and development partners on the establishment and management of exclosures through identifying the benefits and drawbacks as perceived by different sectors of the community.

Gully erosion has many negative impacts on both cultivated and grazing lands in Ethiopian highlands. The present study was conducted in Chentale watershed, Ethiopia, to quantify the contribution of gully erosion, and to assess its temporal changes. Within the Chentale watershed, we selected a sub-watershed (104.6 ha) and nested gully catchment, and gauged for stream flow and sediment concentration data in 2015 and 2016. We measured gully dimensions before and after the onset of the rainy season in 2016 to determine soil loss due to gully erosion. The temporal changes of gully expansion were determined by digitizing gully plain area from Google earth images taken in 2005 and 2013. The results support that gullies were expanding at higher rate in recent years. Area covered by gullies in the watershed increased from 1.84 to 3.43 ha between 2005 and 2013, indicating that the proportion of the watershed covered by gullies was nearly doubled in the investigated period. The estimated soil loss from the main watershed and gullies catchment was 6 and 2 t ha-1 year-1 in 2015, and was 7 and 9 t ha-1 year-1 in 2016, respectively. The results support that gullies were the main contributors of soil erosion in the watershed, and that integrated soil and water conservation measures are required to reduce soil erosion.

Gullies that are expanding at alarming rate are responsible for the majority of soil losses in the (sub) humid highlands of Ethiopia. Few affordable and effective methods for gully erosion control are available in the highlands. The objective of the study was to develop cost-effective measures to halt gully expansion by determining stable-bank conditions under a variety of environmental situations using the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM). The study was carried out in the sub humid Debre Mawi watershed, located 30 km south of Lake Tana. Input data for the BSTEM model were collected using field surveys and soil sampling. After the BSTEM was tested on actual measured soil data, soil cohesion and internal friction angle were calibrated against observed gully bank retreat. Using the calibrated parameters, the model evaluated the stabilization of the existing gully bank under different scenarios in which groundwater table, bank angle and bank height, tension crack depth, vegetation, and toe protection were varied. Finally, the head-cut of the study gully was treated based on the model recommendation. The simulated results showed that a 5 m deep gully was stable under fully saturated conditions when the bank toe is protected, its upper surface is vegetated, and its bank angles do not exceed 45. If the depth of the gully is less than 5 m or if its water table is deeper than 0.5 m, only regrading the gully bank to an angle of 45 can stabilize the gully. BSTEM showed to be an effective tool that can be used to evaluate gully control measures.

Land resources in developing countries are facing intense degradation due to deforestation and subsequent loss of organic matter from continuous tillage that causes soil erosion and gulley formation. The Ethiopian highlands are especially and severely affected. One of the land and water management practices to counteract this problem, fenced areas to prevent livestock access (called exclosures), has been in practice for the last few decades in the semi-arid highlands of Ethiopia but its effect on degraded landscapes has not been well researched especially in the sub-humid and humid highlands. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of exclosures on improving degraded landscapes in the sub-humid highlands. The research was carried out in the Ferenj Wuha watershed, in the northwestern sub-humid Ethiopian highlands, where land and water management practices were implemented starting in 2011. Vegetation was inventoried and aboveground biomass, carbon and nutrient stock determined for communal grazing land, exclosures and for other uses. In addition, soil samples were collected for nutrient analysis. Our results show that exclosures have a richer and more diverse set of plant species compared to communal grazing land. Establishment of an exclosure also enhanced organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus. Over a six-year period, aboveground biomass increased by 54 Mg ha 1 (or 81%) at the watershed scale because of the conversion of communal grazing land to exclosures. The improvement in soil nutrients due to exclosures, in turn, increased carbon and nutrient stock. The results support regeneration of degraded landscapes by restoring vegetation, soil fertility, carbon and nutrient stocks in the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. However, additional research is required to more accurately quantify these improvements because current research efforts that sample only the surface soils seem to indicate that the capacity of exclosures to increase soil carbon storage is decreasing when annual rainfall is increasing.

We describe the technical feasibility of metagenomic water quality analysis using only portable equipment, for example mini-vacuum pumps and filtration units, mini-centrifuges, mini-PCR machines and the memory-stick sized MinION of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, for the library preparation and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Using this portable toolbox on site, we successfully characterized the microbiome of water samples collected from Birtley Sewage Treatment Plant, UK, and its environs. We also demonstrated the applicability of the portable metagenomics toolbox in a low-income country by surveying water samples from the Akaki River around Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing workflow, including DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing library preparation, and sequencing was accomplished within one working day. The metagenomic data became available within 24e72 h, depending on internet speed. Metagenomic analysis clearly distinguished the microbiome of pristine samples from sewage influenced water samples. Metagenomic analysis identified the potential role of two bacterial genera not conventionally monitored, Arcobacter and Aeromonas, as predominant faecal pollution indicators/waterborne hazards. Subsequent quantitative PCR analysis validated the high Arcobacter butzleri abundances observed in the urban influenced Akaki River water samples by portable next generation sequencing with the MinION device. Overall, our field deployable metagenomics toolbox advances the capability of scientists to comprehensively monitor microbiomes anywhere in the world, including in the water, food and drinks industries, the health services, agriculture and beyond.

Applicability of satellite rainfall products must be explored since rain gauge networks have limitations to provide adequate spatial coverage. In this study, Climate Hazards InfraRed Precipitation (CHIRP) satellite-only product was evaluated for rainfall-runoff modeling whereas the simulated runoff served as input to simulate the water levels of Lake Ziway from 1986 to 2014. CHIRP dataset was bias-corrected using power transformation and used as input to Hydrologiska Byrns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) model to simulate streamflow of Meki and Katar catchments. Results showed that gauged catchments of Meki and Katar contributed 524 and 855 mm to the annual lake inflow, respectively. The estimated runoff from ungauged catchments is 182 mm that amounts to approximately 8.5% of the total lake inflow over the period 19862000. The results of lake level simulation show good agreement from 1986 to 2000, but deteriorating agreement after 2000, which is mainly attributed to errors in water balance terms and human-induced impacts. For the period 19862000, the water balance closure error for the lake was 67.5 mm per year, which accounts for 2.9% of the total lake inflow from rainfall and river inflow. This study shows bias correction increases the applicability of CHIRP satellite product for lake water balance studies.

Built water infrastructure impacts the balance of services provided by a river and its flow regime. Impacts on both commercial and subsistence activities should be considered in water management decision-making. Various methods used to define mandatory minimum environmental releases do not account for the inherent and often complex trade-offs and synergies which must be considered in selecting a balance of ecosystem and engineered services. This paper demonstrates the value and use of optimised many-objective trade-off analysis for managing resource-systems providing diverse and sometimes competing services. Using Kenya’s Tana River basin as a demonstration it shows controlled releases from multi-reservoir systems can be optimised using multiple performance metrics, representing individual provisioning ecosystem and engineered services at different locations and relating to different time periods. This enables better understanding the interactions between natural and built assets, and selecting river basin interventions that appropriately trade-off their services. Our demonstration shows prioritising Kenya’s statutory minimum environmental ‘reserve’ flows degrades flood-related provisioning services. Low overall flow regime alteration correlates negatively with consistency of hydropower generation, but positively with other provisioning services.

Smallholder agriculture constitutes the main source of livelihood for the Ethiopian rural community. However, soil degradation and uneven distribution of rainfall have threatened agriculture at present. This study is aimed at investigating the impacts of conservation agriculture on irrigation water use, nutrient availability in the root zone, and crop yield under supplementary irrigation. In this study, conservation agriculture (CA), which includes minimum soil disturbance, grass mulch cover, and crop rotation, was practiced and compared with conventional tillage (CT). We used two years’ (2018 and 2019) experimental data under paired-t design in the production of a local variety green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The results showed that CA practices significantly (a = 0.05) reduced irrigation water use (13% to 29%) and runoff (29% to 51%) while it increased percolated water in the root zone (27% to 50%) when compared with CT practices under the supplementary irrigation phase. In addition, CA significantly decreased NO3-N in the leachate (14% to 44%) and in the runoff (about 100%), while PO4-P significantly decreased in the leachate (33% to 50%) and in the runoff (16%) when compared with CT. Similarly, CA decreased the NO3-N load in the leachate and in the runoff, while the PO4-P load increased in the leachate but decreased in the runoff. The yield return that was achieved under CA treatment was 30% higher in 2018 and 10% higher in 2019 when compared with the CT. This research improves our understanding of water and nutrient dynamics in green pepper grown under CA and CT. Use of CA provides opportunities to optimize water use by decreasing irrigation water requirements and optimize nutrient use by decreasing nutrient losses through the runoff and leaching.

Climatic variability and change result in unreliable and uncertain water availability and contribute to water insecurity in Africa, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas and where water storage infrastructure is limited. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR), which comprises purposeful recharge and storage of surface runoff and treated wastewater in aquifers, serves various purposes, of which a prominent one is to provide a means to mitigate adverse impact of climate variability. Despite clear scope for this technology in Africa, the prevalence and range of MAR experiences in Africa have not been extensively examined. The objective of this article is provide an overview of MAR progress in Africa and to inform the potential for future use of this approach in the continent. Information on MAR from 52 cases in Africa listed in the Global MAR Portal and collated from relevant literature was analyzed. Cases were classified according to 13 key characteristics including objective of the MAR project, technology applied, biophysical conditions, and technical and management challenges. Results of the review indicate that: (i) the extent of MAR practice in Africa is relatively limited, (ii) the main objective of MAR in Africa is to secure and augment water supply and balance variability in supply and demand, (iii) the surface spreading/infiltration method is the most common MAR method, (iv) surface water is the main water source for MAR, and (v) the total annual recharge volume is about 158 Mm3 /year. MAR schemes exist in both urban and rural Africa, which exemplify the advancement of MAR implementation as well as its out scaling potential. Further, MAR schemes are most commonly found in areas of high inter-annual variability in water availability. If properly planned, implemented, managed, maintained and adapted to local conditions, MAR has large potential in securing water and increasing resilience in Africa. Ultimately, realizing the full potential of MAR in Africa will require undertaking hydrogeological and hydrological studies to determine feasibility of MAR, especially in geographic regions of high inter-annual climate variability and growing water demand. This, supported by increased research to gauge success of existing MAR projects and to address challenges, would help with future siting, design and implementation of MAR in Africa.

Understanding recharge processes is fundamental to improve sustainable groundwater resource management. Shallow groundwater (SGW) is being developed for multiple purposes in Ethiopia without consideration of monitoring. We established a citizen science-based hydro-meteorological monitoring network, with a focus on SGW recharge estimation, in Eshito micro-watershed, Ethiopia. Citizen scientists collected rainfall, groundwater-level and stream water-level data. We characterized the shallow aquifer using pumping tests. The data were used to estimate SGW recharge using three methods: chloride mass balance, water-level fluctuation (WLF) and baseflow separation. Approximately 20% and 35% of annual rainfall amount contributes to recharge based on the chloride mass balance and WLF results, respectively. Baseflow separation showed recharge values for the watershed vary from 38% to 28% of annual rainfall at the upstream and downstream gauging stations, respectively. This study shows that the recharge in previously unmonitored micro-watersheds can be studied if citizens are involved in data generation.

The actual accuracy of satellite rainfall products is often unknown due to the limitation of raingauge networks. We evaluated the effect of gauge representativeness error on evaluation of rainfall estimates from the CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data) rainfall product. The reference data were collected using an experimental raingauge network within a small watershed of 1690 ha, which is comparable to the CHIRPS resolution. The study applied a total bias approach, decomposed into hit, missed and false biases, and an error-variance separation method to evaluate gauge representativeness error at the scale of CHIRPS pixel size, as well as modeled the spatial correlation field of daily rainfall with a three-parametric exponential model. The results indicate that the gauge representativeness error is still too large to ignore in evaluating satellite rainfall. However, it is significantly affected by sample size and caution should be exercised when the rainfall data has a small sample size.

Integration of remote sensing data sets from multiple satellites is tested to simulate water storage variation of Lake Ziway, Ethiopia for the period 2009-2018. Sixty Landsat ETM+/OLI images served to trace temporal variation of lake surface area using a water extraction index. Time series of lake levels were acquired from two altimetry databases that were validated by in-situ lake level measurements. Coinciding pairs of optical satellite based lake surface area and radar altimetry based lake levels were related through regression and served for simulating lake storage variation. Indices for extracting lake surface area from images showed 9199 % overall accuracy. Lake water levels from the altimetry products well agreed to in-situ lake level measurements with R2 = 0.92 and root mean square error of 11.9 cm. Based on this study we conclude that integrating satellite imagery and radar altimetry is a viable approach for frequent and accurate monitoring of lake water volume variation and for long-term change detection. Findings indicate water level reduction (4 cm/annum), surface area shrinkage (0.08km2 /annum) and water storage loss (20.4Mm3 /annum) of Lake Ziway (20092018).

We present an evidence-based approach to identify how best to support development of groundwater for smallscale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We argue that it is important to focus this effort on shallow groundwater resources. We demonstrate and test this proposal at a case study site: Dangila woreda in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. This site was selected to allow exploration of a shallow weathered volcanic regolith type aquifer formation which is found to the South of Lake Tana and also exists more extensively across Ethiopia. We believe lessons from this case study are transferable and there is a case for arguing that shallow groundwater represents a neglected opportunity for promoting sustainable small-scale irrigated agriculture in SSA. In comparison with other global regions, the groundwater resources of SSA are among the least understood; borehole records and hydrogeological studies are lacking. Assessments of groundwater resources do exist, but they rely on remotely sensed data combined with modelling at national or regional scale, and they focus on deeper aquifers. There is a need for these broad evaluations to be supplemented by localised and detailed assessments. The case study here presents such an assessment in order to support analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with developing small-scale irrigation utilising shallow groundwater. A multimethod groundwater recharge assessment was conducted utilising formal and community-based monitoring, field investigation and existing published data. Water table recovery tests at existing hand dug wells confirm that well yields of 1 l/s are achievable at the end of the wet season when water would be available to support an additional irrigated crop. Hydraulic conductivity estimates ranged from 0.2 to 6.4 m/d in the dry season and from 2.8 to 22.3 m/day in the wet season. Specific yield estimations have a wider range though the mean value of 0.09 is as would be expected. Records of groundwater levels and rainfall monitored by the local community for the period April 2014 to April 2018 show that all the wells maintained useable water levels beyond the end of the rainy season. An assessment of the hydrology of the Kilti catchment provided insights into groundwater availability within the wider area. The catchment receives about 1600 mm/year of rainfall, of which about 350 mm/year enters the groundwater as recharge, discharging to the river as baseflow with a similar amount of rapid runoff contributing to a total river flow of about 400 mm/year. The lowest value of baseflow is 82% of the mean baseflow, which suggests a degree of buffering and indicates that groundwater is available even in a very dry year. We conclude that arguments previously put forward against the promotion of shallow groundwater use for agriculture in SSA appear exaggerated. Our analysis challenges the view that shallow aquifers are unproductive and that irrigation will have u

Background: Grazing by livestock and cultivation have been considered as two important causes of soil erosion and nutrient export. However, there has been limited evidence that grazing or cultivation matters to soil erosion and nutrient export in Ethiopia. Hence, this study was conducted in the Galesa watershed in Ethiopia to examine the effects of grazing and cultivation on runoff, soil loss, and nutrient export. Daily values of runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient outflow were measured for three consecutive years following standard procedures. Independent t test was performed to check if the means of runoff, soil loss, and nutrient loss from grazing and cultivated lands were significantly different. Moreover, repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test if mean values of runoff, soil loss, and nutrient export varied significantly over the study years. Results: Although the average annual runoff depth was 7.8% higher in grazing land (GL), soil erosion was significantly lower (39%) in GL as compared to cultivated land (CL). Similarly, sediment and runoff-associated annual losses of total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K), and organic carbon (OC) were low in the GL treatments. Lowest losses of total N (9.30 kg ha-1 year-1 ), available P (0.83 kg ha-1 year-1 ), and exchangeable K (1.84 kg ha-1 year-1 ) were recorded in GL treatment. Likewise, lowest losses of sediment-associated total N (32.8 kg ha-1 year-1 ), available P (0.39 kg ha-1 year-1 ), exchangeable K (0.23 kg ha-1 year-1 ), and soil organic carbon (630 kg ha-1 year-1 ) were recorded from GL over the 3 years of experimentation. Conclusion: Our results indicate that cultivation increased soil erosion as compared to grazing. Although there were significant reductions in soil erosion and nutrient export from grazing lands compared with cultivated lands, the absolute losses were still high. This implies the need for grazing land management using appropriate physical and biological erosion control measures to increase productivity and reduce soil erosion as well as nutrient export.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the historical skill of models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in two regions of Ethiopia: northwestern Ethiopia and the Awash, one of the main Ethiopian river basins. An ensemble of CMIP5 models was first selected so that atmosphere-only (Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project, AMIP) and fully coupled simulations could be directly compared, assessing the effects of coupled model sea surface temperature (SST) biases. The annual cycle, seasonal biases, trends, and variability were used as metrics of model skill. In the Awash basin, both coupled and AMIP simulations had late Belg or March-May (MAM) rainy seasons. In connection to this, most models also missed the June rainfall minimum entirely. Northwest Ethiopia, which has a unimodal rainfall cycle in observations, is shown to have bimodal seasonality in models, even in the AMIP simulations. Significant AMIP biases in these regions show that model biases are not related to SST biases alone. Similarly, a clear connection between model resolution and skill was not found. Models simulated temperature with more skill than rainfall, but trends showed an underestimation in Belg (MAM/April-May (AM)) trends, and an overestimation in Kiremt or July-September (JAS/June-September (JJAS)) trends. The models which were shown to have the most skill in a range of categories were HadGEM2-AO, GFDL-CM3, and MPI-ESM-MR. The biases and discrepancies in model skill for different metrics of rainfall and temperature found in this study provide a useful basis for a process-based analysis of the CMIP5 ensemble in Ethiopia.

When drought hits water-scarce regions, there are significant repercussions for food and water security, as well as serious issues for the stability of broader social and environmental systems. To mitigate these effects, environmental monitoring and early warning systems aimed at detecting the onset of drought conditions can facilitate timely and effective responses from government and private sector stakeholders. This study uses multistage, participatory research methods across more than 135 interviews, focus groups, and workshops to assess extant climatic, agricultural, hydrological, and drought monitoring systems; key cross-sector drought impacts; and drought monitoring needs in four countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. This extensive study of user needs for drought monitoring across the MENA region is informing and shaping the ongoing development of drought early warning systems, a composite drought indicator (CDI), and wider drought management systems in each country. Overarching themes of drought monitoring needs include technical definitions of drought for policy purposes; information-sharing regimes and data-sharing platforms; ground-truthing of remotely sensed and modeled data; improved data quality in observation networks; and two-way engagement with farmers, organizations, and end-users of drought monitoring products. This research establishes a basis for informing enhanced drought monitoring and management in the countries, and the broad stakeholder engagement can help foster the emergence of effective environmental monitoring coalitions.

Purpose: The need to increase women’s access to extension has been extensively discussed. This paper assesses women’s access to extension services through the Plantwise extension approach as a baseline for future comparison of women’s access through other extension approaches. It also assesses whether crops that men and women farmers seek plant health advice on are similar or not, and attempts to disperse assumptions that continue to be made about what crops women and men grow. Approach: We analysed data from the Plantwise Online Management System for 13 countries using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: We show that the Plantwise extension approach enables higher levels of women’s access than generally reported for agricultural extension, that the crops that women and men seek extension advice on is not gender dependent, and there are few clear distinctions between their crops of interest. Practical implications: There is limited literature studying gender inclusiveness in different extension approaches. The findings add to the documentation of assessing women’s access to demand-driven extension. Theoretical implications: Plantwise is a new extension approach which needs to be assessed from spatial and temporal perspectives to understand whether demand-driven extension enables increased women’s access over time. Originality/value: Extension service provision is often based on assumptions about what crops are being grown. Small studies have challenged these assumptions, but this large dataset enables us to test these assumptions more thoroughly across 13 countries adding to the weight of evidence against the existence of women’s and men’s crops.

Land degradation is a global challenge that affects lives and livelihoods in many communities. Since 1950, about 65% of Africa’s cropland, on which millions of people depend, has been affected by land degradation caused by mining, poor farming practices and illegal logging. One-quarter of the land area of Ethiopia is severely degraded. As part of interventions to restore ecosystem services, exclosures have been implemented in Ethiopia since the 1980s. But the lack of tools to support prioritization and more efficient targeting of areas for large-scale exclosure-based interventions remains a challenge. Within that perspective, the overarching objectives of the current study were: (i) to develop a Geographic Information System-based multicriteria decision-support tool that would help in the identification of suitable areas for exclosure initiatives; (ii) to provide spatially explicit information, aggregated by river basin and agroecology, on potential areas for exclosure interventions and (iii) to conduct ex-ante analysis of the potential of exclosure areas for improving ecosystem services in terms of increase in above-ground biomass (AGB) production and carbon storage. The results of this study demonstrated that as much as 10% of Ethiopia’s land area is suitable for establishing exclosures. This amounts to 11 million hectares (ha) of land depending on the criteria used to define suitability for exclosure. Of this total, a significant proportion (0.50.6 million ha) is currently under agricultural land-use systems. In terms of propriety river basins, we found that the largest amount of suitable area for exclosures falls in the Abay (2.6 million ha) and Tekeze (2.2 million ha) river basins, which are hosts to water infrastructure such as hydropower dams and are threatened by siltation. Ex-ante analysis of ecosystem services indicated that about 418 million tons of carbon can be stored in the AGB through exclosure land use. Ethiopia has voluntarily committed to the Bonn Challenge to restore 15 million ha of degraded land by 2025. The decision-support tool developed by the current study and the information so generated go toward supporting the planning, implementation and monitoring of these kinds of local and regional initiatives.

Feeding 9 billion people in 2050 will require sustainable development of all water resources, both surface and subsurface. Yet, little is known about the irrigation potential of hillside shallow aquifers in many highland settings in sub-Saharan Africa that are being considered for providing irrigation water during the dry monsoon phase for smallholder farmers. Information on the shallow groundwater being available in space and time on sloping lands might aid in increasing food production in the dry monsoon phase. Therefore, the research objective of this work is to estimate potential groundwater storage as a potential source of irrigation water for hillside aquifers where lateral subsurface flow is dominant. The research was carried out in the Robit Bata experimental watershed in the Lake Tana basin which is typical of many undulating watersheds in the Ethiopian highlands. Farmers have excavated more than 300 hand dug wells for irrigation. We used 42 of these wells to monitor water table fluctuation from April 16, 2014 to December 2015. Precipitation and runoff data were recorded for the same period. The temporal groundwater storage was estimated using two methods: one based on the water balance with rainfall as input and baseflow and evaporative losses leaving the watershed as outputs; the second based on the observed rise and fall of water levels in wells. We found that maximum groundwater storage was at the end of the rain phase in September after which it decreased linearly until the middle of December due to short groundwater retention times. In the remaining part of the dry season period, only wells located close to faults contained water. Thus, without additional water sources, sloping lands can only be used for significant irrigation inputs during the first 3 months out of the 8 months long dry season.

To tackle the problem of soil erosion and moisture stress, the government of Ethiopia introduced a yearly mass campaign where communities get together and implement various soil and water conservation (SWC) and water harvesting (WH) practices. Although the interventions are believed to have reduced soil erosion/sediment yield and enhanced surface and ground water, quantitative information on the impacts of various options at different scales is scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts different land uses, SWC and WH interventions on water and suspended sediment yield (SSY) at plot and watershed scales in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Standard erosion plot experiments and hydrological stations were used to monitor the daily water and SSY during 2014 to 2017. The results show differences between treatments both at plot and watershed scales. Runoff and soil loss were reduced by an average 27 and 37%, respectively due to SWC practices at the plot level. Overall, SWC practices implemented at the watershed level reduced sediment yield by about 74% (in the year 2014), although the magnitude of sediment reduction due to the SWC interventions reduced over time. At both scales it was observed that as the number of years since SWC measures have been in place increased, their effectiveness declined due to the lack of maintenance. This study also revealed that extrapolating of plot data to watershed scale causes over or under estimation of net erosion.

This analysis revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view that migration is driven by absolute income maximization, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internationally comparable longitudinal data from integrated household and agriculture surveys from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, we use panel fixed effects to estimate the effects of relative deprivation on migration decisions. Using per capita consumption expenditure and multidimensional wealth index as well-being measures, we find that a household’s migration decision is based not only on its absolute well-being level but also on the relative position of the household in the well-being distribution of the community in which it resides. We also discover that the effect of relative deprivation on migration is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households. Results are robust to alternative specifications including the use of Hausman Taylor Instrumental Variable (HTIV) estimator and pooled data across the five countries. Results confirm that the “migration-relative deprivation” relationship also holds in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that policies designed to check ruralurban migration through rural transformation and poverty reduction programs should use caution because such programs can increase economic inequality, which further increases migration flow.

Degradation of crop and grazing lands is a pervasive problem that negatively impacts agricultural productivity and livelihoods of crop-livestock farmers in the Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia. Area enclosure together with a cut and carry livestock feeding system is often advocated as an approach for the regeneration of degraded grazing lands. This paper reports the results of a two-year farmer participatory study conducted to assess the effects of infiltration trenches (ITs) and Chloris gayana Kunth (Rhodes grass; cultivar Masaba; tetraploid; C4 grass species) reseeding on restoration of degraded grazing lands. A split plot design was used with IT as the main plot and C. gayana reseeding as a sub-plot on 28 private grazing plots under enclosure. The results showed that IT alone increased soil moisture content and prolonged the growing period. IT and C. gayana reseeding together significantly (P = 0.05) increased herbage dry matter yield and improved soil chemical properties. The highest mean herbage dry matter yield (21 Mg ha-1 per cut) was recorded for plots treated with IT and reseeded with C. gayana. The higher herbage dry matter yield was attributed to increased soil moisture and the resultant prolonged growing period induced by the trenches coupled with the ability of C. gayana to effectively utilize the retained water. The results suggest that an integrated land management approach involving enclosure, in-situ water conservation and C. gayana reseeding can rapidly increase biomass productivity on degraded grazing lands while also enhancing soil quality with concomitant livelihood benefits for farmers.

There is a proactive interest in recovering water, nutrients and energy from waste streams with the increase in municipal wastewater volumes and innovations in resource recovery. Based on the synthesis of wastewater data, this study provides insights into the global and regional “potential” of wastewater as water, nutrient and energy sources while acknowledging the limitations of current resource recovery opportunities and promoting efforts to fast-track highefficiency returns. The study estimates suggest that, currently, 380 billion m3 (m3 = 1,000 L) of wastewater are produced annually across the world which is a volume fivefold the volume of water passing through Niagara Falls annually. Wastewater production globally is expected to increase by 24% by 2030 and 51% by 2050 over the current level. Among major nutrients, 16.6 Tg (Tg = million metric ton) of nitrogen are embedded in wastewater produced worldwide annually; phosphorus stands at 3.0 Tg and potassium at 6.3 Tg. The full nutrient recovery from wastewater would offset 13.4% of the global demand for these nutrients in agriculture. Beyond nutrient recovery and economic gains, there are critical environmental benefits, such as minimizing eutrophication. At the energy front, the energy embedded in wastewater would be enough to provide electricity to 158 million households. These estimates and projections are based on the maximum theoretical amounts of water, nutrients and energy that exist in the reported municipal wastewater produced worldwide annually. Supporting resource recovery from wastewater will need a step-wise approach to address a range of constraints to deliver a high rate of return in direct support of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6, 7 and 12, but also other Goals, including adaptation to climate change and efforts in advancing “netzero” energy processes towards a green economy.

Smallholder farmers in Africa rely heavily on rainfed agriculture. Those who have access to irrigation often receive it at no charge, but quantity, frequency and reliability may be limited without adequate revenue for maintenance and operation. Moreover, the absence of fees means that there are no pricing signals to encourage conservation of this scarce resource. In a situation where farmers do not pay for irrigation water use, this study investigates demand-side issues by eliciting farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for access to irrigation water. This study employs choice experiment (CE) and contingent valuation methods (CVMs) to value access to irrigation water, taking Ethiopia as a case in point. Unlike previous studies, this study covers current users and non-users of irrigation water using the same baseline (status quo) conditions no irrigation and compares the preferences of these two groups. The four attributes identified in the CE are number of crop seasons, frequency of watering in a season, crop type, and payment level. Results show that marginal WTP was Birr 17.7 (US$ 0.98), 261.8 (US$ 14.54) and 87.6 (US$ 4.87) for number of crop seasons, watering frequency in a season and crop type, respectively. Our estimates of farmers’ WTP for operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes per hectare of irrigated land range from Birr 738 (US$ 41.00) (from the CE) to Birr 784 (US$ 43.56) (from the CVM). We also find that, compared to current users, non-users were willing to pay more in general, as well as for the number of crop seasons specifically.

Land restoration is considered to be the remedy for 21st century global challenges of land degradation. As a result, various land restoration and conservation efforts are underway at different scales. Ethiopia is one of the countries with huge investments in land restoration. Tremendous land management practices have been implemented across the country since the 1970s. However, the spatial distribution of the interventions has not been documented, and there is no systematic, quantitative evidence on whether land restoration efforts have achieved the restoration of desired ecosystem services. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed scientific literature related to land restoration efforts and their impacts in Ethiopia. Results show that most of the large-scale projects have been implemented in the highlands, specifically in Tigray and Amhara regions covering about 24 agroecological zones, and land restoration impact studies are mostly focused in the highlands but restricted in about 11 agroecological zones. The highest mean effect on agricultural productivity is obtained from the combination of bunds and biological interventions followed by conservation agriculture practices with 170% and 18% increases, respectively. However, bunds alone, biological intervention alone, and terracing (fanya juu) reveal negative effects on productivity. The mean effect of all land restoration interventions on soil organic carbon is positive, the highest effect being from “bunds + biological” (139%) followed by exclosure (90%). Reduced soil erosion and runoff are the dominant impacts of all interventions. The results can be used to improve existing guidelines to better match land restoration options with specific desired ecosystem functions and services. Although the focus of this study was on the evaluation of the impacts of land restoration efforts on selected ecosystem services, impacts on livelihood and national socioeconomy have not been examined. Thus, strengthening socioeconomic studies at national scale to assess the sustainability of land restoration initiatives is an essential next step.

With decreasing aquifer levels, increasing groundwater pollution, inequitable access, and generally poor management outcomes, better groundwater governance has been put forward as a recipe to address these challenges worldwide. Existing recommendations focus on improved legal frameworks, monitoring and control of access and abstraction through permits or formal rights. In addition, decentralized water management, enforcement of regulations, and supply-side technological solutions are seen as cornerstone components of good groundwater governance systems. However, until now, these approaches have generally failed to reconcile the fundamental dynamics and properties of groundwater as a natural resource and of governance as a social and political phenomenon. This has caused a disregard for local to planetary boundaries, power dynamics, and intra- and intergenerational inequalities in access to benefits from groundwater. As the current general notion of good groundwater governance is limited, solutions put forward are also partial and do not encompass the wider challenges affecting groundwater governance, in effect replacing sustainable management goals and policy for governance as a process. This paper takes a particular look at the Middle East and North Africa and agricultural groundwater use for irrigation to constructively redefine groundwater governance and fully address the multilayered and multifaceted core challenges of groundwater governance. Equally, the paper puts forward a new conceptual thinking that will help support the effective development of governance-based solutions to achieve sustainable, socially acceptable, resilient and equitable resource use.

Application of participatory modelling to water-saving strategies in smallholder farming is rare. Farmer-preferred and efficient strategies were identified through participatory modelling. The farmersapos; basin irrigation and scheduling (I), farmersapos; scheduling with furrow strategy (II), farmersapos; scheduling with alternate furrow strategy (III) and scheduling at 55% maximum allowable depletion (MAD) (IV) were evaluated for maize (Zea mais) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) using the FAO AquaCrop model. The results showed that I resulted in over-irrigation for maize and under-irrigation for barley, while IV resulted in maximum yield (8.6 t ha-1 for maize and 2 t ha-1 for barley) with maximum (1.8 kg m-3) and minimum (0.8 kg m-3) water productivity of maize under IV and I, respectively. A shift from I to IV (most preferred strategy by farmers) can save 8440 mm of water, which can possibly bring back 18.5 ha of land into irrigation. It is essential to interact with farmers on a basis of mutual comprehension to increase their trust and to lay a base for discussion, awareness raising and decision making. The transdisciplinary approach, Community of Practice (CoP) and Learning Practice Alliance (LPA) were appropriate platforms for participation. The increased crop yield and water productivity may contribute to ecological and economical sustainability and social equity.

Endosulfan, a mixture of a- and -isomers, is used by farmers in the wet and dry season for khat and onion production. Khat leaf samples were collected in farmer fields at intervals of 1 h; 1, 5, 9 and 14 d after application. The dissipation rate of a- and -isomers and residue level in khat were compared with residue levels in onion. The extraction was done by using Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method and analyzed by Gas Chromatography Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD). Greater residue a- and -isomer endosulfan levels were found in khat compared to onion as khat leaves are sprayed repeatedly in two week. Residue levels of khat exceeded the tolerable EU limit of 0.05 mg.kg-1 for leafy vegetables and herbs. For both raw and processed onion sample a- and endosulfan residues level were below the tolerable of limit EU regulation for bulb vegetables (i.e. 0. 1 mg.kg-1). The mean half-life for the a-isomer of endosulfan was 3.4 d in the wet season and 3.6 d in the dry season whilst that for the -isomer was 5.0 d and 5.4 d respectively. Both isomers dissipated fastest in the wet season under conditions of high humidity and precipitation. The -isomer persisted longer and had a lower dissipation rate from plants surface compared to the a-isomer.

This brief assesses the current state of migration-related policies in Ethiopia, and provides some early recommendations and policy pointers based on work carried out under the AGRUMIG project. In Ethiopia, the scale of migration and its impacts on rural and urban transformations are underestimated and probably increasing. There is a lack of a coherent national migration policy in the country, which is a potential development hindrance. Establishing a national migration policy and improving bilateral arrangements with receiving countries could help Ethiopia reap greater positive impacts from migration and remittance income, including assisting in crucial processes of social transformation in rural areas.

Investments in irrigation contribute to poverty reduction and enhance food security. This paper considers irrigation investments more broadly in the context of ruralurban linkages and thus examines rural irrigation schemes and peri-urban and urban agriculture using freshwater, groundwater and wastewater. We present case studies from East, West and Southern Africa, while focusing on the imperative of smallholders and of food security and nutrition. Evidence from Big Data and telecoupling show that, amid global change and sustainability issues, irrigation development strengthens connections between humans and nature with notable benefits to food security. Transforming investments to feed the future generation require priority investments in irrigation, solar energy for groundwater pumping, groundwater development policy, and integration of peri-urban and urban agriculture into food systems. Equally important will be no-regret interventions in wastewater reuse, water storage and groundwater buffer, micro-irrigation, and wholesale reconfiguration of farming systems, through anticipatory investments, to safeguard food security and sustainability into the distant future.

This report presents findings from a study conducted to explore the synergies and trade-offs between built (i.e., engineered) and natural (i.e., ecological systems) infrastructure in the Tana River Basin, Kenya. The study considered hydrological, ecological and economic processes in order to value flow-related ecosystem services. It provides quantitative insights into the links between flow and the benefits derived from both built and natural infrastructure. The results provide initial perspectives not just on the monetary values of a number of ecosystem services (and how they change as flows vary and are altered by large dams) but also, importantly, aspects of equity and social inclusion, that also need to be considered in decision-making.

This analysis examines the dynamics of employment in agriculture and the agri-food system in Tanzania and Malawi by assessing the population age structure and movements of youth (aged 15-24) and young adults (aged 25-34) in and out of agriculture and the agri-food system. Using internationally comparable integrated household and agriculture surveys, we discover that the average age of a person who works in farming as own-farm labour is 34 years in Tanzania and 31 years in Malawi. Examination of the movements into and out of the agri-food system demonstrates a high degree of short-term stability of youth and young adult participation in farming in both countries. Specifically, 59 per cent of rural Tanzanian youth and 56 per cent of rural Malawian youth are consistently engaged in farming. Yet there is considerable mobility between different sectors of employment. More than 57 per cent of the youth cohort that was not involved in the agri-food system during the baseline entered the sector in the subsequent wave, and 12 per cent of those involved in the agri-food system during the baseline moved out of the sector in the subsequent wave. Even though the high degree of stability in farming participation is encouraging, it is likely that the poor economic prospects outside farming are what is driving strong participation in single-occupation farming. Given that increasing youth employment is a priority public policy for the Governments of Tanzania and Malawi, it is recommended that the countries attempt to diversify the rural economy by developing the many economic opportunities within the agri-food system.

IWMI, a managing partner of FISH, conducted an assessment of youth participation in SSF, aquaculture and value chains between November 2017 and May 2018. The assessment was conducted in Africa and the Asia-Pacific, with a particular focus on the FISH focal countries of Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia in Africa and Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Solomon Islands in the Asia-Pacific. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the participation of youth in fisheries and aquaculture, including opportunities and challenges for participation, (ii) understand what WorldFish and key partners (government organizations, nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] and others) are doing in the focal countries in relation to youth participation, and (iii) (based on the former two points) provide potential areas for further research that could support improved youth participation in aquaculture, SSF and value chains. In this report, definitions of SSF and aquaculture are adopted from WorldFish.

Globally, many populations face structural and environmental barriers to access safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. Among these populations are many of the 200 million pastoralists whose livelihood patterns and extreme environmental settings challenge conventional WASH programming approaches. In this paper, we studied the Afar pastoralists in Ethiopia to identify WASH interventions that can mostly alleviate public health risks, within the populationapos;s structural and environmental living constraints. Surveys were carried out with 148 individuals and observational assessments made in 12 households as part of a Pastoralist Community WASH Risk Assessment. The results show that low levels of access to infrastructure are further compounded by risky behaviours related to water containment, storage and transportation. Additional behavioural risk factors were identified related to sanitation, hygiene and animal husbandry. The Pastoralist Community WASH Risk Assessment visually interprets the seriousness of the risks against the difficulty of addressing the problem. The assessment recommends interventions on household behaviours, environmental cleanliness, water storage, treatment and hand hygiene via small-scale educational interventions. The framework provides an approach for assessing risks in other marginal populations that are poorly understood and served through conventional approaches.

While hydrological science has made great strides forward during the last 50 years with the advance of computing power and availability of satellite images, much is unknown about the sustainable development of water for irrigation, domestic use, and livestock consumption for millions of households in the developing world. Specifically, quantification of shallow underground water resources for irrigation in highland regions remains challenging. The objective is to better understand the hydrology of highland watersheds with sloping hillside aquifers. Therefore, we present a subsurface flow model for hillside aquifers with recharge that varied from day to day. Recharge to the aquifer was estimated by the Thornthwaite Mather procedure. A characteristic time was identified for travel time of water flowing from the upper part of the hillside to the river or well. Using the method of characteristics, we found that the height of shallow groundwater level can be predicted by determining the total recharge over the characteristic time divided by drainable porosity. We apply the model to farmer-dug wells in the Ethiopian highlands using observed rainfall, potential evaporation, and a fitted travel time. We find that the model performs well with maximum water table heights being determined by the soil surface and minimum heights by the presence or absence of volcanic dikes downhill. Our application shows that unless the water is ponded behind a natural or artificial barrier, hillslope aquifers are unable to provide a continuous source of water during the long, dry season. This clearly limits any irrigation development in the highlands from shallow sloping groundwater.

Rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa commonly rely on shallow hand-dug wells and springs; consequently, shallow aquifers are an extremely important water source. Increased utilisation of shallow groundwater could help towards achieving multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs) by positively impacting poverty, hunger, and health. However, these shallow aquifers are little studied and poorly understood, partly due to a paucity of existing hydrogeological information in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa. This study develops a hydrogeological conceptual model for Dangila woreda (district) in Northwest Ethiopia, based on extensive field investigations and implementation of a citizen science programme. Geological and water point surveys revealed a thin (318 m) weathered volcanic regolith aquifer overlying very low permeability basalt. Hydrochemistry suggested that deep groundwater within fractured and scoriaceous zones of the basalt is not (or is poorly) connected to shallow groundwater. Isotope analysis and well monitoring indicated shallow groundwater flow paths that are not necessarily coincident with surface water flow paths. Characteristics of the prevalent seasonal floodplains are akin to “dambos” that are well-described in literature for Southern Africa. Pumping tests, recharge assessments, and hydrometeorological analysis indicated the regolith aquifer shows potential for increased utilisation. This research is transferrable to the shallow volcanic regolith aquifers that overlie a substantial proportion of Ethiopia and are prevalent throughout the East African Rift and in several areas elsewhere on the continent.

Water resources in sub-Saharan Africa are more overstressed than in many other regions of the world. Experiments on commercial farms have shown that conservation agriculture (CA) can save water and improve the soil. Nevertheless, its benefits on smallholder irrigated farms have not been adequately investigated, particularly in dry monsoon phase in the Ethiopian highlands. We investigated the effect of conservation agriculture (grass mulch cover and no-tillage) on water-saving on smallholder farms in the Ethiopian highlands. Irrigated onion and garlic were grown on local farms. Two main factors were considered: the first factor was conservation agriculture versus conventional tillage, and the second factor was irrigation scheduling using reference evapotranspiration (ETo) versus irrigation scheduling managed by farmers. Results showed that for both onion and garlic, the yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was over 40% greater for CA than conventional tillage (CT). The soil moisture after irrigation was higher in CA compared with CT treatment while CA used 49 mm less irrigation water. In addition, we found that ETo-based irrigation was superior to the farmers’ irrigation practices for both crops. IWUE was lower in farmers irrigation practices due to lower onion and garlic yield responses to overirrigation and greater water application variability.

The vast majority of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa depend on rainfed agriculture for food production and livelihood. Various factors including but not limited to rainfall variability, land degradation, and low soil fertility constrain agricultural productivity in the region. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the water resources potential to sustain small-scale irrigation (SSI) in Ethiopia during the dry season so as to expand food supply by growing vegetables, and 2) understand the gaps and constraints of vegetable production. The case studies were conducted in the Robit and Dangishta watersheds of the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. To document farmers’ cropping practices, field-level data were collected from 36 households who had been cultivating tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) during the dry season (November April). Two components of the Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS) - the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) were respectively used to assess impacts of SSI at the watershed and field-scale levels. Results suggest that there is a substantial amount of surface runoff and shallow groundwater recharge at the watershed scale. The field-scale analysis in the Robit watershed indicated that optimal tomato yield could be obtained with 500 mm of water and 200 to 250 kg/ha of urea applied with 50 kg/ ha of diammonium phosphate (DAP). In Dangishta, optimum onion yield can be obtained with 400 mm of water and 120 to 180 kg/ha of urea applied with 50 kg/ha of DAP. The field-scale simulation indicated that the average shallow groundwater recharge (after accounting for other groundwater users such as household and livestock use) was not sufficient to meet tomato and onion water demand in the dry season (October to April). The fieldscale analysis also indicated that soil evaporation attributed a significant proportion of evapotranspiration (60% for onion and 40% for tomato). Use of mulching or other soil and water conservation interventions could optimize irrigation water for vegetable production by reducing soil evaporation and thereby increasing water availability in the crop root zone.

Intensification of rainfed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands has resulted in soil degradation and hardpan formation, which has reduced rooting depth, decreased deep percolation, and increased direct runoff and sediment transport. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential impact of subsoiling on surface runoff, sediment loss, soil water content, infiltration rate, and maize yield. Three tillage treatments were replicated at five locations: (i) no tillage (zero tillage), (ii) conventional tillage (ox-driven Maresha plow, up to a depth of 15 cm), and (iii) manual deep ripping of the soil’s restrictive layers down to a depth of 60 cm (deep till). Results show that the posttreatment bulk density and penetration resistance of deep tillage was significantly less than in the traditional tillage and zero-tillage systems. In addition, the posttreatment infiltration rate for deep tillage was significantly greater, which resulted in significantly smaller runoff and sedimentation rates compared to conventional tillage and zero tillage. Maize yields were improved by 6% under deep tillage compared to conventional tillage and by 29% compared to no tillage. Overall, our findings show that deep tillage can be effective in overcoming some of the detrimental effects of hardpans in degraded soils.

Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation1,2 , maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets3 . Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainabilityand their sensitivity to climatic variabilityare poorly constrained4,5 . Given the absence of firm observational constraints, it remains to be seen whether model-based projections of decreased water resources in dry parts of the region4 are justified. Here we show, through analysis of multidecadal groundwater hydrographs across sub-Saharan Africa, that levels of aridity dictate the predominant recharge processes, whereas local hydrogeology influences the type and sensitivity of precipitationrecharge relationships. Recharge in some humid locations varies by as little as five per cent (by coefficient of variation) across a wide range of annual precipitation values. Other regions, by contrast, show roughly linear precipitationrecharge relationships, with precipitation thresholds (of roughly ten millimetres or less per day) governing the initiation of recharge. These thresholds tend to rise as aridity increases, and recharge in drylands is more episodic and increasingly dominated by focused recharge through losses from ephemeral overland flows. Extreme annual recharge is commonly associated with intense rainfall and flooding events, themselves often driven by large-scale climate controls. Intense precipitation, even during years of lower overall precipitation, produces some of the largest years of recharge in some dry subtropical locations. Our results therefore challenge the ‘high certainty’ consensus regarding decreasing water resources4 in such regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The potential resilience of groundwater to climate variability in many areas that is revealed by these precipitationrecharge relationships is essential for informing reliable predictions of climate-change impacts and adaptation strategies.

The impact of climate variability on groundwater storage has received limited attention despite widespread dependence on groundwater as a resource for drinking water, agriculture and industry. Here, we assess the climate anomalies that occurred over Southern Africa (SA) and East Africa, south of the Equator (EASE), during the major El Nio event of 20152016, and their associated impacts on groundwater storage, across scales, through analysis of in situ groundwater piezometry and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data. At the continental scale, the El Nio of 20152016 was associated with a pronounced dipole of opposing rainfall anomalies over EASE and Southern Africa, northsouth of ~12 S, a characteristic pattern of the El NioSouthern Oscillation (ENSO). Over Southern Africa the most intense drought event in the historical record occurred, based on an analysis of the cross-scale areal intensity of surface water balance anomalies (as represented by the standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index SPEI), with an estimated return period of at least 200 years and a best estimate of 260 years. Climate risks are changing, and we estimate that anthropogenic warming only (ignoring changes to other climate variables, e.g. precipitation) has approximately doubled the risk of such an extreme SPEI drought event. These surface water balance deficits suppressed groundwater recharge, leading to a substantial groundwater storage decline indicated by both GRACE satellite and piezometric data in the Limpopo basin. Conversely, over EASE during the 20152016 El Nio event, anomalously wet conditions were observed with an estimated return period of ~10 years, likely moderated by the absence of a strongly positive Indian Ocean zonal mode phase. The strong but not extreme rainy season increased groundwater storage, as shown by satellite GRACE data and rising groundwater levels observed at a site in central Tanzania. We note substantial uncertainties in separating groundwater from total water storage in GRACE data and show that consistency between GRACE and piezometric estimates of groundwater storage is apparent when spatial averaging scales are comparable. These results have implications for sustainable and climate-resilient groundwater resource management, including the potential for adaptive strategies, such as managed aquifer recharge during episodic recharge events.

This study applied a combined analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and goal programming (GP) model to assist decision makers in identifying and prioritizing key investment climate (IC) indicators for waste recycling and reuse enterprises in developing countries. Taking a sector based perspective, key IC criteria and indicators were identified and ranked through country stakeholder workshops in Ghana and Kenya. Three different key decision maker groups namely government agencies, private waste reuse enterprises and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were involved in identifying and ranking of IC criteria and indicators. The IC criteria identified were policy and infrastructure, finance, business support and markets. A number of indicators across each of the criteria were also identified. By incorporating qualitative and quantitative assessments, criteria and indicator rankings are determined using the AHP and GP model. Model results for Ghana revealed that both the private sector and NGO group ranked finance as the most important criterion while markets was the most important criterion for the government organization group. In contrast, none of the stakeholder groups in Kenya ranked finance as the most important criterion. This indicates that reform priorities of waste reuse sector vary across countries depending on the country’s current situation. The approach adopted in this study enables the criteria and indicators for assessing sector specific investment climate to be clearly identified and the decision making problem to be structured systematically. The exercise can be extended to other countries to elicit priority ranking of IC criteria and indicators for waste reuse enterprises.

This study was conducted on Eutric Nitisols of Holeta Agricultural Research Center (HARC) in the humid highlands of Ethiopia. The main objective was to assess the effect of tillage and crop residue management on runoff, soil loss and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield over three years (20092011). Nine treatments combining three tillage practices (zero, minimum and conventional tillage) and three rates of crop residue (0, 1 and 2 t ha-1 yr-1) were used. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The result showed that average runoff was significantly higher (332 mm) in zero tillage without crop residue (T0C0) and lower (198 mm) in conventional tillage with 2 t ha-1 yr-1 crop residue (T2C2). The average soil loss was lower (16 t ha-1 yr-1) in zero tillage with 2 t ha-1 yr-1 crop residue (T0C2) and higher (30 t ha-1 yr-1) in conventional tillage without crop residue (T2C0). Although, zero and minimum tillage treatments reduced soil loss significantly as compared with conventional tillage practices, the annual soil loss (16 t ha-1 yr-1) is still much higher than the tolerable soil loss for the Ethiopian highlands (210 t ha-1 yr-1). This suggests the need to complement zero and minimum tillage practices with physical soil and water conservation practices. On average, highest grain (2 t ha-1) and biomass (6 t ha-1) yields of wheat were recorded in T2C2 while the lowest grain and biomass yields were recorded in T0C0. Based on the above observation, we argue that conventional tillage combined with sufficient crop residue is the most appropriate approach to reduce runoff and increase wheat yield in the short-term. However, zero tillage practices with crop residue are effective to reduce soil loss. As this study was based on results of three years data, long-term study is needed to figure out the long-term impacts of tillage and crop residue management in Ethiopia.

Although most recharge estimation studies apply multiple methods to identify the possible range in recharge values, many do not distinguish clearly enough between inherent uncertainty of the methods and other factors affecting the results. We investigated the additional value that can be gained from multi-method recharge studies through insights into hydrogeological understanding, in addition to characterizing uncertainty. Nine separate groundwater recharge estimation methods, with a total of 17 variations, were applied at a shallow aquifer in northwest Ethiopia in the context of the potential for shallow groundwater resource development. These gave a wide range of recharge values from 45 to 814 mm/a. Critical assessment indicated that the results depended on what the recharge represents (actual, potential, minimum recharge or change in aquifer storage), and spatial and temporal scales, as well as uncertainties from application of each method. Important insights into the hydrogeological system were gained from this detailed analysis, which also confirmed that the range of values for actual recharge was reduced to around 280-430 mm/a. This study demonstrates that even when assumptions behind methods are violated, as they often are to some degree especially when data are limited, valuable insights into the hydrogeological system can be gained from application of multiple methods.

Water availability for agriculture will become a growing constraint in areas already under environmental and social stress due to population growth, development, and climatic variability. This limits the potential for expanding irrigated areas and for sustainable intensification, and compromises the ability of smallholder farmers to cater to the increased demand for food. This chapter assesses the key global challenges to water availability and how increasing scarcity and competition for water resources are affecting agricultural productivity, especially that of smallholder producers in Asia and Africa. It further analyzes emerging water management practices that can be sustainably adapted to the needs of smallholder farmers. We provide evidence of the economic viability and potential to improve farmers’ income from such solutions. The opportunity for scaling up high-impact solutions is also assessed against available empirical evidence.

Increase in salinity levels poses a threat to many hot and arid farming areas in the Middle East and North Africa region. In some cases, farmers install desalination units to produce freshwater to irrigate high-value crops. However, the produced reject brine is an environmental hazard since it is disposed off in the soil creating a vicious circle of salinity aggravation. The current work focuses on the financial aspect of using the reject brine, generated from reverse osmosis (RO) unit, to grow fish (Sparidentex hasta, sobaity sea bream) and halophytic species (Salicornia bigelovii, Distichlis spicata, and Sporobolus virginicus) for various uses in an integrated farming approach. Different water treatments (RO brine, RO brine mixed with groundwater, aquabrine, and aquabrine mixed with groundwater) were tested to evaluate their impact on halophytes’ growth and production. Irrigating with RO brine resulted in positive net returns for S. bigelovii, directed for fresh tips’ production, as well as for the grasses D. spicata and S. virginicus. However, more returns were obtained when RO brine passed through the aquaculture system where it got enriched with more nutrients due to fish waste. Irrigation with brine from the aquaculture system tripled S. bigelovii production (23.7 t/ha) and increased returns per ha of approximately US $76,000 over irrigating with RO brine directly, compared to the US $5571 and the US $1884 for D. spicata and S. virginicus, respectively. Halophytic crops constitute one of the very few sustainable options to improve food and nutrition security in salt-affected regions, contributing in lands’ rehabilitation and enhancing farming livelihood income. Halophytes also constitute an imperative component to consider for nutrient-dense production systems such as integrated agri-aquaculture systems (IAAS) implemented in desert environments, and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were explored through a SWOT analysis.

This paper reviews the evidence available on the provision of financing for African smallholder farmers to purchase irrigation equipment such as pumps, pipes and drip irrigation systems. It sets the scene by first reviewing the literature on experiences with providing microcredit and other microfinance services as a poverty reduction strategy. Based on both case studies and several systematic reviews of the literature, it finds that the outcomes and impacts on poverty, gender equity and broader economic development are mixed at best. Microcredit is not a silver bullet solution to poverty, but it can often help poor households improve their lives. The paper then reviews the demand for and supply of financing for smallholders to purchase irrigation equipment. In surveys, farmers express a strong demand for equipment such as pumps, but often point to the lack of affordable and appropriately designed credit as a critical impediment to gaining access to such equipment. Even where microfinance institutions offer agricultural credit, it is usually short-term seasonal credit to purchase seeds and fertilizer. Credit on these terms is not useful to purchase equipment costing several hundred dollars. Focusing on programs specifically aimed at enabling farmers to purchase irrigation equipment, no credible detailed studies were found documenting the impacts and lessons learned. However, there are currently (as of 2018) numerous promising pilot studies and small projects offering a variety of approaches to enable smallholders to make such purchases. The paper reviews what information is available on these. A major recommendation of this paper is that a research project should be designed to carry out studies of these various experiments to identify what works under what conditions, as a basis for scaling out programs to offer financial services aimed at assisting smallholders to gain access to small-scale irrigation equipment.

Understanding the gender dimensions of community-based groundwater governance is important because men and women differ in their need for and having access to groundwater, and their participation in the development, management and monitoring of the resource. The leading role played by women in obtaining and safeguarding water is not usually reflected in the institutional arrangements for water management. Addressing this gender inequality could lead to the equal participation of men and women in monitoring and sustainable management of groundwater, and women’s empowerment. This paper explores gender aspects of community-based groundwater governance in Dangeshta and Farawocha kebeles in Dangila and Boloso Bombe woredas, respectively, in Ethiopia. The findings suggest that women place a high value on groundwater and could be motivated to play a greater role in governance of the resource. However, the constraints they face in participating in groundwater development and management, particularly exclusion from decision-making, suggest that their effective participation and leadership could be significantly curtailed without specific interventions. Indeed, this is reflected in women’s willingness to participate in groundwater monitoring, as well as men’s reluctance to allow their wives to participate. This is in contrast to a high number of men willing to participate. Citizen science as an entry point for community-based groundwater governance relies on (i) the active involvement of myriad actors (including men and women citizens) whose actions interact with the hydrological processes; and (ii) volunteer interest (i.e., willingness to participate). A gender-sensitive approach to programs, gender awareness training, and partnerships with organizations working for women’s empowerment, natural resource management and adult literacy are recommended to support a citizen science approach to groundwater monitoring.

This paper provides details of soil and water conservation (SWC) investments in Ethiopia over the past 20 years. It presents SWC practices and estimates the level of SWC investments in different regions. The paper focuses on four principal agricultural regions: Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Tigray. Primary and secondary data were collected for the analysis, and consultations were conducted at regional levels. Primary data on diverse SWC practices, their numbers and areal extent were obtained from the archives of regional Bureaus of Agriculture (BoAs). The results of this study show that several projects involving significant financial investment have been implemented to reverse land degradation and improve land productivity in Ethiopia since the 1970s. The list of projects is not comprehensive due to a lack of documentation at all levels, but it does provide some insights into the scale of SWC investments and implementation. The projects analyzed in the four regions fall into the following categories: farmland management, hillside management and gully rehabilitation practices, including check dams and cut-off drains. The analysis shows that these practices involved both paid and unpaid labor, together representing an estimated investment of more than ETB 25 billion (or approximately USD 1.2 billion) per year over the past 10 years. It is clear that large investments have been made in SWC activities in Ethiopia. However, the outcomes in terms of impact on yield and livelihood benefits are yet to be fully understood. A comprehensive assessment is needed to measure the impact of SWC activities on farmers’ livelihoods and the environment. A key recommendation arising from the analysis is that more data and information are needed on the successes and failures of SWC practices, which will assist stakeholders to better guide and target future projects and investments. An additional recommendation is to consider the biophysical and financial impact of soil erosion, both on and off farm.

This study reviewed the status of natural resources and the driving forces for change, as well as past and ongoing approaches in natural resource management at the watershed scale in Ethiopia. First, we reviewed established environmental policy tools and the legal and policy framework, and determined whether innovative financing mechanisms are working in other areas with a similar context. We undertook stakeholder analyses and mapping to identify key stakeholders, and to assess their possible roles in the implementation of a sustainable financing mechanism for watershed rehabilitation. We also determined whether opportunities exist for financing mechanisms involving hydropower and urban water supply in payments for ecosystem services (PES), and the global community in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in the context of the Bale Eco-region. The study identified major constraints to designing an appropriate financing mechanism. Finally, the study drew important conclusions and key policy implications that are relevant for Ethiopia and perhaps other areas in a similar context.

There is a strong link between gender and energy in view of food preparation and the acquisition of fuel, especially in rural areas. This is demonstrated in a range of case studies from East and West Africa, where biochar, human waste and other waste resources have been used to produce briquettes or biogas as additional high-quality fuel sources. The synthesis of the cases concludes that resource recovery and reuse for energy offers an alternative to conventional centralized grid projects which, while attractive to investors and large-scale enterprises, do not necessarily provide job opportunities for marginalized communities. Reusing locally available waste materials for energy production and as soil ameliorant (in the case of biochar) in small enterprises allows women and youth who lack business capital to begin modest, locally viable businesses. The case studies offer concrete examples of small-scale solutions to energy poverty that can make a significant difference to the lives of women and their communities.

To understand the full value of Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR), a systematic assessment approach that balances complexity with practicality is required. This report highlights the methods available for quantifying and valuing social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of RRR, focusing on Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) as the primary framework. Rather than prescribing a standardized technique for conducting CBA for RRR, this report presents broad frameworks and several examples that can be catered to individual contexts. This results in a suggested eight-step process accompanied with suggested assessment techniques which have to be tailored to the type of question the assessment is meant to answer and related system boundaries.

In recent decades, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have pursued national water permit systems, derived from the colonial era and reinforced by “global best practice.” These systems have proved logistically impossible to manage and have worsened inequality in water access. A new study conducted by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Pegasys Institute, with support from the UK government, traces the origins of these systems, and describes their implementation and consequences for rural smallholders in five countries Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The authors of this report propose a hybrid water use rights system to decolonize Africa’s water law, lighten the administrative burden on the state and make legal access to water more equitable. This would strengthen smallholder irrigation, which is vital for boosting Africa’s food production and making it more resilient in the face of worsening drought.

This report outlines a business model approach to assessing the feasibility and for encouraging investment in smallholder solar pump irrigation. It also proposes a new methodology for mapping the suitability of solar energy-based irrigation pumps. The proposed business model framework and the methodology for suitability mapping are applied to Ethiopia as a case study, based on data from existing case studies and reports. A brief analysis outlines the regulatory and institutional context for investment in solar pump irrigation, and the ways in which it both constrains and attempts to support investment. The report identifies and outlines three business model scenarios that present opportunities for investing in smallholder solar pump-based irrigation, which would contribute towards sustainable intensification for food and nutrition security. The business model scenarios are based on the value proposition of supplying water to smallholder farmers for irrigated agricultural production. Analysis of potential gains and benefits suggests that direct purchase of solar pumps by farmers is feasible, and that out-grower schemes and pump supplier options with bundled financing offer promising solutions. The potential constraints that different investors may face in up-scaling the business models are also discussed, particularly within institutional, regulatory and financial contexts. The report provides development actors and investors with evidence-based information on the suitability and sustainability of solar pump irrigation in Ethiopia, as well as suggestions for helping to enable smallholders to invest in individually-owned, smallholder photovoltaic (PV) solar pumps.

Diverse agricultural technologies are promoted to increase yields and incomes, save time, improve food and nutritional security, and even empower women. Yet a gender gap in technology adoption remains for many agricultural technologies, even for those that are promoted for women. This paper complements the literature on gender and technology adoption, which largely focuses on reasons for low rates of female technology adoption, by shifting attention to what happens within a household after it adopts a technology. Understanding the expected benefits and costs of adoption, from the perspective of women users in households with adult males, can help explain observed technology adoption rates and why technology adoption is often not sustained in the longer term. Drawing on qualitative data from Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania, this paper develops a framework for examining the intrahousehold distribution of benefits from technology adoption, focusing on small-scale irrigation technologies. The framework contributes to the conceptual and empirical exploration of joint control over technology by men and women in the same household. Efforts to promote technology adoption for agricultural development and women’s empowerment would benefit from an understanding of intrahousehold control over technology to avoid interpreting technology adoption as an end in and of itself.

Smallholder irrigation expansion would signi cantly increase agricultural production, and reduce food insecurity and poverty levels in East Africa. This paper reviews literature on trends, constraints and opportunities of smallholder irrigation in four East African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Irrigation development has been slow in these countries, and has been mainly through traditional schemes. Recently, individual irrigation technologies such as small motorized pumps, drip kits, treadle pumps, rope and washer pumpsarebeing promoted.Adoption ofthesetechnologiesandexpansion ofsmallholder irrigationhoweverface a number of challenges including land tenure issues; lack of access to appropriate irrigation technologies, improved agricultural inputs, reliable markets, nance and credit services, and research support; poor transport and communication infrastructures; poor irrigation water management; poor extension systems; and the over dependence on national governments, NGOs and donors for support. Despite these challenges, opportunities exist for smallholder irrigation expansion in East Africa. Such opportunities include: high untapped irrigation potential; rainwater harvesting to improve water availability; high commitment of national governments, NGOs and donors to smallholder irrigation expansion; low cost irrigation technologies adaptable to local conditions; traditional schemes rehabilitation;growing urbanization; and increaseduse ofmobilephones thatcanbeused to disseminate information.

Rehabilitation of large valley bottom gullies in developing countries is hampered by high cost. Stopping head cuts at the time of initiation will prevent large gullies from forming and is affordable. However, research on practices to control shallow gully heads with local materials is limited. The objective of this research was therefore to identify cost-effective shallow gully head stabilization practices. The four-year study was conducted on 14 shallow gullies (lt;3 m deep) in the central Ethiopian highlands. Six gullies were used as a control. Heads in the remaining eight gullies were regraded to a 1:1 slope. Additional practices implemented were adding either riprap or vegetation or both on the regraded heads and stabilizing the gully bed downstream. Gully heads were enclosed by fencing to prohibit cattle access to the planted vegetation. The median yearly head retreat of the control gullies was 3.6 m a-1 with a maximum of 23 m a-1. Vegetative treatments without riprap prevented gully incision by trapping sediments but did not stop the upslope retreat. The gully heads protected by riprap did not erode. Regrading the slope and adding riprap was most effective in controlling gully head retreat, and with hay grown on the fenced-in areas around the practice, it was profitable for farmers.

Land degradation is a major challenge limiting crop production in Ethiopia. Integrated soil and water conservation is widely applied as a means to reverse the trend and increase productivity. This study investigated the effects of such integrated approaches at two sites, Jeldu and Diga, in Western Ethiopia. A split plot design with physical soil and water conservation in the main plots and agronomic practices in the sub plots was employed. Maize (Zea mays L.) followed by groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) at Diga, and wheat (Triticum aestivum) followed by faba bean (Vicia faba L.) were the test crops. Surface soils were sampled before sowing and after the crop harvest, and analyzed for selected parameters. Soil moisture content during the growing period was also monitored. The use of soil bund increased soil moisture content, and significantly (P lt; 0.05) increased days to flowering and maturity, kernel weight and harvest index, grain yield of the test crops, with the exception of maize. The improved agronomic practices (intercropping, fertilization and row planting) significantly (P lt; 0.05) increased grain yield of all the test crops. The effect of the treatments on soil parameters may require longer time to be evident. Although the increase in crop yield due to soil bund and the improved agronomic practices is eminent, economic analysis is necessary before recommending the widespread use of the improved options.

In the Tana River Basin in Kenya, six Regional Circulation Models (RCMs) simulating two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (i.e., 4.5 and 8.5) were used as input to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to determine the possible implications for the hydrology and water resources of the basin. Four hydrological characteristics water yield, groundwater recharge, base flow and flow regulation were determined and mapped throughout the basin for three 30-year time periods: 20202049, 20402069 and 20702099. Results were compared with a baseline period, 19832011. All four hydrological characteristics show steady increases under both RCPs for the entire basin but with considerable spatial heterogeneity and greater increases under RCP 8.5 than RCP 4.5. The results have important implications for the way water resources in the basin are managed. It is imperative that water managers and policy makers take into account the additional challenges imposed by climate change in operating built infrastructure.

As solar panels become more a ordable, solar photovoltaic (PV) pumps have been identi ed as a high potential water lifting technology to meet the growing irrigation demand in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, little is known aboutthegeo-spatial potentialofsolarbasedPVpumpingforirrigationtakinginto accountnotonlysolar radiation but also the availability of water resources and linkage to markets. This study developed a suitability framework using multi-criteria analysis in an open source GIS environment and tested it in the case of Ethiopia. Theaccessibilityofwaterresourceswasthedrivingfactorfordi erentscenarios.Suitabilityresultsfollowingthe groundwater scenarios showed good agreement with the available referenced well depth data. Comparing the suitability maps with available land use data showed that on average 9% (96103ha) of Ethiopian irrigated and 18% (3739103ha) of rainfed land would be suitable for solar PV pump irrigation. Furthermore, small solar PV pumps could be an alternative water lifting technology for 11% of the current and future small motorized fuel hydro-carbon pumps on smallholder farms (2166103ha). Depending on the technical pump capacity, between 155103ha and 204103ha of land would be suitable for solar PV pumps and provide smallholder farmers with the option to either pump from small reservoirs or shallow groundwater. With the ongoing interest in development for smallholder irrigation, the application of this model will help to upscale solar PV pumps for smallholder farmers in SSA as a climate smart technology in an integrated manner.

This article presents a pilot and baseline African Green Growth Index (AGGI). The work is premised on the importance of Africa implementing green growth strategies. Baseline indicators allow countries to monitor progress towards green growth transition. The AGGI incorporates 48 indicators applied to 22 countries that had the requisite data. What emerges is that 18 out of the 22 African countries sampled scored 50 percentage points and above. The countries scoring below this threshold were: Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and South Africa. The top five countries on the AGGI (as ranked from 1-5) were: Namibia, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Togo. The authors recommend that for wider acceptance across the continent, the AGGI should work towards incorporating all 54 nations.

Land degradation is a major environmental problem in Ethiopia posing serious threats to agricultural productivity and livelihoods. The interactions of numerous socio-economic, demographic, natural, and institutional factors constitute the underlying causes of soil degradation in Ethiopia. However, there exist evidence gaps on the contextual factors that hinder investments on soil conservation among smallholders. Using primary data generated through a stated preference survey among 359 sample smallholder farm households in Southern Ethiopia, this study investigates investment constraints on soil management technologies among smallholders. A random parameter logit model was implemented to estimate the model. Results indicate that smallholders are willing to invest in soil management technologies if appropriate incentive mechanisms, primarily, secured land tenure rights and access to nance are in place. Unfortunately, the prevailing land tenure regime in the country does not allow private property rights on land and smallholders have very limited access to credit. Thus, instituting secure land rights and improving credit access to smallholders should be considered as key interventions to enhance adoption of soil management technologies. The study highlights that policy interventions that incentivize adoption of soil management measures provide not only on-site private bene ts but wider societal o -site bene ts through the provision of multiple ecosystem services.

The use of wastewater to produce food crops particularly vegetables is very prevalent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This practice may pose health risks to farm workers and consumers. Hence, the study was designed to evaluate farmers’ perceptions on irrigation water quality, health risks and health risk mitigation measures in four wastewater-irrigated urban vegetable farming sites in Addis Ababa. Data were collected on farm through 263 individual interviews and 12 focus group discussions. The findings showed that despite differences in levels of knowledge and awareness on health risks, farmers appear informed about the contamination of their irrigation water. The difference in perception to quality consideration of Akaki River/irrigation water is highlighted by the result of KruskalWallis H test analysis which shows significant mean value (1.33) of positive perception toward the water quality by male than female farmers. Interestingly, significant difference (p lt; 0.05) in mean values of awareness toward problems of eating unwashed vegetables is also found between male and female farmers where females seemed to be more aware. Conversely, no significant difference was found in mean value of perception and awareness toward vegetables quality. Among the perceived health risks, skin problems were top-rated health risk while eye burn, sore feet and abdominal pains were rated low across the four farming sites. Although statistically not significant, perception toward consumption-related health risk differed with gender: females assigned relatively high mean score. Irrespective of the farming site and gender differences, the most accepted health risk reduction measures were health promotion programs and cessation of irrigation before harvesting. In view of crop restriction measures, females assigned significantly (p = 0.044) low mean score to planting non-food produce. Akaki-Addis farmers suitability perceptions of planting non-food produce and non-raw eaten crops were significantly (p lt; 0.001) higher than the other farming sites. Therefore, effective site and gender-specific educational programs have the potential for clarifying farmers and consumers’ risks and risk management perceptions and improving practical knowledge, which in turn may help identify adoption barriers, opportunities and incentives.

Purpose - Agricultural intensification to meet the food needs of the rapidly growing population in developing countries affects water quality. In regions such as the Lake Tana basin, knowledge is lacking on measures to reduce non-point source pollutants in humid tropical monsoon climates. The aim of this paper was, therefore, to develop a non-point model that can predict the placement of practices to reduce the transport of sediment and phosphorus (P) in a (sub) humid watershed.; Materials and methods - In order to achieve the objective, hydrometeorological, sediment, and P data were collected in the watershed since 2014. The parameter efficient semi-distributed watershed model (PED-WM) was calibrated and validated in the Ethiopian highlands to simulate runoff and associated sediments generated through saturation excess. The P module added to PED-WM was used to predict dissolved (DP) and particulate P (PP) loads aside from discharge and sediment loads of the 700 ha of the Awramba watershed of Lake Tana basin. The PED-WM modules were evaluated using the statistical model performance measuring techniques. The model parameter based prediction of source areas for the non-point source sediment and P was also evaluated spatially and compared with the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) of the watershed.; Results and discussion - The water balance component of the non-point source model performed well in predicting discharge, sediment, DP, and PP with NSE of 0.7, 0.65, 0.65, and 0.63, respectively. In addition, the predicted discharge followed the hydrograph with insignificant deviation from its pattern due to seasonality. The model predicted a sediment yield of 28.2 t ha-1 year-1 and P yield of 9.2 kg ha-1 year-1 from Awrmaba. Furthermore, non-point source areas contributed to 2.7 kg ha-1 year-1 (29%) of DP at the outlet. The main runoff and sediment source areas identified using PED-WM were the periodically saturated runoff areas. These saturated areas were also the main source for DP and PP transport in the catchment.; Conclusions - Using the PED-WM with the P module enables the identification of the source areas as well as the prediction of P and sediment loading which yields valuable information for watershed management and placement of best management practices.

Recent developments in Environmental Flow (E-flow) frameworks advocate holistic, regional scale, probabilistic E-flow assessments that consider flow and non-flow drivers of change in socio-ecological context as best practice. Regional Scale ecological risk assessments of multiple sources, stressors and diverse ecosystems that address multiple social and ecological endpoints, have been undertaken internationally at different spatial scales using the relative-risk model since the mid 1990apos;s. With the recent incorporation of Bayesian belief networks into the relative-risk model, a robust regional scale ecological risk assessment approach is available that can contribute to achieving the best practice recommendations of E-flow frameworks. PROBFLO is a regional scale, holistic E-flow assessment method that incorporates the relative-risk model and Bayesian belief networks (BN-RRM) into a transparent probabilistic modelling tool that addresses uncertainty explicitly. PROBFLO has been developed to holistically evaluate the socio-ecological consequences of historical, current and future altered flows in the context of non-flow drivers and generate E-flow requirements on regional scales spatial scales. The approach has been implemented in two regional scale case studies in Africa where its flexibility and functionality has been demonstrated. In both case studies the evidence based outcomes facilitated informed environmental management decision making, in the context of social and ecological aspirations. This paper presents the PROBFLO approach as applied to the Senqu River catchment in Lesotho and further developments and application in the Mara River catchment in Kenya and Tanzania. The ten BN-RRM procedural steps incorporated in PROBFLO are demonstrated with examples from both case studies. Outcomes allowed stakeholders to consider sustainable social and ecological E-flow trade-offs between social and ecological endpoints. PROBFLO can be incorporated into adaptive management processes and contribute to the sustainable management of the use and protection of water resources.

Ethiopia is one of the top five avocado producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite increasing recognition for its nutritional value and economic importance, information on smallholder avocado production systems across agro-climatic zones and determinants for tree productivity are literally lacking. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the determinants for avocado tree holdings by smallholder farmers and investigate the effect of avocado production systems and management conditions on fruit yield by individual avocado trees in Southern Ethiopia. Data required for the study was collected through a combination of focus group discussions, household survey and field tree inventories. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, analyses of variance and linear regression methods using statistical software for social sciences (SPSS version 20). In the study region, avocado is mainly grown as an integral component of the coffee- and enset-based agroforestry systems. The number of avocado trees owned by smallholder producers was related to district, sex of household head, age of household head, educational status, land holding size, pest and disease damage and access to extension services. Productivity of avocado was significantly (p lt; 0.05) different between production systems. The highest avocado fruit yield was observed from trees grown in the coffee and enset-based agroforestry systems. However, the smallholder producers complain that the yields of coffee and enset grown under avocado trees could be very low. The total height of avocado trees was significantly (p lt; 0.05) different across the different production systems. The mean heights of matured (2125 years old) avocado trees were 17.57 0.86 m (SE; N = 20) under coffee-based agroforestry system and 14.93 1.24 m when grown as individual trees around homes. Proper extension support is needed to disseminate improved production techniques: encompassing proper tree spacing, tree training, pruning, soil amendments, growing optimum number of trees for successful pollination and improved harvesting.

The twentieth century has seen a dramatic increase in human uses of and human impacts on water resources, increasing competition over water as well as depleting or deteriorating its availability. Given its importance to human life and livelihoods, water is becoming one of the major foci of environmental research. The coincidence of water scarcity with poverty in many parts of the world makes it a focal point of international development efforts. With engineering thinking dominating over past decades, water management research has embraced more integrative approaches triggered by an increasing awareness of failures that focused on narrow single issues or technical solutions to address the complex challenges of sustainable water management. This chapter explores whether, when, and how more inclusive framings might enable more socially relevant and impactful research, and lead to more effective action. Discussion begins by establishing what a frame is and then de ning what is meant by an “inclusive frame” for interdisciplinary research on environmental problems. Seven frames in water research are examined; emphasis is given to how framings are driven by differences in normative and theoretical positions, which yields very different views on progress and how best to achieve it. Next, the use of more inclusive frames in academic or research contexts is explored using two examples which incorporate multiple normative and theoretical positions. Barriers encountered by academics and researchers, as they attempt to use inclusive frames, are then examined. To explore how inclusive frames can be used to address real-world problems, three cases highlight the possibilities and challenges in applying inclusive frames to research with the goal of informing action and practice.

The Tana River is one of Kenya’s most important rivers. It is the principal water source for Nairobi, the capital city, providing water for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation. Several of the flagship projects laid out in Vision 2030 - the blueprint that guides Kenya’s national development are located in the basin. This report presents the findings of a study to determine the possible impacts of climate change on the hydrology of the basin. Data from seven Regional Circulation Models (RCMs), simulating two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), were used as input to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model. For both RCPs, rainfall is projected to increase across the basin over the remainder of the twenty-first century. Associated increases in water yield, groundwater recharge and baseflow point to an improved water resource situation in the future. However, declining natural flow regulation, increased variability, and considerable increases in the frequency and magnitude of floods pose a risk that threatens to undermine development opportunities. Water resource management will be much more difficult than under historic climatic conditions.

With current rates of land degradation reaching ten to twelve million ha per year, there is an urgent need to scale up and out successful, profitable and resource-efficient sustainable land management practices to maintain the health and resilience of the land that humans depend on. As much as 500 million out of two billion ha of degraded land, mainly in developing countries, have restoration potential, offering an immediate target for restoration and rehabilitation initiatives.1 In the past, piecemeal approaches to achieving sustainable land management have had limited impact. To achieve the ambitious goals of alleviating poverty, securing food and water supplies, and protecting the natural resource base, we need to recognize the inter-connectedness of the factors driving land degradation, so that solutions can be taken to scale, transforming management practices for millions of land users. An analysis of the critical barriers and incentives to achieve scaling up suggests that the most appropriate options should be selected through the involvement of stakeholders at all levels, from local to national and international. New incentives for land managers as well as the public and private sectors are required to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.

Recently there are signs of water quality impairment in Lake Tana, the largest fresh water in Ethiopia. The lake is the growth corridor of the government and supports millions of livelihood around. In order to sustain the benefit and maintain the ecosystem of the lake, the lake health has to be kept safe. Therefore monitoring and evaluation of the water quality of lake is very vital. This study focuses on current and previous trends water quality of the lake through measurements and Landsat Images near entry of Gumera River. Statistical analysis of the physical (Turbidity and STD and biological (Cha-a,) and chemical (DPC) water quality parameters were done. Linear and non-linear regression models between water quality parameter and reflectance of Landsat 7 ETM+ images were fitted based on band combinations. Pervious trend in turbidity was analyzed based on the regression models. The results showed that reflectance and turbidity satisfactorily result with an R2 ranging from 0.61 - 0.68. Form 1999-2014 the turbidity of the lake has indicated an increasing trend. Delta development near the entry of Gumera River has been enlarged by 48% because of an increase sediment inflow. The sign in the decreasing water quality of the lake was attributed to the non-point source sediment and nutrient inflow to the lake with high erosion rate from the watersheds. Measures to reduce the non-point source sediment and nutrient inflow by targeting the source areas (hot spots) in the agricultural watersheds need to be priority for stakeholders working on the soil and water conservation. Moreover, reducing the recession agriculture around the lake and wetland management could be crucial for improving lake water quality.

Controlled grazing management is considered as an effective strategy to enhance soil carbon sequestration, but empirical evidences are scarce. Particularly, the role of livestock exclusion related to soil carbon sequestration is not well understood in arid and semiarid savannas of Africa. We investigated the effectiveness of long-term (1436 years old) exclosures in enhancing soil carbon in the semiarid savanna, southern Ethiopia. We tested for differences in soil carbon content between exclosures and adjacent open-grazed rangelands, while accounting for effects of age of exclosures and soil depths. We collected soil samples at two soil depths (020 cm and 2050 cm depths) from 96 plots from 12 exclosure and adjacent open grazing sites. We found no significant differences (P gt; 0.05) between exclosures and adjacent open-grazed rangelands in soil carbon content in both soil depths. The age chronosequence further suggested a weak non-linear trend in increasing soil carbon content with increasing duration of exclosures. These results thus challenge the opinion that controlled grazing enhances soil carbon sequestration in semiarid savannas. However, we remain cautious in regard to the conclusiveness of these findings given the paucity of information regarding other confounding factors which may disentangle the effects of the exclosure, and most importantly in the absence of soil data prior to exclosures.

Agricultural productivity and farm household welfare in areas of severe land degradation can be improved through ecosystem-based interventions. Decisions on the possible types of practices and investments can be informed using evidence of potential benefits. Using farm household data together with a farm level stochastic simulation model provides an initial quantification of farm income and nutrition outcomes that can be generated over a five year period from manure and compost based organic amendment of crop lands. Simulated results show positive income and nutrition impacts. Mean farm income increases by 13% over the planning period, from US$32,833 under the business as usual situation (application of 50 kg DAP and 25 kg urea ha- 1 yr- 1) to US$37,172 under application of 10 t ha- 1 yr- 1 farm yard manure during the first three years and 5 t ha- 1 yr- 1 during the last two years. As a result of organic soil amendment, there is an associated increase in the available calorie, protein, fat, calcium, and iron per adult equivalent, giving the improvement in farm household nutrition. The evidence is substantive enough to suggest the promotion and adoption at scale, in degraded ecosystems, of low cost organic soil amendment practices to improve agricultural productivity and subsequent changes in farm household welfare.

Land use and management affects runoff and soil loss from a catchment. The present study investigated the effects of land use on runoff and suspended sediment concentration and yield in the northwestern Ethiopia. We selected two small catchments: cultivated land and grassland dominated catchments within the 95 ha Debre Mawi catchment. Hydrometric and sediment concentration data were collected for five years (i.e., 20102014). Significant (p lt; 0.05) differences in daily, monthly and annual runoff, as well as suspended sediment concentrations were observed between cultivated land and grassland dominated catchments. The greater runoff, suspended sediment concentration and yield in the cultivated catchment could be attributed to repeated tillage and low soil organic matter. Repeated tillage in the cultivated land lead to soil disturbance and the low organic matter lead to aggregate instability, both of which consequently increase the detachment of soil particles and transport by generated runoff. Our results support that land management practices that involve lower soil disturbance and increase ground cover on degraded highland areas such as the Ethiopian highlands could help reduce runoff and soil loss.

The dependence of smallholder farmers on forest resources for their sustenance and livelihoods is a major driver of deforestation and degradation of forest resources in tropical countries. Understanding the socio-economic drivers that aggravate the extraction and overexploitation of forest products is vital for designing effective forest conservation and restoration measures. This particularly holds with regard to the importance of two fundamentally opposing motivations of smallholder forest exploitation, which we label “wood extraction for need” vs. “wood extraction for greed”. This study was conducted at Zege peninsula in Northern Ethiopia to investigate the factors affecting the extraction and marketing of wood from the peninsulaapos;s primary dry Afromontane forest by smallholders. Data was collected using household survey, focus groups discussions and key informant interviews. Data analysis employed the Heckman two-steps econometric model. The predominant involvement of vulnerable households in forest exploitation suggests that wood extraction was driven by need and mainly served sustenance and safety net functions. In addition, we also found evidence of greed-driven forest exploitation. As a consequence of selective rule enforcement and nepotism, the forest enforcement committee was not effective in safeguarding the forest, there by contributing to increased wood extraction and marketing by community members for income generation. This suggests that, in order to protect the forest, interventions are needed that aim at creating alternative income opportunities for smallholders through improved production of non-timber forest products, enhanced market access and the provision of locally adapted technologies; as well as at increasing the integrity of law enforcement.

The Ethiopian government has been implementing a land restoration program that aimed to restore degraded ecosystems and double agricultural productivity throughout the country since 2010. However, the success of the restoration program has been limited due to the lack of integrating gully erosion control measures. Consequently, many reservoirs in Ethiopia and downstream riparian countries have lost their storage capacity due to sedimentation, and studies demonstrated that gully erosion is one of the degradation hotspots within watersheds and contribute considerable proportion of the total sediment loads from a particular watershed. This study was conducted in one of large gullies in the Debre-Mawi watershed, northwestern Ethiopia to quantify the effect of gully head treatment in reducing the amount of sediment load generated from uplands and from the gully itself. We measured discharge, and sediment load and concentration in 2013 and 2014 at the upstream (inlet) and downstream ends (outlet) of the studied gully. Before the 2014 rainy phase, a gully headcut was stabilized with gabions at the bed and the gully bank was regarded to 45o. The gully head retreated 12 m in 2013 but gully head retreat was stopped following the implementation of the treatment in 2014. The total sediment load and sediment concentration at the outlet was reduced by 42% and 30% respectively, in 2014 (i.e., after treatment) when compared to 2013 (i.e., before treatment). The result of this study support that controlling the upward retreat of gully head is effective in reducing sediment load and concentration as well as upward movement and expansion of gullies. However, maintenance of gully head control measures is the key to sustain the benefits.

Agricultural intensification to meet the food needs of the rapidly growing population in developing countries is negatively affecting the water quality. In most of these countries such as Ethiopia, information on surface and especially groundwater quality is lacking. This limits the measure that can be taken to stop pollution. We, therefore, investigated the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater quality in the upland watershed. Tikur-Wuha watershed was selected because it is located in the Lake Tana watershed, which is seeing the first signs of eutrophication. Groundwater samples were collected from July 2014 to June 2015 from 19 shallow wells located throughout the watershed. Collected water samples were analyzed both in situ and in the laboratory to determine pH, electric conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solid (TDS), concentration of chemicals (nitrate, dissolved phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and iron) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). We found that shallow groundwater had greater chemical concentrations and E. coli level in the monsoon rain phase than in the dry phase. Wells located down slope exhibited greater concentrations than mid- and upper-slope positions, with the exception of the nitrate concentration that was less down slope, due to denitrification in the shallow groundwater. Only E. coli level was above the WHO drinking water quality standards. Further studies on groundwater quality should be carried out to understand the extent of groundwater contamination.

Restoration of degraded landscapes through the implementation of soil and water conservation practices is considered a viable option to increase agricultural production by enhancing ecosystems. However, in the humid Ethiopian highlands, little information is available on the impact of conservation practices despite wide scale implementation. The objective of this research was to document the effect of conservation practices on discharge and sediment concentration and load in watersheds that have different soil depths and topography. Precipitation, discharge, and sediment concentration were measured from 2010 to 2012 in two watersheds in close proximity and located in the Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia: Tikur-Wuha and Guale watersheds. The Tikur-Wuha watershed has deep soils and a gentle slope stream channel. The Guale watershed has shallow soils and a steep slope stream channel. In early 2011, the local community installed upland conservation measures consisting of stone and soil bunds, waterways, cutoff drains, infiltration furrows, gully rehabilitation, and enclosures. The results show that conservation practices marginally decreased direct runoff in both watersheds and increased base flow in the Tikur-Wuha watershed. Average sediment concentration decreased by 81% in Tikur-Wuha and 45% in Guale. The practices intended to increase infiltration were most effective in the Tikur-Wuha watershed because the deep soil could store the infiltrated water and release it over a longer period of time after the rainy season than the steeper Guale watershed with shallow soils.

Conservation projects have often been criticised for creating global benefits while causing negative impacts on local livelihoods. Ecosystem services approaches have been seen as one way to change this by focussing explicitly on maintaining ecosystems for human well-being of stakeholders at various scales. However, ecosystem services approaches have often ignored trade-offs between groups of people and issues of power and do not automatically lead to better outcomes in terms of human well-being. Here we report on a study on the impacts of reforestation projects with an explicit focus on human well-being in three communities in southern Ethiopia. We investigated the distribution of services and disservices from reforestation using qualitative methods. Results showed that the services and disservices from reforestation were distributed unequally across space and wealth groups resulting in widespread dissatisfaction with existing reforestation projects despite the explicit focus on human benefits. To improve outcomes of reforestation it is necessary to acknowledge and manage disservices adaptively, include issues of power and make trade-offs transparent.

limatic and hydrological changes will likely be intensified in the Upper Blue Nile (UBN) basin by the effects of global warming. The extent of such effects for representative concentration pathways (RCP) climate scenarios is unknown. We evaluated projected changes in rainfall and evapotranspiration and related impacts on water availability in the UBN under the RCP4.5 scenario. We used dynamically downscaled outputs from six global circulation models (GCMs) with unprecedented spatial resolution for the UBN. Systematic errors of these outputs were corrected and followed by runoff modelling by the HBV (Hydrologiska ByrnsVattenbalansavdelning) model, which was successfully validated for 17 catchments. Results show that the UBN annual rainfall amount will change by -2.8 to 2.7% with a likely increase in annual potential evapotranspiration (in 20412070) for the RCP4.5 scenario. These changes are season dependent and will result in a likely decline in streamflow and an increase in soil moisture deficit in the basin.

Field experiment has been conducted in Yilmana Densa District during the 2014/2015 irrigation season with the objective of identifying the economical and agronomically optimum rate of the newly introduced NPS fertilizer for garlic production under irrigated smallholder farming system in the Highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia. Twelve NPS fertilizer rates, laid down on Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications were tested on local garlic variety. Accordingly, most of the growth and yield parameters were significantly affected by NPS fertilizer rates where non-fertilized plants were inferior in all parameters. Significantly highest plant height (69.23 cm) and above ground biomass (25.33 g) were recorded on garlic plants supplied with N:P2O5:S at the rate of 105:122.6:22.6 kg ha-1. Similarly, the biggest bulb diameter (4.27 cm) and the highest leaf number (13.4) as well as marketable (17.42 t ha-1) and total bulb yields (17.8 t ha-1) were recorded on plants which were supplied with 140:122.6:22.6 kg ha-1 N:P2O5:S that were similar with the effects of N:P2O5:S at the rate of 140:92:17 kg ha-1. N:P2O5:S at the rate of 140:92:17 kg ha-1 recorded the highest marginal rate of return that can be recommended to increase the yield of garlic and thus to improve the livelihoods of farmers in the study area.

In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, gully erosion is severe. Despite many efforts to implement gully prevention measures, controlling gully erosion remains a challenge. The objective is to better understand the regional gully erosion processes and to prevent gully head retreat. The study was conducted in the Ene-Chilala catchment in the sub-humid headwaters of the Birr River located southwest of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Twelve gully heads were monitored during the 2014 and 2015 rainy monsoon phase. We measured gully head morphology and retreat length, soil shear strength, ground water table levels, and catchment physical characteristics. Two active gully head cuts were treated in 2014 and an additional three head cuts in 2015 by regrading their slope to 45 and covering them with stone riprap. These treatments halted the gully head advance. The untreated gullies were actively eroding due to groundwater at shallow depths. The largest head retreat was 22.5 m, of which about half occurred in August of the first year when the surrounding soil was fully saturated. Lowering both the water table and protecting the gully heads can play a key role in reducing gully expansion and soil loss due to gully erosion in the Ethiopian highlands.

Although Ethiopia has abundant land for irrigation, only a fraction of its potential land is being utilized. This study evaluates suitability of lands for irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia using GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques in order to enhance the countryapos;s agricultural industry. Key factors that significantly affect irrigation suitability evaluated in this study include physical land features (land use, soil, and slope), climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration), and market access (proximity to roads and access to market). These factors were weighted using a pair-wise comparison matrix, then reclassified and overlaid to identify suitable areas for groundwater irrigation using a 1-km grid. Groundwater data from the British Geological Survey were used to estimate the groundwater potential, which indicates the corresponding irrigation potential for major crops. Results indicated that more than 6 million ha of land are suitable for irrigation in Ethiopia. A large portion of the irrigable land is located in the Abbay, Rift Valley, Omo Ghibe, and Awash River basins. These basins have access to shallow groundwater (i.e., depth of groundwater less than 20 m from the surface) making it easier to extract. The comparison between available groundwater and total crop water requirements indicate that groundwater alone may not be sufficient to supply all suitable land. The study estimates that only 8% of the suitable land can be irrigated with the available shallow groundwater. However, groundwater is a viable option for supplementing surface water resources for irrigation in several basins in the country.

Soil erosion is a very critical form of land degradation resulting in the loss of soil nutrients and downstream sedimentation of water storages in the highlands of Ethiopia. As it is technically and financially impossible to conserve all landscapes affected by erosion, identification of priority areas of intervention is necessary. Spatially distributed erosion models can help map landscape susceptibility to erosion and identify high erosion risk areas. Integration of erosion models with geographic information systems (GIS) enables assessing evaluate the spatial variability of soil erosion and plan implementing conservation measures at landscape levels. In this study, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation adjusted for sediment delivery ratio was used in a GIS system to assess landscape sensitivity to erosion and identify hotspots. The approach was applied in three catchments with size being 1020 km2 and results were compared against quantitative and semi-quantitative data. The model estimated mean soil loss rates of about 45 t ha-1 y-1 with an average variability of 30% between catchments. The estimated soil loss rate is above the tolerable limit of 10 t ha-1 y-1. The model predicted high soil loss rates at steep slopes and shoulder positions as well as along gullies. The results of the study demonstrate that knowledge of spatial patterns of high soil loss risk areas can help deploy site-specific conservation measures.

An enormous effort is underway in Ethiopia to address soil erosion and restore overall land productivity. Modelling and participatory approaches can be used to delineate erosion hotspots, plan site- and context-specific interventions and assess their impacts. In this study, we employed a modelling interface developed based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation adjusted by the sediment delivery ratio to map the spatial distribution of net soil loss and identify priority areas of intervention. Using the modelling interface, we also simulated the potential impacts of different soil and water conservation measures in reducing net soil loss. Model predictions showed that net soil loss in the study area ranges between 0.4 and 88 t ha- 1 yr- 1 with an average of 12 t ha- 1 yr- 1. The dominant soil erosion hotspots were associated with steep slopes, gullies, communal grazing and cultivated areas. The average soil loss observed in this study is higher than the tolerable soil loss rate estimated for the highland of Ethiopia. The scenario analysis results showed that targeting hotspot areas where soil loss exceeds 10 t ha- 1 yr- 1 could reduce net soil loss to the tolerable limit (lt; 2 t ha- 1 yr- 1). The spatial distribution of soil loss and the sediment yield reduction potential of different options provided essential information to guide prioritization and targeting. In addition, the results can help promoting awareness within the local community of the severity of the soil erosion problem and the potential of management interventions. Future work should include cost-benefit and tradeoff analyses of the various management options for achieving a given level of erosion reduction.

Background: Wastewater irrigation for vegetable production is a highly prevalent practice in Addis Ababa and a number of articles have been published on wastewater-irrigated soils and vegetables contaminated with heavy metals. However, to the best of our knowledge, an insight into assessment of human health risks associated with the consumption of vegetable crops grown on wastewater-irrigated soils is non-existent in the city. Long-term effect of wastewater irrigation on the build-up of heavy metals in soils and selected vegetable crops in Addis Ababa urban vegetable farming sites (10) was evaluated. By calculating estimated daily intakes (EDIs) and target hazard quotients (THQs) of metals, health risk associated with the consumption of the analyzed vegetables was also evaluated.; Results: The heavy metal concentrations in irrigation water and soils did not exceed the recommended maximum limits (RMLs). Moreover, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn concentrations in all analyzed vegetables were lower than the RML standards. In contrast, Pb concentrations were 1.43.9 times higher. Results of two way ANOVA test showed that variation in metals concentrations were significant (p lt; 0.001) across farming site, vegetable type and site x vegetable interaction. The EDI and THQ values showed that there would be no potential health risk to local inhabitants due to intake of individual metal if one or more of the analyzed vegetables are consumed. Furthermore, total target hazard quotients (TTHQs) for the combined metals due to all analyzed vegetables were lower than 1, suggesting no potential health risk even to highly exposed local inhabitants.; Conclusions: There is a great respite that toxic metals like Pb and Cd have not posed potential health risk even after long term (more than 50 years) use of this water for irrigation. However, intermittent monitoring of the metals from irrigation water, in soil and crops may be required to follow/prevent their build-up in the food chain.

Development partners and public investors assume that spate irrigation reduces household poverty and malnutrition. This article examines whether the poverty profiles of smallholder farmers and the nutritional outcomes of their children have improved as a result of using spate irrigation. The study areas were in two regional states in Ethiopia. Twenty-five users each, both from traditional and modern spate irrigation schemes, and an equal number of non-users responded to a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measures of 122 children under five were measured using a hanging scale and stadiometer. The results indicated that all poverty indices were significantly lower for the spate irrigation users compared to non-users, and were even lower for modern spate compared to traditional spate systems. Our results did not show gender differences, using sex of the household head as a crude measure of gender, in poverty profiles. Stochastic dominance tests showed that the poverty comparisons between users, traditional and modern, and non-users are statistically robust. It can be concluded that the use of spate irrigation can significantly reduce poverty, and modernizing spate systems further increases its poverty-reduction impact. However, anthropometric measures indicated that use of spate irrigation did not have significant nutritional effects, suggesting the need for nutrition-sensitive interventions, such as nutrition education and awareness and multisectoral collaboration.

Background: In Addis Ababa, where irrigation water for vegetable production is commonly derived from the highly polluted Akaki river, information on microbial contamination of water and irrigated vegetable is scanty. An assessment was done to determine the microbiological quality of irrigation water and lettuce harvested from 10 urban farming sites of Addis Ababa. The efficacy of 5 lettuce washing methods were also assessed. A total of 210 lettuce and 90 irrigation water samples were analyzed for faecal coliform and helminth eggs population levels.; Results: The mean faecal coliform levels of irrigation water ranged from 4.29-5.61 log10 MPN 100 ml-1, while on lettuce, the concentrations ranged from 3.46-5.03 log10 MPN 100 g-1. Helminth eggs and larvae were detected in 80% of irrigation water and 61% of lettuce samples. Numbers ranged from 0.9-3.1 eggs 1000 ml-1 and 0.8-3.7 eggs 100 g-1 wet weight for irrigation water and lettuce, respectively. The helminth eggs identified included those of Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Enterobius vermicularis, Trichuris trichiura, Taenia and Strongloyides larvae. Ascaris lumbricoides and Hookworm were most prevalent in both irrigation water and lettuce samples. Compared with the WHO recommendations and international standards, the faecal coliform and helminth eggs levels in irrigation water and lettuce samples exceeded the recommended levels. Irrespective of the tested washing methods, faecal coliform and helminth eggs levels were somehow reduced. Among the washing methods, potable tap water washing - rinsing (2 min) followed by dipping in 15 000 ppm vinegar solution for a minute supported the highest faecal coliorm reduction of 1.7 log10 units, whereas lowest reduction of 0.8 log10 units was achieved for the same procedure without vinegar.; Conclusion: Compared with international standards, both faecal coliform and helminth eggs levels exceeded recommended thresholds in water and lettuce, but still in a potential risk range which can be easily mitigated if farmers and households are aware of the potential risk. Aside preventing occupational exposure, potential risk reduction programs should target households which have so far no guidance on how best to wash vegetables. The result of the present study suggest that the vinegar based washing methods are able to reduce faecal coliform towards low level while the physical washing with running water may help to substantially decrease potential risk of helminth parasitic infections.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Ethiopia’s economy, contributing more than 40% to GDP and providing a livelihood to about 80% of the population. Agriculture is dominated by smallholders growing predominantly rainfed cereals, making economic performance dependent on rainfall availability. This study used the stochastic frontier production function to analyse the productivity and technical efficiency of 4 different agricultural production systems in Ethiopia; namely, irrigated seasonal farms on traditional irrigation systems, irrigated seasonal farms on modern communal irrigation systems, rainfed seasonal farms for farmers who have access to irrigation and rainfed seasonal farms for farmers who do not have access to irrigation. Simple random samples of farmers were selected from lists of farmers. The sample of farmers constituted 122 from the traditional irrigated sites, 281 from the modern communal irrigated sites and 350 from the control rainfed sites of farmers without access to irrigation. For those farmers, from both traditional and modern communal irrigation, who also had access to rainfed farms, their rainfed farms were included in the sample of rainfed with access to irrigation. This sample constituted 434 farmers. The marginal productivity of land on modern communal irrigation systems shows that this is the smallholder irrigation option that should be developed by the Government of Ethiopia. However, the marginal productivity of land in the ‘rainfed without access to irrigation’ category is higher than that of the traditional irrigated system. Thus additional developed land should be put under ‘rainfed without access to irrigation’ before it is put under traditional irrigation; otherwise it should be developed into modern communal irrigation. The average technical efficiency for the modern irrigated system was estimated to be about 71%, whereas this was estimated to be 78% for the ‘rainfed without access to irrigation’ system. There are potential gains to be realised in improving efficiency in these two systems.

Controlling soil erosion is important for maintaining land productivity and reducing sedimentation of reservoirs in the Ethiopian highlands. To gain insights on sediment loss patterns, magnitude of peak sediment events, and their contribution to annual loads, hydrometric and sediment concentration data were collected for five years (2010 2014) from the 95 ha Debre Mawi and four nested catchments (located 30 km south of Lake Tana). Soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs) consisting of soil bunds with 50 cm deep furrows were implemented in the third year, which made it possible to examine the effects of SWCPs on peak sediment loads. The results show that a 10-minute event causes soil loss of up to 11.4 Mg ha-1, which is 22% of the annual sediment yield. Thirty to seventy-five percent (up to 30 Mg ha-1day-1) of the sediment yield was contributed by the greatest daily flow in each year. The contribution increases to 86% for the two largest daily flows. SWCP interventions reduced sediment loss by half but did not affect the relative contribution of peak events to annual loads. Due to gully erosion, peak sediment loads at the outlet of the entire catchment were greater (up to 30 Mg ha-1day-1) as compared to the nested catchments without gullies (0.5 to 8 Mg ha-1day-1). Consequently, to reduce sediment loss, conservation measures should be designed to decrease runoff during large storms. This can be attained by deepening furrows on unsaturated hillsides and reducing the entrainment of unconsolidated sediment from failed gully banks.

Planning effective landscape interventions is an important tool to fight against land degradation and requires knowledge on spatial distribution of runoff. The objective of this paper was to test models that predict temporal and spatial distribution of runoff. The selected models were PED-WM, HBV-IHMS and SWAT. We choose 7 km2 Awramba watershed in the Lake Tana basin with detailed hydrological information for testing these models. Discharge at the outlet, rainfall and distributed information on infiltration rates, water table and extent of the saturated area were collected from 2013 to 2015. The maximum saturated area was 6.5% of the watershed. Infiltration rates exceeded rainfall intensities 91% of the time. Hence saturation excess runoff was the main runoff mechanism. Models were calibrated for the rainy seasons 2013, 2014 and validated for 2015. For daily flow validation, the PED-WM model (Nash Sutcliff efficiency, NSE = 0.61) outperformed HBV-IHMS (NSE = 0.51) and SWAT (NSE = 0.48). Performance on monthly time step was similar. Difference in model behavior depended on runoff mechanism. In PED-WM saturation excess is the main direct runoff process and could predict the maximum extent of the saturated area closely at 6.9%. HBV-IHMS model runoff simulation depended on soil moisture status and evapotranspiration, and hence was able to simulate saturation excess flow but not the extent of the saturated area. In SWAT where infiltration excess is the main runoff mechanism could only predict the monthly discharges well. This study shows that prevailing runoff mechanisms and distribution of runoff source areas should be used for proper model selection.

Ecological restoration through exclosure establishment has become an increasingly important approach to reversing degraded ecosystems in rangelands worldwide. The present study was conducted in northwestern Ethiopia where policy programs are aiming to restore degraded lands. Changes in soil properties following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands were investigated. A space-for-time substitution approach was used to monitor changes in soil properties after conversion of communal grazing lands to exclosures with ages of establishment ranging from 1 to 7-years. Significant differences in soil pH, exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, soil moisture content, and bulk density were observed within exclosures and between exclosures and communal grazing land. Communal grazing land displayed significantly higher soil total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to exclosures. Exclosures did not display significantly higher soil organic matter content when compared to the communal grazing land. The results confirm that more than 7 years after the establishment of exclosures is required to detect significant improvements in most of the investigated soil properties. Prohibition of the practice of grass harvesting during the first 3 to 5 years following the establishment of exclosure, and decreasing the amount of grass harvest with exclosure age could support to increase easily decomposable organic inputs to the soil and improve soil properties in relatively short period of time.

Whilst irrigation schemes and technologies are extensively promoted in Africa, proper water management guidance for farmers is often lacking. Improper on-farm irrigation management practices lead to poor water distribution, non-uniform crop growth, and disputes in irrigation schemes due to unequal water allocation. Hence, the objective of the study was evaluating crop yield and water productivity of onion and potato through the use of wetting front detectors by water user association. In Koga irrigation scheme, there are 11 night storage, which irrigate 12 blocks (7000 ha). From those three blocks (Tagel, Adibera and Chihona blocks) were selected. From each block two water users association (WUA) have been selected and training on how to use the Wetting front detector (WFD) was given: one WUA grew onion while another one cultivated potato. For onion 2.04 ha of land were managed by 9 WFD and 0.82ha were managed by farmer’s own irrigation system. For potato 1.68 ha of land were managed by 10 WFD and 0. 42 ha of land were managed by farmers own irrigation system. In this study a total of 43 farmers irrigated using WFD while 13 farmers were irrigating based on their traditional knowledge. During installation the furrow length for onion was 5m and for potato 20m. The WFD was placed at ¾ of the furrow length from the entrance of the furrow. The shallow detector installed at 1/3 of the root zone (20 cm in this case) and the deep detector installed at 2/3 of the root zone (40 cm). Potato fields that were irrigated based on WFD response received on average 43% less water compared to control fields (i.e. 431mm instead of 753mm) (plt;0.05). This resulted in a significant yield increase of 6 % (plt;0.05) in the WFD plots. Similarly, for onion a reduction in irrigation depth of 25% was obtained when farmers were guided by WFD (i.e. 504 mm instead of 676mm (plt;0.05). While yield increased in the WFD fields by 4%, this was not significant. At scheme level, if all fields were onion guided by WFD, 1509 ha additional could be irrigated. Similarly if all fields were potato guided by WFD, additional land to be irrigated could be 2966 ha. This study has shown that available water in dams can irrigate more land by using on farm water management technologies.

Whilst irrigation schemes and technologies are extensively promoted in Africa, proper water management guidance for farmers is often lacking. Improper on-farm irrigation management practices lead to poor water distribution, non-uniform crop growth, and disputes in irrigation schemes due to unequal water allocation. Hence, the objective of the study was evaluating crop yield and water productivity of onion and potato through the use of wetting front detectors by water user association. In Koga irrigation scheme, there are 11 night storage, which irrigate 12 blocks (7000 ha). From those three blocks (Tagel, Adibera and Chihona blocks) were selected. From each block two water users association (WUA) have been selected and training on how to use the Wetting front detector (WFD) was given: one WUA grew onion while another one cultivated potato. For onion 2.04 ha of land were managed by 9 WFD and 0.82ha were managed by farmer’s own irrigation system. For potato 1.68 ha of land were managed by 10 WFD and 0. 42 ha of land were managed by farmers own irrigation system. In this study a total of 43 farmers irrigated using WFD while 13 farmers were irrigating based on their traditional knowledge. During installation the furrow length for onion was 5m and for potato 20m. The WFD was placed at ¾ of the furrow length from the entrance of the furrow. The shallow detector installed at 1/3 of the root zone (20 cm in this case) and the deep detector installed at 2/3 of the root zone (40 cm). Potato fields that were irrigated based on WFD response received on average 43% less water compared to control fields (i.e. 431mm instead of 753mm) (plt;0.05). This resulted in a significant yield increase of 6 % (plt;0.05) in the WFD plots. Similarly, for onion a reduction in irrigation depth of 25% was obtained when farmers were guided by WFD (i.e. 504 mm instead of 676mm (plt;0.05). While yield increased in the WFD fields by 4%, this was not significant. At scheme level, if all fields were onion guided by WFD, 1509 ha additional could be irrigated. Similarly if all fields were potato guided by WFD, additional land to be irrigated could be 2966 ha. This study has shown that available water in dams can irrigate more land by using on farm water management technologies.

Long term use of Maresha plow, a conventional plow pulled by oxen, has resulted in the formation of a restrictive layer thereby limiting water movement and aeration as well as root zone penetration in the soil profile. Several studies have shown that improved tillage practices can positively affect infiltration and aeration resulting in increased rainwater use efficiency and agricultural production. However, rather limited information is available about the use of the Berken plough as a potential alternative for tillage practices. We studied the impact of improved tillage practices on infiltration, erosion, runoff and crop productivity during the rainy period of 2016 in Robit-Bata watershed located in upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia. The experiments were carried out in Maize fields where four tillage treatments were compared: (i) no-till (NT), no ploughing; (ii) conventional (CT), plots tilled three times using oxen driven Maresha, (iii) deep (DT), manual digging up to 60 cm using a mattock and (iv) Berken tillage (BT), plots tilled three times using an oxen driven Berken plough. Soil physical parameters (e.g. penetration resistance, bulk density) where measured before tillage treatment and after the cropping season. Additionally, crop performance (plant height, yield, residual biomass and root depth) and measurements on infiltration, sediment yield and runoff were collected. Tillage depth was significantly higher in DT (60 cm) followed by BT (27.58 cm) and CT (18.13cm). At the end of the season, the measured penetration resistance was significantly (plt;0.01) lower at 20 cm depth in the DT and BT plots compared to the NT and the CT treatments. Infiltration rates increased from 115.2 mm hr-1(NT), 120 mm hr-1(CT) to 242.4 mm hr-1(DT), 261.6 mm hr-1(BT) (plt;0.01) . The total runoff depth significantly decreased in the DT (29.46 mm) and BT treatments (33.53 mm) as compared to the CT (71.45 mm) and NT (98.77 mm) (p lt; 0.05). Similarly higher sediment yields were recorded for the CT (5.5 t ha-1) and NT (6.6 t ha-1) compared to the DT (2.6 tha-1) and BT (2.6 t ha-1) plots. Deeper tillage in DT and BT treatments as well as the presence of invisible barriers along the contour in Berken system could be the reason for the observed increase in filtration and the reduction of runoff and soil loss. On the other hand, the root length under DT was (gt; 50cm) followed by BT (gt;40cm) and NT and CT (both lt; 30 cm). Grain yield of maize was significantly lower in the NT (2.6 t ha-1) compared to yields measured in the CT (3.8 t ha-1), DT (3.8t ha-1) and BT (4.0 t ha-1) treatments (p lt;0.05). Results show that improved tillage practices such as deep tillage or Berken plough could increase permeability and herefore root penetration and agricultural productivity whilst decreasing erosion and runoff in the Ethiopian Highlands. The adoption of these techniques in the Ethiopian highlands could improve the sustainability of rainfed agriculture and reduce the environmental i

In sub-Saharan Africa small scale irrigation is developing rapidly. Whilst emphasis for development is mainly placed on water resource availability and access for irrigation, less attention is paid to adoption of water lifting and management technologies, its relation to irrigation labour, profits and long term soil fertility. The dynamics of both the nutrient and the production cycle can be significantly affected when new water lifting and management practices are introduced. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different water lifting (solar, manual and fuel pumps) as well as water management methods on irrigation labour, nutrient balances and profits under supplementary and full irrigation practices of vegetables in two regions of Ethiopia. Farmers were grouped into four water management treatments: irrigation based on soil moisture monitoring, using a mechanical scheduling device (i.e. FullStop), standard crop water requirements (CWR) and traditional farmers practice (FARM). Results show that manual water lifting devices are profitable under supplementary irrigation but require best management packages, such as optimal irrigation scheduling, to boost production per ha. This in combination with viable market prices could ensure that small scale irrigation remains profitable when full irrigation is supplied. One of the main explanatory variables is the irrigation labour which is often forgotten to be a significant costing factor. Solar PV pump technologies show a high potential for Ethiopia as the labour reduced by 38% compared to manual water lifting devices. When farmers had access to irrigation information, vegetable production using manual water lifting technologies turned into a profitable business as long as its effect on irrigation labour translated into proportional yield increases. For example, farmers increased irrigation for onion by 42% resulting in yield increases by 85%. However, the effect of irrigation scheduling on crop water productivity and profits were highly variable depending on the fertiliser farmers used. Results show the importance of a recommended water management and fertiliser package to ensure sustainable intensification through irrigation development achieving crop productivity and profits gains whilst reducing potential environmental effects.

The performance of smallholder irrigation schemes are challenged by several factors: among which water insecurity and low land and water productivity are the main ones. This paper evaluates the on-farm management of nine smallholder irrigation schemes from four regional states in Ethiopia. The schemes are diverse in several aspects and we clustered them into three typologies: Modern, semi-modern and traditional. Indicators such as land productivity (LP), crop water productivity (CWP) were used in evaluating performances. Data input to the target indicators was collected through household survey, field observation, measurements (canal water flow monitoring), literature review and focus group discussion (FGD). The result illustrates apparent variability of LP among schemes; scheme typology and reaches. The lowest value of LP was estimated for the traditional schemes and inter-scheme variation was also notable. For example for onion, the value for LP ranged between 7.13 and 14.55 tonnes/ha. For tomato the range was even wider: 0.910.29 tonnes/ha. Meki scheme showed the highest land productivity for onion and tomato with the magnitude of 14.55 and 10.29 tonnes/ha respectively. For irrigated cereals (maize and wheat) LP values showed a similar trend as for vegetables. For example the LP value for maize range between 0.65 and 3.92 tonnes/ha and for wheat the range was narrower (0.6 and 1.56 tonnes/ha). Generally these values are less than the values reported as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regional average suggesting the need to address yield limiting factors in smallholder schemes in Ethiopia. Water productivity by water supplied at field levels (WPf) for cereals was generally on the lower side; it is somewhat on the higher side for vegetables compared to observations from SSA. Schemes and reaches with higher land productivity do not necessarily shows higher WPf. Modern schemes and head irrigators have usually higher land productivity but low water productivity. The opposite holds true for the traditional irrigation and tail irrigators. The traditional schemes and tail irrigator normally suffer from water shortage and most often practicing forced deficit irrigation and also select crops with low water requirement. Hence they save water while trying to minimize impact on the yield through crop selection. Implicitly future direction of improving smallholder irrigation need to acknowledge this reality and put efforts to save water on head irrigators and increase land productivity under traditional and tail irrigators and promote sustainability and equitable share of water in smallholder irrigation. Probably alternatives such as valuation of water and a consumption-based water charge need to be taken into account in efforts to discourage over irrigation and enhance equitable water management by smallholders. It is also important to note that smallholder water management decisions are complex and so are the values for their performance indicators. Therefore, a

Irrigation systems cannot ensure the equitable distribution of water among users and sustainable operation and maintenance of the schemes without capable irrigation institutions. In Ethiopia, traditional institutions have emerged with the expansion of traditional irrigation schemes and most of them were established and operated on the initiative of the farmers. These often have very limited financial and technical capacities. Current trends show that developing infrastructure is the major concern in irrigation development efforts. However, managing the schemes is largely overlooked, particularly for externally initiated irrigation schemes. Operation and maintenance of the irrigation schemes, particularly those at tertiary levels, are commonly not well set and often neglected or left to farmers without building their capacities. The overarching objectives of the study were to: i) assess the nature and diversity of irrigation institutions in the study schemes; ii) evaluate existing institutions service delivery with respect to selected attributes and draw useful lessons; and iii) identify appropriate interventions. This study focused on 10 irrigation schemes located in four regional states of Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and SNNP). Various approaches were used to generate data required for this study, such as household interview, transect walk and systematic observation, focus group discussion, key informant interviews and the review of existing literature. We clustered the study schemes as modern, semi-modern and traditional, using selected criteria (operation and maintenance service delivery, managing financial service delivery, level of inequity) to generate empirical evidence for evaluation of their performances. The results found two forms of irrigation institutions: irrigation water users associations (IWUA) and irrigation cooperatives or water committee. More than 30% of the irrigation schemes considered in the study, regardless of their typology, had no institution. Membership in the irrigation institution for traditional schemes was 100%, while the average membership both in modern and semi-modern schemes was about 70% of the respondents. This contrasts with the new proclamation in Ethiopia on IWUA which suggest mandatory membership for any water user in a scheme. Without exception bylaws were either not detailed enough to address scheme specific problems or not recorded at all. Ambiguity associated with these, and probably presence of non-member water users, deterred the decision-making processes and the enforcement of rules and regulations for water use, thus create opportunities for free riders. This also explains the reason for occasional conflict between irrigators and the inequity of water distribution within scheme. In many cases, irrigation institutions service delivery limited to operational management and other services, such as financial management, were not common even at those schemes where irrigation fee exists. Problems

This study used nationwide dataset of 5000 households from four regions in Ethiopia to identify important determinants of market orientation, market participation and market outlet choices. The study used ordinary least square and instrumental regression and multivariate probit (MVP) techniques to do just that. Market-orientation was affected by productive capacity, oxen, total land area, irrigated land area, access to irrigation, and access to market information. Market participation is, in turn, affected by market oriented production, productive capacity and the availability of market information. With respect to outlet choices, the important role of market access conditions (mainly roads and storage facilities) and services (extension services and access to micro credit) were found to be important. Expanding the necessary infrastructure for irrigation development or creating the conditions for household adoption of different irrigation technologies is important for market production and participation and outlet choice decisions of households. Provision of adequate and timely marketing information is also another entry point to transform agriculture.

Sustainable participatory watershed management is an approach promoted by the Ethiopian government to restore natural resources and agricultural productivity across the country. This comparative study between six watershed programs shows that this approach increases farmers’ food security and incomes (around 50% on average), as well as their resilience to drought and other climate shocks. However, the study also confirms that the nature and scale of impact can vary significantly between watershed programs. The success of watershed management depends on multiple factors from the hydrological profile of the watershed to the local social and economic environment. Tailoring watershed interventions to the local context, associating conservation and livelihoods activities, and providing further financial and technical support to watershed committees are among the recommendations of this paper.

Where modern heating and cooking fuels for domestic, institutional, commercial and industrial use are not readily available, briquettes made from biomass residues could contribute to the sustainable supply of energy. This study reviews the briquette making process, looking at the entire value chain starting from the type and characteristics of feedstock used for briquette making to the potential market for briquettes in developing countries. It also analyzes the role that gender plays in briquette production. Depending on the raw materials used and technologies applied during production, fuel briquettes come in different qualities and dimensions, and thus require appropriate targeting of different market segments. Key drivers of success in briquette production and marketing include ensuring consistent supply of raw materials with good energy qualities, appropriate technologies, and consistency in the quality and supply of the briquettes. Creating strong partnerships with key stakeholders, such as the municipality, financiers and other actors within the briquette value chain, and enabling policy are important drivers for the success of briquette businesses.

On-site sanitation systems, such as septic tanks and pit latrines, are the predominant feature across rural and urban areas in most developing countries. However, their management is one of the most neglected sanitation challenges. While under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set-up of toilet systems received the most attention, business models for the sanitation service chain, including pit desludging, sludge transport, treatment and disposal or resource recovery, are only emerging. Based on the analysis of over 40 fecal sludge management (FSM) cases from Asia, Africa and Latin America, this report shows opportunities as well as bottlenecks that FSM is facing from an institutional and entrepreneurial perspective.

Demand for fresh fruit is steadily increasing in big cities of Northwestern Ethiopia. As a result, fruits are transported from nearby as well as long distance sources to urban centers such as Bahir Dar. The type of fruit crops available in the market and number of fruit retailers are increasing from time to time. However, the key challenge facing the sector is loss across the supply chain. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to analyze fruit marketing practices, document causes and extent of postharvest losses in Bahir Dar fruit market. The study was conducted in June 2016 using semi structured questionnaire. Thirty-one fruit retailers were randomly selected and interviewed to obtain information on their socio-economic characteristics, fruit marketing practices and postharvest losses. Data analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Results revealed that, 77.4% fruit retailers are less than 31 years old, 67.8% attended above primary school education, and 83.9% have less than six years fruit trading experience. Therefore, fruit retailers are young and educated but have very limited fruit trading experience. Of the seven fruit crops commonly sold in Bahir Dar market; mango, banana and avocado were the most prevalent. The average shelf life of fruits in retailers’ hand is only 3 to 4 days and about 20% of the fruits purchased by retailers lost before reaching to consumers mainly due to inappropriate handling and lack of proper storage facility. Therefore, multifaceted interventions such as capacity development, improved fruit production and harvesting practice, and proper storage and transportation facilities establishment are required to reduce postharvest loss and extend fruit shelf-life.

With the advances in remote sensing technology, satellite-based rainfall estimates are gaining attraction in the eld of hydrology, particularly in rainfall-runoff modeling. Since estimates are affected by errors correction is required. In this study, we tested the high resolution National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) morphing technique (CMORPH) satellite rainfall product (CMORPH) in the Gilgel Abbey catchment, Ethiopia. CMORPH data at 8 km-30 min resolution is aggregated to daily to match in-situ observations for the period 20032010. Study objectives are to assess bias of the satellite estimates, to identify optimum window size for application of bias correction and to test effectiveness of bias correction. Bias correction factors are calculated for moving window (MW) sizes and for sequential windows (SW’s) of 3, 5, 7, 9, ... , 31 days with the aim to assess error distribution between the in-situ observations and CMORPH estimates. We tested forward, central and backward window (FW, CW and BW) schemes to assess the effect of time integration on accumulated rainfall. Accuracy of cumulative rainfall depth is assessed by Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). To systematically correct all CMORPH estimates, station based bias factors are spatially interpolated to yield a bias factor map. Reliability of interpolation is assessed by cross validation. The uncorrected CMORPH rainfall images are multiplied by the interpolated bias map to result in bias corrected CMORPH estimates. Findings are evaluated by RMSE, correlation coef cient (r) and standard deviation (SD). Results showed existence of bias in the CMORPH rainfall. It is found that the 7 days SW approach performs best for bias correction of CMORPH rainfall. The outcome of this study showed the ef ciency of our bias correction approach.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the hydrological impacts of climate change on the water balance of Lake Tana in Ethiopia. Impact assessments are by downscaled General Circulation Model (GCM) output and hydrological modeling. For A2 and B2 emission scenarios, precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature estimates from the HadCM3 GCM were used. GCM output was downscaled using the Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM 4.2). Impact analyses were applied for three future time periods: early, mid and late 21st century. Over-lake evaporation is estimated by Hardgrave’s method, and over-lake precipitation is estimated by inverse distance weighing interpolation, whereas inflows from gauged and ungauged catchments are simulated by the HBV hydrological model. Findings indicate increases in maximum and minimum temperature on annual base for both emission scenarios. The projection of mean annual over lake precipitation for both A2 and B2 emission scenarios shows increasing pattern for 21st century in comparison to the baseline period. The increase of mean annual precipitation for A2 emission scenario is 9% (112 mm/year), 10% (125 mm/year) and 11% (137 mm/year) for the three future periods respectively. B2 emission scenario mean annual precipitation shows increase by 9% (111 mm/year), 10% (122 mm/year) and 10% (130 mm/year) respectively for the three future periods. Findings indicate consistent increases of lake storage for all three future periods for both A2 and B2 emission scenarios.

Water harvesting systems have improved productivity in various regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, they can help retain water in landscapes, build resilience against droughts and dry spells, and thereby contribute to sustainable agricultural intensification. However, there is no strong empirical evidence that shows the effects of intensification of water harvesting on upstreamdownstream socialecological systems at a landscape scale. In this paper we develop a decision support system (DSS) for locating and sizing water harvesting ponds in a hydrological model, which enables assessments of water harvesting intensification on upstreamdownstream ecosystem services in meso-scale watersheds. The DSS was used with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for a case-study area located in the Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia. We found that supplementary irrigation in combination with nutrient application increased simulated teff (Eragrostis tef, staple crop in Ethiopia) production up to three times, compared to the current practice. Moreover, after supplemental irrigation of teff, the excess water was used for dry season onion production of 7.66 t/ha (median). Water harvesting, therefore, can play an important role in increasing local- to regional-scale food security through increased and more stable food production and generation of extra income from the sale of cash crops. The annual total irrigation water consumption was ~ 4%30% of the annual water yield from the entire watershed. In general, water harvesting resulted in a reduction in peak flows and an increase in low flows. Water harvesting substantially reduced sediment yield leaving the watershed. The beneficiaries of water harvesting ponds may benefit from increases in agricultural production. The downstream socialecological systems may benefit from reduced food prices, reduced flooding damages, and reduced sediment influxes, as well as enhancements in low flows and water quality. The benefits of water harvesting warrant economic feasibility studies and detailed analyses of its ecological impacts.

In Tanzania like in other parts of the global South, in the name of apos;developmentapos; and apos;poverty eradicationapos; vast tracts of land have been earmarked by the government to be developed by investors for different commercial agricultural projects, giving rise to the contested land grab phenomenon. In parallel, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been promoted in the country and globally as the governance framework that seeks to manage water resources in an efficient, equitable and sustainable manner. This article asks how IWRM manages the competing interests as well as the diverse priorities of both large and small water users in the midst of foreign direct investment. By focusing on two commercial sugar companies operating in the Wami-Ruvu River Basin in Tanzania and their impacts on the water and land rights of the surrounding villages, the article asks whether institutional and capacity weaknesses around IWRM implementation can be exploited by powerful actors that seek to meet their own interests, thus allowing water grabbing to take place. The paper thus highlights the power, interests and alliances of the various actors involved in the governance of water resources. By drawing on recent conceptual insights from the water grabbing literature, the empirical findings suggest that the IWRM framework indirectly and directly facilitates the phenomenon of water grabbing to take place in the Wami-Ruvu River Basin in Tanzania.

Research results published regarding the impact of soil and water conservation practices in the highland areas of Ethiopia have been inconsistent and scattered. In this paper, a detailed review and synthesis is reported that was conducted to identify the impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop yield, surface run-off, soil loss, nutrient loss, and the economic viability, as well as to discuss the implications for an integrated approach and ecosystem services. The review and synthesis showed that most physical soil and water conservation practices such as soil bunds and stone bunds were very effective in reducing run-off, soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Despite these positive impacts on these services, the impact of physical soil and water conservation practices on crop yield was negative mainly due to the reduction of effective cultivable area by soil/stone bunds. In contrast, most agronomic soil and water conservation practices increase crop yield and reduce run-off and soil losses. This implies that integrating physical soil and water conservation practices with agronomic soil and water conservation practices are essential to increase both provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. Additionally, effective use of unutilized land (the area occupied by bunds) by planting multipurpose grasses and trees on the bunds may offset the yield lost due to a reduction in planting area. If high value grasses and trees can be grown on this land, farmers can harvest fodder for animals or fuel wood, both in scarce supply in Ethiopia. Growing of these grasses and trees can also help the stability of the bunds and reduce maintenance cost. Economic feasibility analysis also showed that, soil and water conservation practices became economically more viable if physical and agronomic soil and water conservation practices are integrated.

This paper focuses on the application of the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Tanzania. It asks: how did IWRM affect the rural and fast-growing majority of smallholder farmersapos; access to water which contributes directly to poverty alleviation and employment creation in a country where poverty and joblessness are high? Around 1990, there were both a strong government-led infrastructure development agenda and IWRM ingredients in place, including cost-recovery of state services aligning with the Structural Adjustment Programmes, water management according to basin boundaries and the dormant colonial water rights (permits) system. After the 1990s, the World Bank and other donors promoted IWRM with a strong focus on hydroelectric power development, River Basin Water Boards, transformation of the water right system into a taxation tool, and assessment of environmental flows. These practices became formalised in the National Water Policy (2002) and in the Water Resources Management Act (2009). Activities in the name of IWRM came to be closely associated with the post-2008 surge in large-scale land and water deals. Analysing 25 years of IWRM, the paper identifies the processes and identities of the losers (smallholders and at least partially the government) and the winners (large-scale water users, including recent investors). We conclude that, overall, IWRM harmed smallholdersapos; access to water and rendered them more vulnerable to poverty and unemployment.

This paper serves international water con ict resolution efforts by examining the ways that states contest hegemonic transboundary water arrangements. The conceptual framework of dynamic transboundary water interaction that it presents integrates theories about change and counter-hegemony to ascertain coercive, leverage, and liberating mechanisms through which contest and transformation of an arrangement occur. While the mechanisms can be active through sociopolitical processes either of compliance or of contest of the arrangement, most transboundary water interaction is found to contain elements of both. The role of power asymmetry is interpreted through classi cation of intervention strategies that seek to either in uence or challenge the arrangements. Coexisting contest and compliance serve to explain in part the stasis on the Jordan and Ganges rivers (where the non-hegemons have in effect consented to the arrangement), as well as the changes on the Tigris and Mekong rivers, and even more rapid changes on the Amu Darya and Nile rivers (where the non-hegemons have confronted power asymmetry through in uence and challenge). The framework also stresses how transboundary water events that may appear isolated are more accurately read within the many sociopolitical processes and arrangements they are shaped by. By clarifying the typically murky dynamics of interstate relations over transboundary waters, furthermore, the framework exposes a new suite of entry points for hydro-diplomatic initiatives.

Analysis of marketing performance of vegetable plays an important role in an ongoing or future market development plan. The study primarily examines market structure of major actors and assessing the market performance for key vegetable marketing actors and channels by quantifying costs and profit margins. The data was generated by household survey using pre-tested structured questionnaires. This was supplemented by secondary data collected from different published and unpublished sources. The study result shows that the total gross marketing margin was 30% with producer participation margin of 70% implying higher marketing margin of smallholder producers. The market intermediaries incurred different marketing costs such as costs of packing, sorting, transportation, loading and unloading. Central wholesalers obtain relatively highest profit in channel numbered II and III, which amounted to Birr 204,827 and 58,675, respectively. The study result signifies that the first four largest volumes of vegetable purchased by first four big traders (CR4) constitute 50% of market share, which indicates the market structure for vegetable is strongly oligopolistic. OLS regression results also revealed that there are economies of scale for wholesalers at Meki market, which clearly indicates the presence of barrier to entry/exit for wholesalers in the market. Policy implications drawn from the study indicate that changing oligopolistic market structure, capacitating unions to supply inputs and outputs and supporting actors involved in local vegetable markets.

Irrigated fodder production can be vitalised as a useful strategy to sustainably intensify subsistence livestock production owned and managed by smallholders and to diversify farm income through linkages to commercial livestock systems. However, uncertainty about the production and market environment of such a non-traditional commodity can be a major hindrance against commercialisation and scaling out of irrigated fodder production. This makes ex-ante analysis of profit portfolio and its determinants necessary in order to improve farmers’ investment and risk management decisions. Using a stochastic approach to farm profit analysis to account for business uncertainty, this paper simulated and compared the level and distribution of profit that smallholders in Koga irrigation scheme (Ethiopia) can generate from irrigated Rhodes grass seed and from traditional irrigated crops. The finding shows the absolute and comparative profitability of irrigated Rhodes grass seed. Though 0.19 times less profitable than irrigated onion, irrigated Rhodes grass seed is 4 times, 1.27 times, and 1.25 times more profitable than irrigated barley, irrigated wheat, and irrigated tomato, respectively. Profit from the commodity is robust to adverse business conditions such as yield reduction, cost increase, and price reduction, assuring optimism about positive financial returns from investments to expand production. Long-term business viability can be improved and farm income further stabilised through interventions targeted at fodder agronomy to enhance crop yield and at value chain development to improve market linkages and output price.

Land-use and land-cover changes are driving unprecedented changes in ecosystems and environmental processes at different scales. This study was aimed at identifying the potential land-use drivers in the Jedeb catchment of the Abbay basin by combining statistical analysis, field investigation and remote sensing. To do so, a land-use change model was calibrated and evaluated using the SITE (SImulation of Terrestrial Environment) modelling framework. SITE is cellular automata based multi-criteria decision analysis framework for simulating land-use conversion based on socio-economic and environmental factors. Past land-use trajectories (19862009) were evaluated using a reference Landsat-derived map (agreement of 84%). Results show that major land-use change drivers in the study area were population, slope, livestock and distances from various infrastructures (roads, markets and water). It was also found that farmers seem to increasingly prefer plantations of trees such as Eucalyptus by replacing croplands perhaps mainly due to declining crop yield, soil fertility and climate variability. Potential future trajectory of land-use change was also predicted under a business-as-usual scenario (20092025). Results show that agricultural land will continue to expand from 69.5% in 2009 to 77.5% in 2025 in the catchment albeit at a declining rate when compared with the period from 1986 to 2009. Plantation forest will also increase at a much higher rate, mainly at the expense of natural vegetation, agricultural land and grasslands. This study provides critical information to land-use planners and policy makers for a more effective and proactive management in this highland catchment.

To meet growing population demands for food and other agricultural commodities, agricultural land-use intensification and extensification seems to be increasing in the Abbay (Upper Blue Nile) basin in Ethiopia. However, the amount, location and degree of suitability of the basin for agriculture seem not well studied and/or documented. From global data sources, literature review and field investigation, a number of agricultural land suitability evaluation criteria were identified. These criteria were preprocessed as raster layers on a GIS platform and weights of criteria raster layers in determining suitability were computed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). A weighted overlay analysis method was used to compute categories of highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and unsuitable lands for agriculture in the basin. It was found out that 53.8 % of the basin’s land coverage was highly suitable for agriculture and 23.2 % was moderately suitable. The marginally suitable and the unsuitable lands were at 11 and 12 % respectively. From the analysis, regions of the basin with high suitability as well as those with higher susceptibility for land degradation and soil erosion were identified.

In the Ethiopian highlands, church forests have a substantial contribution to landscape restoration, and conservation of endangered indigenous tree species and biodiversity. However, the environmental and economic benefits of church forests are declining due to a combination of economic, environmental, and cultural factors. This study was conducted in Dera district, Ethiopia, to assess the perception of local communities on church forests and investigate the willingness of local communities to pay to manage and protect church forests. We used household survey and focus group discussion to gather data. Contingent valuation method and the Heckman two-step economic model were used to analyze data. Considerable proportion of the respondents (35%) mentioned several types of benefits that can be derived from church forests including fodder, fuelwood, tree seeds and seedlings, conservation of biodiversity, and improvement of the amount and distribution of rainfall. Respondents are also aware that sustainable management of church forests is essential to maintain or enhance the ecosystem services that can be obtained from existing church forests. Protection, fencing, plantation, and expansion of church forests were among the different management options suggested by the respondents. The majority (70%) of the communities are willing to contribute cash. On average, the farmers are willing to contribute ETB 32 (i.e., US$ 1.66 [Based on the exchange rate on 12 February 2014.]). Age, education, access to extension services, and amount of benefits derived from church forests were positively and significantly (p lt; 0.05) correlated with the willingness to pay. Providing training on forest management, putting a strong informal institution such as bylaws, and designing ways of moving from conservation to economic benefit are essential to restore and sustain church forests.

Promising environmental mechanisms to control malaria are presently underutilized. Water level fluctuations to interrupt larval development have recently been studied and proposed as a low-impact malaria intervention in Ethiopia. One impediment to implementing such new environmental policies is the uncertain impact of climate change on water resources, which could upend reservoir operation policies. Here we quantified the potential impact of the malaria management under future climate states. Simulated timeseries were constructed by resampling historical precipitation, temperature, and evaporation data (19942002), imposing a 2 C temperature increase and precipitation changes with a range of 20 %. Runoff was generated for each climate scenario using the model GR4J. The runoff was used as input into a calibrated HEC ResSim model of reservoir operations. The malaria operation management increased the baseline scenario median energy generation by 18.2 GWh y-1 and decreased the energy generation at the 0.5 percentile (during dry conditions) by 7.3 GWh y-1. In scenarios with -20 % precipitation, malaria control increased average annual energy generation by 1.3 GWh y-1 but only decreased the lowest 0.5 percentile of energy by 0.2 GWh y-1; the irrigation demand was not met on 8.5 more days, on average, per year. Applying the malaria control rule to scenarios with +20 % precipitation decreased the likelihood of flooding by an average of 1.0 day per year. While the malaria control would divert some water away from other reservoir operational goals, the intervention requires 3.33.7 % of the annual precipitation budget, which is much less than reduction from potential droughts.

Background: Farmers apply several and often different farmer-specific strategies to cope with and adapt to the perceived trend of declining rainfall and crop productivity. A better understanding of the factors affecting farmers’ coping and adaptation strategies to counteract both trends is crucial for policies and programs that aim at promoting successful rainfed agriculture in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify the major factors that affect farmers’ coping and adaption strategies to rainfall variability and reduction in crop yield in the central Rift valley (CRV) of Ethiopia. A survey was conducted among 240 randomly selected farmers within six kebeles in the CRV using structured and pretested questionnaires. Multivariate probit (MVP) regression model was used to identify these key factors that affect farmers’ coping and adaptation strategies to the declining trends of rainfall and crop productivity. Results: Generally, this study identified several factors that affect farmers’ choices of certain strategies, which can be grouped in four major factors: (1) livestock and landholdings, (2) availability of labour and knowledge, (3) access to information, and (4) social and cultural factors. Farmers with better resources, labour, knowledge, access to information and social capital had better coping and adaptation strategies to the declining rainfall and crop productivity. Conclusions: To conclude, improving farmers’ asset accumulation, access to information and knowledge are needed. Moreover, strengthening social capital and labour sharing institutions in the CRV is crucial to increase farmers’ capacities to cope with and adapt to environmental changes such as rainfall and crop yield variability.

The pressure on availability of water in Tigray regional state is likely to increase as the requirement for food production in couple with rapidly growing of the population is at increasing rate. Hence, improving water productivity using regulated deficit irrigation is important to reduce the water consumption while minimizing adverse effects on the crop yield. This study was conducted in the eastern zone of Tigray regional state, Atsibi Womberta district. The aim of this study was to determine the yield and water use efficiency of potato under deficit irrigation practice in the 2012 growing period. The effect of water deficit or water stress on crop yield and water use efficiencies were evaluated. Guasa variety potato was grown under eight (T1T8) irrigation treatments. The treatments were replicated three times under completely randomized blocks experimental design. Water was applied to every furrow using watering can with fixed interval and variable depth irrigation scheduling technique was selected. Yield of potato was significantly (p lt; 0.05) affected by water stress (deficit irrigation). The highest yield was found in T1 (18770 kg/ha) which was not subjected to water stress (full water requirement) whereas minimum yield of potato was obtained under the fully stressed treatment T8 (7037 kg/ha). There was no significant different between the yield of T1 (18770 kg/ha) and T6 (14440 kg/ha) which was 25% deficit throughout the growing season. According to the result obtained, stressed at the middle stage was affected more the yield of potato as compared to other treatments. This showed that stressing the crop at flowering/middle stage is sensitive to deficit irrigation. Giving 65% of crop water requirement throughout the growing season is better than stressing the crop only at the middle stage. The second sensitive period for water stress is the late crop stage. Crop water use efficiency was not statistically significant. Though it was not significantly different, T6 (2.86 kg/m3) and T4 (1.60 kg/m3) had the highest and the lowest water use efficiency respectively. This elaborated that applying 75% of crop water requirement has better water use efficiency than optimal or “no stress” irrigation. It can be conclude that using deficit irrigation is a good water management technique to save irrigation water without reducing the yield of potato. For dry land areas like The Tigray regional state of Ethiopia and other similar agro-ecology elsewhere in the world with scarce water and agricultural water management is very poor. The authors of this study would like to recommend farmers, water managers, water use associations and decision makers to use water efficiently using deficit irrigation and increase their agricultural production by expanding irrigable land with the same amount of water in a given irrigation scheme.

The attainment of food and water security rank high on the agendas of governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although the objectives are similar, the underlying drivers, resource endowments and opportunities for achieving them are different. Differences between two regions in natural resource endowment and investment capital stock can, in theory, lead to mutually beneficial trade to achieve desired objectives. Concerns about the recent food crises coupled with the disparity in land and water endowment and investable capital between MENA and SSA have led in recent years to investment in agricultural land in the latter by a number of MENA countries with the aim of producing food. At the same time, many SSA countries seek these investments to infuse capital, technology and know-how into their agricultural sector to improve productivity, food security and rural livelihoods. However, these recent foreign direct agricultural investments have to date performed poorly or have been abandoned without achieving the initial objectives of setting them up. Based on research conducted in selected sub-Saharan countries, this paper analyses the reasons for the failure of these investments. It then reviews a few successful agricultural investments by private sector companies with a long history of operation in SSA. Juxtaposing lessons distilled from failed and successful case studies, the paper argues that large-scale agricultural investments that take advantage of this accumulated knowledge are needed and do have a critical role to play. Such investments, when they also incorporate ecosystems management practices and smallholder inclusive business models in their operations, can serve as appropriate instruments to reconcile the food and water security objectives of both the MENA region and SSA, while promoting sustainable intensification of agriculture and improved rural livelihoods in SSA.

Land conversion in Sub-Saharan Africa has profound biophysical, ecological, political and social consequences for human wellbeing and ecosystems services. Understanding the process of land cover changes and transitions is essential for good ecosystem management policy that would lead to improved agricultural production, human wellbeing and ecosystems health. This study aimed to assess land cover transitions in a typical semi-arid degraded agro-ecosystems environment within the Pangani River Basin in northern Tanzania. Three Landsat images spanning over 30 years were used to detect random and systematic patterns of land cover transition in a landscape dominated by crop and livestock farming. Results revealed that current land cover transition is driven by a systematic process of change dominated by (i) transition from degraded land to sparse bushland (10.8%), (ii) conversion from sparse bushland to dense bushland in lowland areas (6.0%), (iii) conversion from bushland to forest (4.8%), and (iv) conversion from dense bushland to cropland in the highlands (4.5%). Agricultural lands under water harvesting technology adoption show a high degree of persistence (60-80%) between time slices. This suggests that there is a trend in land-use change towards vegetation improvement in the catchment with a continuous increase in the adoption of water harvesting technologies for crop and livestock farming. This can be interpreted as a sign of agricultural intensification and vegetation re-growth in the catchment.

In the Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopian highlands, rainfall distribution is extremely uneven both spatially and temporally. Drought frequently results in crop failure, while high rainfall intensities result in low infiltration and high runoff causing soil erosion and land degradation. These combined factors contribute to low agricultural productivity and high levels of food insecurity. Poor land management practices coupled with lack of effective rainwater management strategies aggravate the situation. Over the past two decades, however, the Government of Ethiopia has attempted to address many of these issues through a large-scale implementation of a number of soil and water conservation measures. Despite the success of interventions, uptake and adoption remains low. The conceptual framework of this study is based on the premise that farmers are more likely to adopt a combination of rainwater management technologies as adaptation mechanism against climate variability and agricultural production constraints. This contrasts the previous work that typically examined a single technology without considering the interdependence between technologies. Data used in this study come from household survey in seven watersheds in the Ethiopian Blue Nile Basin. A multivariate probit model was used to account for the potential correlation and interdependence of various components of rainwater management technologies. Our results suggest that rainwater management technologies are related with each other; hence, any effort to promote the adoption of rainwater management technologies has to consider such interdependence of technologies, or failure to do so may mask the reality that farmers face a set of choices in their adoption decisions.

The role of land registration in reducing rural poverty has been debated for several decades. This article analyses the impacts of land registration on land rentals, security of land tenure, disputes over land, use of credit facilities from formal financial institutions and gender access and control over land. Our findings are based on data collected between April and December 2011 in irrigation systems in three regional states of Ethiopia using in-depth interviews and field surveys. Land registration has a positive influence on land rentals by reducing the fear of landholders in losing land to renters. Important benefits of land registration also include enhancing tenure security through ensuring usufruct rights over land and addressing the conflicts that arise from the competition to access irrigable land. Joint land titling secures womenapos;s access to land and encourages womenapos;s decision-making on land rentals, input use, cropping patterns and the marketing of harvest from irrigable plots. While land registration allows for improved tenure security, gender equity and reduced disputes over land, it does little to facilitate access to credit or increase the use of farm inputs. The findings suggest that more work needs to be carried out to translate the benefits of land registration into improved livelihoods by increasing investment in farm inputs, production of high value, off-season crops and increase market participation.

Smallholder irrigation to improve food security in the dry season as well as economic and demographic growth within Ethiopia is developing rapidly. However, the long term sustainability of increased irrigated production, together with degradation of soils (and associated water bodies) may be irreparably damaged by inappropriate watering schedules. In irrigation schemes, over-irrigation results in periodic water scarcity issues and in some cases sodicity. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether using wetting front detectors (WFD), a simple mechanical irrigation advice tool, would give farmers the right knowledge on when and how much to irrigate. Therefore, improving sustainable on-farm water management without negatively affecting crop and water productivity while fostering a more equitable water distribution within the scheme. The study, conducted in different regions of Ethiopia, covered various agro-ecological zones and soil conditions with over 200 farmers irrigating cereals or vegetables. Farmers and water user associations were trained on using the WFD to irrigate and distribute water within the scheme. Irrigation and crop performance was evaluated against control plots, having the same crop variety and management but traditional irrigation practices. Reduction in applied irrigation volume due to the WFD differed within and between sites due to furrow length, soil texture and farmer experience. Although yield increases were highly variable between farmers due to differences in farm management and crop variety cultivated, there was a positive effect of WFD on water productivity. Water productivity on average increased by 9 % whereas yields for the different crops increased between 13 and 17 %. In some cases the volume of water saved could double the cropped area. The reduction of irrigation events, when using the WFD, led to labour saving (up to 11 working days per ha) and fuel saving (between 50 and 150 US$ per ha). In both sites, farmers positively evaluated the scheduling tool, acknowledging that they learned to save water without negatively impacting crop productivity. The study showed that by providing access to when and how much to irrigate, farmers can positively adjust their on-farm water management resulting in more sustainable usage of their natural resources.

Gully erosion in the highlands of Ethiopia has reduced agricultural productivity and degraded ecosystem services. To better understand the processes controlling gully erosion and design effective control measures, a study was conducted in the headwaters of the Birr watershed for three consecutive years (2013-2015). Fourteen gullies with similar morphology were studied in three adjacent sub-watersheds. Stabilization measures were applied to 5 of the 14 gully heads. Three gully control measures were compared: a) reshaping gully banks and head to a 45 degree slope with stone rip rap on the gully heads, b) controlling gully bed grade, and c) planting grasses and trees on shallow gullies (i.e., lt; 3 m deep). Results demonstrated that gully control measures were effective in controlling the expansion of gullies as no further retreat was observed for the 5 treated gully heads, whereas the average retreat was 3 meters with a maximum of 22.5 m for the 9 untreated gullies. The migration of untreated gully heads produced an average soil loss of 38 tons per gully. Compared with simple reshaping of gully heads, the additional integration with stone rip rap was an effective and low cost measure. Vegetative treatment by itself could not stop the upslope migration of gully heads, though it had the potential to trap sediments. Re-vegetation at gully heads stabilized with stone rip rap occurred faster than at unprotected, reshaped heads and banks. From the fourteen rehabilitation treatments, gully head protection integrated with plantation showed the largest potential in decreasing gully development in terms of labor, time and material it requires.

Irrigation has a large potential to increase agricultural output and yield per unit area. However, the long term sustainability increased production, together with degradation of the soils (and associated water bodies) in irrigated areas may be irreparably damaged by inappropriate watering schedules. In Ethiopia, surface and groundwater irrigation has been promoted intensively throughout the country. While many projects focus on individual or scheme level water access, very little is known about the sustainability of irrigation in Ethiopia. Aside, from water quantity the quality of irrigation water has a significant impact on soil stability and its chemical properties. In the Ziway, a very important irrigation area in Oromia, soils are increasingly becoming sodic due to the large irrigation quantities and the poor water quality. The International Water Management Institute focusses through various research for development projects on improving irrigation water management, increasing groundwater recharge and assessing the environmental impact of irrigation for various soils throughout the Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR region. Irrigation scheduling tools have been introduced at individual and scheme based small holder farms for the irrigation of high value horticultural and fodder crops to improve water and crop productivity and reduce nutrient leaching. Simultaneously groundwater recharge experiments were carried out using deep tillage and soil amp; water conservation practices in the rainy season. In these studies, soils are sampled, irrigation quantified, soil moisture measured and standard agronomic practices monitored. Additionally, socio-economic data are being collected on household composition, land holding, labor involved in as well as income generated by the various technologies. Preliminary results showed that crop productivity was not effect while reducing water between 18-35% as function of the prevailing soil types. For the groundwater recharge studies lowest runoff values and highest crop productivity values were observed in the deep tillage plots compared to zero and normal tillage. The socio-economic as well as biophysical data are used in field as well as watershed models to assess the environmental and economic impact of various irrigation scenarios throughout the agro-ecological zones.

This chapter explores the interrelationships between economic change and environmental issues, by showing how aspiration, education, and migration are variously connected to a loss of agroecological knowledges for rural young people. It reviews a series of case studies from Vietnam, India, and China on the implications for rural youth of changed aspirations and ecological and economic stress. The economic and cultural pressures of globalization mean young people increasingly aspire for a life outside of agrarian- and natural resource-based livelihoods. A consequence of this change has been the migration of young people to urban centers and a drive for families to invest in education. Thishasfar reaching consequences for communities.Those who stay behind face an increased labor burden, and economic pressures can be aggravated when the promise of improved livelihoods outside is notrealized. The chapter also points to the negative implications of these changed aspirations on the intergenerational transfer of agroecological knowledge. Thus, in relation to issues of environment and development, the chapter considers why this complex set of relationships between aspiration, education, and migration is important in the context of children and young people’s lives.

The ‘WISE-UP to climate’ project aims to demonstrate the value of natural infrastructure as a ‘nature-based solution’ for climate change adaptation and sustainable development. Within the Tana River Basin, both natural and built infrastructure provide livelihood benefits for people. Understanding the interrelationships between the two types of infrastructure is a prerequisite for sustainable water resources development and management. This is particularly true as pressures on water resources intensify and the impacts of climate change increase. This report provides an overview of the biophysical characteristics, ecosystem services and links to livelihoods within the basin.

Financial cooperatives and microfinance institutions (MFIs) are the two major sources of rural finance in Ethiopia. Whereas MFIs are relatively new, financial cooperatives have existed for centuries in various forms. The coexistence of two different institutions serving the same group of people, and delivering the same financial services, raises several policy questions. Those questions have become particularly relevant, as the government has embarked on developing a new strategy for improving rural financial services delivery. This study is expected to serve as an input to that policy discussion. Using a unique household survey dataset and the propensity-score-matching technique, we examine the impacts of the two financial service providers on agricultural technology adoption. The results suggest that access to institutional finance has significant positive impacts on both the adoption and extent of technology use. However, when impacts are disaggregated by type of financial institution and farm size, considerable heterogeneities are observed. In particular, financial cooperatives have a greater impact on technology adoption than do MFIs, and the impacts appear to vary depending on farm size and types of inputs. The underlying implications of these results are discussed in light of the country’s rural finance policies and programs.

Deforestation due to farmland expansion, fragile soils, undulating terrain, and heavy seasonal rains makes the highlands of Ethiopia vulnerable to soil erosion. The diverse terrain of the rural highlands requires spatially explicit investments in land management structures. This paper utilizes recent hydrological and meteorological data collected from the Mizewa watershed in the Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia, as well as household survey data on farmer preferences and investments, in order to better understand the physical impact of sustainable land management activities. The effectiveness of the simulated conservation practices (terraces, bunds, and residue management) is evaluated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool taking into account investment decisions on different terrain types. Simulations include terracing on steep and mid-range hillsides; a mix of terracing and bunds on varying slope gradients; and a mix of terraces and residue management on varying terrain. Simulated conservation practices are evaluated at the outlet of the Mizewa watershed by comparing model simulations that take into account the limited investments that currently exist (status quo) with simulations of increased terracing and residue management activities within the watershed. Results suggest that a mixed strategy of terracing on steep slopes and residue management on flat and middle slopes dramatically decrease surface runoff and erosion. A landscape-wide investment of terraces and bunds throughout the watershed landscape provides the greatest reduction in surface flow and erosion. However, the type and amount of investment in sustainable land management activities have different implications with respect to labor input and may be cost-prohibitive in the medium term.

The development of water storage schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is considered a major aid for those regions with unequal water distribution, limited accessibility and anticipated climate change impacts. Great attention is given by many SSA countries to set up different water storage schemes that may improve rural and urban development on a national level. The funding for the water storage schemes is often derived from foreign agencies which conduct feasibility studies for the financing of potential investments. Often however, the feasibility studies rely on a single monetary criterion which may not identify the most appropriate water storage in each case. In addition, limited data availability in many SSA countries increases the difficulty of identifying the most suitable storage option. This paper develops a multicriteria framework for the integrated evaluation of water storage strategies in Sub-Saharan African countries. A set of economic, agronomic and opinion-based criteria are assessed through the PROMETHEE II outranking approach. The introduction of crop modeling complements the limited field data available in agronomic criteria and enhances the scientific rigor of the method. Ethiopia is adopted as a representative case of SSA countries where a diverse set of water storage options is currently under construction, often financed by foreign agencies.

Although there has been several efforts made to reduce land degradation and improve land productivity in Ethiopia, farmers’ investments in sustainable land management (SLM) remain limited. Nevertheless, the results regarding determinants of farmers’ investments in SLM have been inconsistent and scattered. Moreover, these factors have not been reviewed and synthesized. Hence this paper reviews and synthesizes past research in order to identify determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SLM practices and thereby facilitate policy prescriptions to enhance adoption in Ethiopia, East Africa and potentially wider afield. The review identifies several determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SLM practices. These determinants are generally categorized into three groups. The first group is those factors that are related to farmers’ capacity to invest in SLM practices. The results show that farmers’ investments in SLM practices are limited by their limited capacity to invest in SLM. The second groups of factors are related to farmers’ incentives for investments in SLM practices. Farmers’ investments in SLM are limited due to restricted incentives from their investments related to land improvement. The third groups of factors are external factors beyond the control of farmers. The review also shows that farmers’ capacities to invest in SLM and their incentives from investments have been influenced by external factors such as institutional support and policies. This suggests that creating enabling conditions for enhancing farmers’ investment capacities in SLM and increasing the range of incentives from their investment is crucial to encourage wide-scale adoption of SLM practices.

This study assesses the impact of the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on farmersapos; investments in sustainable land management (SLM) practices in the Central Rift Valley (CRV) of Ethiopia. Primary data were collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire for a sample of 159 households (82 PSNP participants and 77 non-participants) in four kebeles (the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia) of two weredas (districts). Using a cross-sectional household survey, propensity score matching (PSM) was used to assess the impact of PSNP on householdsapos; investments in soil erosion control and soil fertility management. The PSM results show that the control group of households (non-participants in PSNP) invested more in soil erosion control measures as compared to the treated group of households (participants in PSNP). On the contrary, however, the treated group of households significantly invested more in soil fertility management practices (e.g. inorganic fertilizer and compost) as compared to the control group of households. The negative impact of PSNP on households’ investments in soil erosion control in the treated group of farmers is related to their high labor investment in public works, which is not the case for the non-participants in PSNP. This implies that PSNP should pay more attention to capacity building and awareness raising, which requires a restructuring of the program that would benefit long-term and more sustainable impact on reducing food insecurity and enhancing natural resources in the CRV of Ethiopia.

Men and women interact with water resources and landscapes in different ways, and there are frequent criticisms that little research is undertaken across disciplines to address this issue. Biophysical scientists in particular struggle with how to integrate “gendered” water uses into models that are necessarily based on prevailing laws and equations that describe the movement of water through the hydrological cycle, independent of social constructs. We explore the challenges faced in developing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches and then present a simple yet innovative socio-hydrological approach using participatory three-dimensional maps. As a case study, we describe undertaking this process in Ethiopia where two three-dimensional maps (menapos;s and womenapos;s) were separately generated to represent the same 20 km2 landscape. Mapping results indicated important distinctions in how men and women view landscapes with regard to the number and types of ecosystem services identified. For example, only women identified holy water sites along streams, while men identified twice as many sacred trees on the landscape. There was a clear focus and detailed knowledge about soils among participants in both groups. Maps developed as part of this exercise were successfully used as the principal land use input for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and results indicate that this is a valid strategy that enhances scientific knowledge and understanding of overall landscapes and ultimately adds value to research for development questions.

The study was conducted in three watersheds (Dapo, Meja and Mizewa) in the Ethiopian part of the Blue Nile Basin to estimate the on-site cost of soil erosion using the productivity change approach, in which crop yield reduction due to plant nutrients lost with the sediment and runoff has been analysed. For this purpose, runoff measurement and sampling was conducted during the main rainy season of 2011 at the outlet of two to three sub-watersheds in each watershed. The sediment concentration of the runoff, and N and P contents in runoff and sediment were determined. Crop response functions were developed for the two plant nutrients based on data obtained from the nearest Agricultural Research Centres. The response functions were used to estimate crop yield reduction as a result of the lost N and P assuming there is no compensation through fertilization. The results show a significant yield reduction and resultant financial loss to the farmers. Considering only grain yield of maize (Zea mays), farmers at Dapo annually lose about USD 220 ha-1 and 150 ha-1 due to the loss of N and P, respectively. In view of the importance of the crop residues, including as feed, the loss can be even greater. The study demonstrated that in addition to the long-term deterioration of land quality, the annual financial loss suffered by farmers is substantial. Therefore, on farm soil and water conservation measures that are suitable in biophysical and socio-economic terms in the landscapes and beyond need to be encouraged.

In sub-Saharan Africa, motor pump irrigation is at an earlier stage than in Asia but is growing rapidly in many countries. The focus of both policy and research in Africa to date has been on facilitating supply chains to make pumps available at a reasonable price. In Africa, pump irrigation is mainly based on two sources: shallow groundwater aquifers and small streams and rivers. Both usually have limited and variable yields. We present a case study from Ethiopia where pump irrigation based on small rivers and streams is expanding rapidly, and draw parallels to experiences in Asia and other African countries. We show that while farmers understand the social nature of community-managed irrigation, they share with policymakers a narrow understanding of pump irrigation as being primarily apos;technicalapos;. They perceive pumps as liberating them from the apos;socialapos; limitations of traditional communal irrigation. However, the rapid expansion of pump irrigation is leading to increasing competition and conflict over the limited water resource. We analyse the wider implications for Africa of this blindness to the social dimension of pump irrigation and offer suggestions on future policy and applied research to address the problem before it becomes a widespread crisis.

Effective facilitation enables farmer-based water user organizations to analyse contextual issues, identify causal links, formulate clear challenges, develop partnerships with stakeholders, and innovate and implement solutions. However, facilitation is often provided by international partners, such as advanced research institutions or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The reliance on external consultants to facilitate innovation and change processes creates risks for sustainability. This article provides an overview of a capacity development initiative for facilitation of change in the agriculture water sector in Africa. It focuses on the case study of the Improved Management for Agricultural Water in East and Southern Africa (IMAWESA) network’s learning alliance on facilitating community engagement. The IMAWESA learning alliance sought to build competency on facilitation methods and tools at national and sub-national levels within and across agricultural water management projects. The paper primarily seeks to address questions related to the sustainability of facilitated processes and the effectiveness of capacity development methods to train facilitators and thus strengthen local facilitation.

In Ethiopia, exclosures in landscapes have become increasingly important to improving ecosystem services and reversing biodiversity losses. The present study was conducted in Gomit watershed, northern Ethiopia, to: (i) investigate the changes in vegetation composition, diversity and aboveground biomass and carbon following the establishment of exclosures; and (ii) analyse the economic returns of aboveground carbon sequestration and assess the perception of local communities on land degradation and exclosures. A space-for-time substitution approach was used to detect the changes in aboveground carbon, species composition, and diversity. Exclosures of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 7-years-old and a communal grazing land were selected. Household surveys, key informant interviews, and a financial analysis were used to assess the perception of local communities and the value of exclosure impacts, respectively. Significant (P = 0.049) differences in species diversity and considerable increases in aboveground carbon (ranged from 0.6 to 4.2 t C ha-1), CO2 storage (varied between 2.1 and 15.3 t CO2 ha-1), woody species composition, and richness (ranged from five to 28) were observed following the establishment of exclosures. Exclosures generated temporary certified emission reductions (tCER) of 3.4, 2.1, 7.5, 12.6, 12.5, and 15.3 Mg CO2 ha-1 after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 years, respectively. The net present value (NPV) of the aboveground carbon sequestered in exclosures ranged from US$6.6 to US$37.0 per hectare and increased with exclosure duration. At a watershed level, 51.4 Mg C ha-1 can be sequestered, which represents 188.6 Mg CO2 ha-1, resulting in tCER of 139.4 Mg CO2 ha-1 and NPV of US$478.3 per hectare. This result would suggest that exclosures can potentially improve local communities’ livelihoods beyond rehabilitating degraded lands if carbon stored in exclosures is traded. Communities in the watershed demonstrated that exclosures are effective in restoring degraded lands and they are benefiting from increased fodder production and reduced impacts of soil erosion. However, the respondents are also concerned over the sustainability of exclosure land management, as further expansion of exclosures aggravates degradation of remaining communal grazing lands and causes fuel wood shortages. This suggests that the sustainability of exclosure land management can be attained only if these critical concerns are addressed by a joint effort among government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and communities.

In this study, we assessed the accuracy of rainfall occurrence, amount and distribution over the Lake Tana basin in Ethiopia, Eastern Africa, as represented in the NOAA satellite-based Climate Prediction Center Morphing technique (CMORPH) rainfall product. This analysis is carried out at high spatial and temporal resolutions (8 × 8 km2 and daily) using observations from rain gauges as a reference for the period covering January 2003 to December 2006. Graphical comparisons and several statistical metrics such as bias, correlation coefficient, and standard deviation of rainfall differences are used to perform the evaluation analysis. Spatial maps of these statistical metrics were developed to assess the spatial dependency in the CMORPH accuracy. The bias is decomposed into different components, hit, missed, and false, in order to gain additional insight into the possible sources of systematic deviations in CMORPH. Overall, CMORPH was able to capture the seasonal and spatial patterns of rainfall over the basin, but with varying degrees of accuracy that depend on topography, latitude and lake-versus-land conditions within the basin. The results show that CMORPH captured rain occurrence relatively well in both wet and dry seasons over the southern part of the basin but it significantly overestimated those over the lake and its southern shore. The bias of CMORPH in the study area is characterized by seasonal and spatial variations (-25 to 30% in wet season and -40 to 60% in dry season). False as well as missed rains contribute significantly to the total rainfall amounts over the basin. Significant levels of the differences are observed at the daily resolution of CMORPH. The relation between CMORPH and gauge rainfall amounts is stronger (correlationmostly N0.4) in thewet season than in the dry (mostly b0.4).

Water Accounting Plus (WA+) is a framework that summarizes complex hydrological processes and water management issues in river basins. The framework is designed to use satellite-based measurements of land and water variables and processes as input data. A general concern associated with the use of satellite measurements is their accuracy. This study focuses on the impact of the error in remote sensing measurements on water accounting and information provided to policy makers. The Awash Basin in the central Rift Valley in Ethiopia is used as a case study to explore the reliability of WA+ outputs, in the light of input data errors. The Monte Carlo technique was used for stochastic simulation of WA+ outputs over a period of 3 yr. The results show that the stochastic mean of the majority of WA+ parameters and performance indicators are within 5 % deviation from the original WA+ values based on one single calculation. Stochastic computation is proposed as a standard procedure for WA+ water accounting because it provides the uncertainty bandwidth for every WA+ output, which is essential information for sound decision-making processes. The majority of WA+ parameters and performance indicators have a coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 20 %, which implies that they are reliable and provide consistent information on the functioning of the basin. The results of the Awash Basin also indicate that the utilized flow and basin closure fraction (the degree to which available water in a basin is utilized) have a high margin of error and thus a low reliability. As such, the usefulness of them in formulating important policy decisions for the Awash Basin is limited. Other river basins will usually have a more accurate assessment of the discharge in the river mouth.

In the Ethiopian highlands, gully erosion is severe. Although attempts to prevent gullying, it remains a challenge. Our objectives are to understand better the processes that control gully head cut retreat. The study was conducted in Birr watershed located at South West of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Twelve gully heads were selected and monitored from July to October, 2014. We measured gully head morphology, length of recession via pegging technique, soil analysis to determine soil shear strength, physical and chemical properties, water table elevations and catchment physical characteristics. Two active gully head cuts were arrested with stone riprap after regarding at 450. The result shows that the maximum rate of head cut retreat was between 0 to 22.5m. There was no head retreat observed from the protected heads compared with unprotected heads. The average short term head cut retreat was much greater than that observed in semiarid highlands of northern Ethiopia. The greater gulley rate of recession in the humid monsoon climate is likely caused by the water table that was above the gully bottom. In August when the soil became saturated, about 45% of head cut migration occurred. Thus the water table contributed to the slumping of gully heads and weakened the strength of the soil cohesion. The soil shear strength test result shows, angle of internal friction was by far greater than the slope of gully heads where heads are located in the periodically saturated flat lands. The width depth ratio showed that the shallow depth heads were controlled by fluvial erosion whereas for the deep gully heads both fluvial and mass wasting due to tension cracks was the main driving force. Both the water table control and protecting the head cuts of shallow gullies plays a key role in reducing the sediment contribution of gully in the humid Ethiopian highlands.

Intense rainfall/runoff events produce large proportion of suspended sediment concentrations and sediment load responses. With an aim to mitigate land degradation problems in Ethiopia, soil and water conservation projects are being massively implemented. The effect of these conservation measures in reducing sediment in streams have never been quantified due to unavailability of sediment data. In a quantitative evaluation to quantify the contribution of intense event/daily sediment loads to annual sediment loads and effect of conservation measures in reducing erosion, we monitored three nested experimental sub-watersheds and a 95 ha main watershed in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands, Debre Mawi watershed for four consecutive years. The contribution of the largest 10minute events and peak daily sediment loads to annual sediment loads and the effect of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on peak sediment transport processes were evaluated. The contribution of the largest event loads reached up to 22% of the total annual sediment loads. The peak event sediment loads reached up to 11 t ha-1. The contribution of the largest daily sediment load events to annual loads is up to 86%. For the two largest daily sediment load events, the contribution reached up to 95%. The total sediment loads of the two largest daily sediment load events ranged from 40-68 t ha-1day-1 indicating that most of the annual sediment loads are transported with in one or two intense daily sediment load events in the (sub) humid Ethiopian highlands. Comparison of peak sediment loads before and after the implementation of BMPs indicates that conservation practices such as soil bunds, stone faced soil bunds and stone bunds substantially reduced the contribution and magnitude of peak sediment loads. The sediment trap efficiency of the BMPs can be further improved by making ditches deeper than existing practice of 50 cm depth in the Ethiopian highlands.

Using measured runoff and sediment monitoring, the effectiveness of large scale soil and water conservation (SWC) implementations are analyzed from a five year (2010-2014) study, in the 95 ha Debre Mawi watershed and four nested sub-watersheds. Under the large scale government led SWC program, terraces with infiltration furrows were installed in 2012. The results indicate that runoff, sediment loads and sediment yields decreased significantly after the implementation of SWC practices. Sediment loads were reduced mainly because of the reduced runoff. Though sediment concentration decreased in the sub-watersheds, it decreased only marginally for the main watershed because of the entrainment of loose soil from the collapse of unstable banks of gullies. Infiltration furrows were effective in collecting runoff and suspended sediment (from rills) on the hillsides where Nitisols dominate (very deep, well-drained, permeable soils where rain water could infiltrate easily). But, on the saturated flat bottom lands and fields dominated by vertisols (that form wide-deep cracks during the dry season and swell during the rainy season), infiltration was restricted and conservation practices became conduits for carrying excess rainfall. Our continuous observations and photo monitoring of bunds on Nitisols and saturated bottomlands indicate that installing soil bunds on these areas caused the collapse of soil bunds in to the furrows. The soil from the collapsed bund is then easily washed away in a concentrated runoff and further initiated gullies in the Debre Mawi watershed. Large scale soil and water conservation interventions have short term effectiveness of reducing runoff and sediment loads. However, long term benefits can only be sustained with continuous maintenance of uphill infiltration furrows, as most ditches are filled up with sediments within two-three years. In addition, large scale soil and water conservation interventions should give priority to gully treatments, should consider local soil types and saturation dynamics to install bunds in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands.

Donor and governmental sponsored soil and water conservation measures has been carried out in the last half century in the Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia. However, sediment loads in to the lake has never been reduced suggesting that the effectiveness of integrated soil and water conservation measures reducing soil loss needs to be investigated. The present study was conducted in two watersheds (Tikur-Wuha covers 500 ha and Guali covers190 ha) located in the headwaters of Lake Tana to investigate the impacts of soil and water conservation practices on discharge and sediment loads. In both watersheds different soil and water conservation technologies have been implemented since 2010 by the Tana Belese integrated watershed management project: gully treatment, stone buds, soil bunds, stone faced soil bunds, water ways, cut- off drains, hill side terracing, micro basins and area closures. Daily rainfall, runoff and sediment concentration were collected from 2010 2012. The results showed that average runoff volume was reduced by 13% in Tikur-wuha and by 7% in Guali from 2010-2012. The sediment load in Tikur-wuha watershed was reduced by 48% in 2011 and 30% in 2012, while sediment load in Guali watershed was reduced by 1% and 35% in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The results support that the implemented integrated SWC measures through government sponsored with full participation of the community and through incorporating different SWC technology options were effective in reducing runoff and sediment load. We recommend fortifying the government led SWC campaign with full participation of the local community to reduce soil erosion and siltation of Lake Tana.

Gully erosion in the humid Ethiopian highlands intensified in recent decades. The study was conducted in the Birr watershed located south west of Bahir Dar the capital of Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. We studied 14 gullies having similar morphology at three sub watersheds. The watershed covers a total area of 414 ha. The monitoring continued over the 2013 to 2014 monsoon season to better understand the factors controlling gully erosion and the effectiveness of erosion control structures. Perched ground water table was measured at the gully heads and erosion pins were installed to monitor the rate of recession from uncontrolled heads. Though soil properties, ground cover, gully morphology had small contribution for the gully development; water fall effect at the head of the gully and elevated water table depth at both heads and banks played the key role. Therefore the study focused on reducing the water fall and elevated water table effect by applying two low cost gully control approaches. The first approach was regrading the gully heads and banks at 45o and the second approach follows regrading the gully heads at 45o and putting a graded type of stone rip rap. Large stones were anchored at the toe of the head maintaining the stable gully bed slope. The result shows that unprotected gully heads retreat an average of 4m which is equivalent to 37m3 volume of soil loss. The maximum and minimum head cut retreat was between 0 and 22.5m. The total area damaged by annual gully head retreat was 240m2 and total volume of soil lost was 444m3. The treated gully heads did not show any retreat during the monitoring period. Compared with simple reshaping of gully heads, integration with Stone rip rap was an effective and low cost measure in the study watershed. Plantation could not stop the upslope migration of heads though it had the potential to trap sediments down slope. Heads with stone rip rap allows fast re vegetation whereas unprotected reshaped heads and banks took longer time to re vegetate and stabilized. Time of reshaping was important for the stability of banks and heads.

Irrigation development is a policy priority for the Laka Tana basin. However available baseflow can irrigate less than 3% of area. The irrigated area can be increased from water stored in constructed reservoirs, pumping water from Lake Tana and by using groundwater. While groundwater has the greatest potential for increasing irrigation in the near future, the main drawback is a lack of information on sustainable groundwater use and specifically the ground water recharge. Therefore the objective of this research is to calculate the annual recharge to the ground water. The study is conducted in Robit-Bata, an experimental watershed of 911 ha, located at the south-eastern edge of Lake Tana. Farmers have excavated more than 300 hand dug wells for irrigation and we used 50 shallow groundwater wells and observed water table fluctuation and precipitation for the past one year. The annual recharge was estimated using water level fluctuation method. Specific yield was taken to be the difference of porosity and field capacity of the subsurface formation. The annual average areal groundwater recharge of the watershed was 200 mm/year, which is 12% of the rainfall and ranged from 80mm to 500mm for the various locations in the watershed. The greatest recharge amounts were found at the foot of the hillside in river course plane areas consisting mostly weathered basalt rock. Here the groundwater was up to 15 m deep and rose steadily during the rainy monsoon phase. Smaller amount of recharge occurred both near the top of the hills with tough rock formation and in the, flat areas near to stream sandy and clay deposits and groundwater at, shallow well depth. Our study indicates that the current use of the groundwater is sustainable, but will become unsustainable if many more wells are constructed. Sufficiency and sustainable use of the shallow groundwater needs further research.

The study was conducted in the Birr watershed at twelve gully heads located close to each other. The survey includes measurements of morphological features, soil properties, water table elevations and catchment characteristics including erosion at each gully head. The analysis showed that gully head morphology could be explained by the role of different gully head controlling factors. The result suggested the maximum rate of head cut retreat reaches from 0 to 22.5m. There was no head retreat recorded from the arrested heads relative to unprotected heads. Compared to semiarid highlands of northern Ethiopia, the average short term head cut retreat was 12 fold greater. From the direct shear test, angle of internal friction by far greater than the slope of gully heads which are located at flat lands. The width depth ratio showed that the shallow depth heads were controlled by fluvial erosion whereas for the deep gully heads both fluvial and mass wasting due tension cracks are operating. In this study a significant power relationship established between the volume of the gully head and the length of retreat at the active gullies with V = 4.85 L1.05 (R2 = 0.91 and P= 0.042) which is different from the relation obtained from the entire gully system as a result of varies controlling factors.

The Soil Conservation Service Runoff equation was developed and tested for the temperate climate in the United States. Application to the monsoon climates has been only partially successful. The objective to adapt the SCS equation to a monsoon climate equation is to predict watershed runoff. The adaptation is based on the fact that in many humid areas the main mechanism for direct runoff is saturation excess and in monsoon climates the contributing area expands as a function of the cumulative effective rainfall ( Pe). This then translate in smaller watershed storage (S) in the equation. When estimating runoff contributing area within a watershed and assessing the runoff mechanisms, we have used the original concept of SCS-CN approach in a 113 ha Anjeni and 113ha Maybar Watersheds in the headwaters of the Blue Nile Basin, North Ethiopian highland. Analysis was done at daily, weekly and biweekly base using nine years of hydrological data (1988-97) by classifying the rainfall seasons in to six based on the seasonal cumulative of effective rainfall (Pe). The initial abstraction (Ia) was taken to be equal to the evapotranspiration loss (E) computed by Thornthwaite-Mather water balance method in replacement of the 20% of the potential storage (S). Effective rainfall (Pe) is the difference of total rainfall and Ia. The model performed more as the seasonal cumulative Pe is increased indicating that runoff responses occurred as the watershed saturated. The proportion of runoff contributing area (Af) increased linearly until the cumulative Pe up to nearly 500mm and then the watershed reaches in equilibrium for addition increase of Pe, which is in line with the concept of partial source area hydrology.

The Ethiopian government has declared the Lake Tana - Beles region to be a growth corridor and irrigation development is one of the priorities. Since the dry season river flow is limited, groundwater has the greatest potential for increasing irrigation in the near future. The main drawback is lack of information on sustainable groundwater use and specifically the ground water potential. Therefore the objective of this research is to calculate the annual groundwater recharge. The study was conducted in Robit-Bata, an experimental watershed of 911 ha, located at the south-eastern edge of Lake Tana. Farmers have excavated more than 300 hand dug wells for irrigation use from which, we used 50 wells for water table fluctuation observations for one year starting from April, 2014. Daily Precipitation was recorded for the same period. The annual recharge was estimated using the water level fluctuation method. Specific yield was defined as the difference of porosity and field capacity of the subsurface formation. The annual average areal groundwater recharge was 640 mm/year, which is 41% of the rainfall and ranged from 50mm to 390mm per week for the various locations in the watershed. The greatest recharge amounts were found in the plains at the foot of the hills and river course areas consisting mostly weathered basalt rock. At those locations the groundwater rose steadily during the rainy monsoon phase. Smaller amount of recharge occurred both near the top of the hills with tough rock formation and in the, flat areas near to stream with sandy and clay deposits and groundwater at, shallow well depth. Our study indicates that the current use of the groundwater seems sustainable. Further research is required for optimized utilization of the limited groundwater resources for irrigation development to meet the food security of the community.

Although there has been a considerable effort to reduce soil erosion and improve land productivity in Ethiopia, farmers’ investments in SWC remain limited. There is a long and rich tradition of empirical research that seeks to identify the determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SWC practices. Nevertheless, the results regarding these determinants have been inconsistent and scattered. Moreover, the impacts of different SWC practices have not been reviewed and synthesized. Thus, this paper reviews and synthesizes past research in order to dentify determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SWC practices, and to also assess the impact of SWC practices within the framework of ecosystem services, particularly in relation to provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. The review identified several determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SWC practices, which are categorized into two groups: (i) factors that are related to farmers’ capacity to invest in SWC practices, and (ii) farmers’ incentives to invest in such practices. Farmers’ investments in SWC are limited by both the capacity to invest and incentives from their investments related to land improvement. The review also showed that farmers’ capacities to invest in SWC practices and their incentives for making such investments have been influenced by external factors, such as institutional support and policies. This suggests that creating enabling conditions for enhancing farmers’ investment capacities in SWC practices, and increasing their incentives for making such investments, is crucial. The review and synthesis showed that the impact of most SWC practices on provisioning ecosystem services (e.g., crop yield) is negative, which is mainly due to the reduction of effective cultivable area due to soil/stone bunds. However, these practices were very effective in regulating ecosystem services, such as soil erosion control, soil fertility improvement and surface runoff reduction.

Based on a case study in Ethiopia, this paper shows that while farmers understand the social nature of community-managed irrigation, they share a narrow understanding of pump irrigation with policymakers as being primarily ‘technical’. They perceive pumps as liberating them from the ‘social’ limitations of traditional communal irrigation. However, the rapid expansion of pump irrigation is leading to increasing competition and conflict over limited water resources. We analyze the wider implications for Africa of this lack of visibility of the social dimension of pump irrigation, and offer suggestions for future policy and applied research to address the problem before it becomes a widespread crisis.

Results of numerous evaluation studies indicated that satellite-rainfall products are contaminated with significant systematic and random errors. Therefore, such products may require refinement and correction before being used for hydrologic applications. In the present study, we explore a rainfall-runoff modeling application using the Climate Prediction Center-MORPHing (CMORPH) satellite rainfall product. The study area is the Gilgel Abbay catchment situated at the source basin of the Upper Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia, Eastern Africa. Rain gauge networks in such area are typically sparse. We examine different bias correction schemes applied locally to the CMORPH product. These schemes vary in the degree to which spatial and temporal variability in the CMORPH bias fields are accounted for. Three schemes are tested: space and time-invariant, time-variant and spatially invariant, and space and time variant. Bias-corrected CMORPH products were used to calibrate and drive the Hydrologiska Byrns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) rainfall-runoff model. Applying the space and time-fixed bias correction scheme resulted in slight improvement of the CMORPH-driven runoff simulations, but in some instances caused deterioration. Accounting for temporal variation in the bias reduced the rainfall bias by up to 50%. Additional improvements were observed when both the spatial and temporal variability in the bias was accounted for. The rainfall bias was found to have a pronounced effect on model calibration. The calibrated model parameters changed significantly when using rainfall input from gauges alone, uncorrected, and bias-corrected CMORPH estimates. Changes of up to 81% were obtained for model parameters controlling the stream flow volume.

The Ethiopian economy depends heavily on smallholder agriculture, and this sector directly affects the country’s economic development, food security and poverty alleviation efforts. The adoption of smallholder irrigation technologies as a means to tackle these challenges has become an important policy issue in the development agenda of the country. The lack of access to low-cost irrigation technologies is, however, one of the major bottlenecks to increase smallholder irrigation. This paper examines the factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt low-cost small motor pumps. The analysis is based on a survey of 800 farm households in four regions of Ethiopia. We use a combination of econometric techniques to find comparable households among adopter and non-adopter sample households. First, we employ a multivariate probit model to check whether a correlation exists between motor pumps and other water lifting technologies (that is, bucket, treadle and electric pumps). A non-parametric matching method is used to identify a counterfactual (control group) among the non-adopter sample households. Finally, a probit model is adopted to model the determinants of farmers’ motor pump adoption decisions. Our analysis reveals that gender; age; ownership of oxen; access to extension; access to surface and shallow ground water; social capital and regional differences captured by a regional dummy, all influence farmers’ decision of motor pump adoption.

This paper examines the economics of groundwater irrigation and its impact on livelihood of smallholder farmers in Eastern Ethiopia. The results indicate that groundwater technologies are financially viable at 8, 12.25 and 16.5 percent discount rates. The net present value of these technologies is still viable under partial and full cost recovery regimes. Small-scale groundwater irrigation with boreholes provides a good option for poor households, bringing about significant positive impact in consumption expenditure. Groundwater, if adequately harvested, has a significant positive impact on the improvement of livelihoods of smallholding farmers; it is advantageous for the society if government and nongovernmental agencies are engaged in the expansion of deep groundwater wells on a sustainable basis. It is also vital to think of institutionalizing a cost recovery scheme to ensure water use efficiency and to sustain the future investments in irrigation, especially in developing groundwater resources.

The study was conducted in two sub watersheds in the Upper Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia to determine the quantity, quality of sediment lost and its onsite costs in terms of crop yield. Two monitoring stations at the outlets were selected. Discharges were estimated and depth integrated daily runoff samples were collected during the rainy season in 2011. The sediment concentration and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content was analyzed and related to crop yield using a nutrient response equation for maize (Zea mays). The result shows statistically significant differences in sediment concentration of the two watersheds. Suspended sediment concentration was strongly correlated with the discharge from Chekorsa River (R2 = 0.7) but it was very weak for Dapo. There was higher concentration of nutrients in the sediment than the surface soil in both watersheds. Particularly, sediment enrichment ratio of available P was 2.7 and 9 for Dapo and Chekorsa Rivers, respectively. The estimated yield reduction of maize due to N and P loss was about 950 and 1420, and 1015 and 665 kgha-1 from Dapo and Chekorsa catchments, respectively. Such results are equivalent to an onsite cost to farmers of about 190 and 285 USD ha-1 for Dapo, and 203 and 133 USDha-1 for Chekorsa catchments in that order. This monetary value can alert farmers and decision makers to take soil and water conservation measures.

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between childrenapos;s F- exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F- concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley.We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are life-long residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of F- cover a wide range. A subset of 156 children was selected for urinary F- measurements. Our results showed that the mean F- concentrations in groundwater were 8.5 4.1 mg/L (range: 1.118 mg/L), while those in urine were 12.1 7.3 mg/L (range: 1.139.8 mg/L). The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe DF in childrenapos;s teeth was 17%, 29%, and 45%, respectively, and the majority (90%; n = 140) of the children had urinary F- concentrations above 3 mg/L. Below this level most of the teeth showed mild forms of DF. The exposureresponse relationship between F- and DF was positive and non-linear, with DF severity tending to level off above a F- threshold of ~6 mg/L, most likely due to the fact that at ~6 mg/L the enamel is damaged as much as it can be clinically observed in most children. We also observed differential prevalence (and severity) of DF and urinary concentration, across children exposed to similar F- concentrations in water, which highlights the importance of individual-specific factors in addition to the F- levels in drinking water. Finally, we investigated urinary F- in children from communities where defluoridation remediation was taking place. The lower F- concentration measured in urine of this population demonstrates the capacity of the urinary F- method as an effective monitoring and evaluation tool for assessing the outcome of successful F- mitigation strategy in relatively short time (months) in areas affected with severe fluorosis.

Integrated water resources management is a combination of managing blue and green water resources. Often the main focus is on the blue water resources, as information on spatially distributed evaporative water use is not as readily available as the link to river flows. Physically based, spatially distributed models are often used to generate this kind of information. These models require enormous amounts of data, which can result in equifinality, making them less suitable for scenario analyses. Furthermore, hydrological models often focus on natural processes and fail to account for anthropogenic influences. This study presents a spatially distributed hydrological model that has been developed for a heterogeneous, highly utilized and data-scarce river basin in eastern Africa. Using an innovative approach, remote-sensingderived evapotranspiration and soil moisture variables for 3 years were incorporated as input data into the Spatial Tools for River basin Environmental Analysis and Management (STREAM) model. To cater for the extensive irrigation water application, an additional blue water component (Qb) was incorporated in the STREAM model to quantify irrigation water use. To enhance model parameter identification and calibration, three hydrological landscapes (wetlands, hillslope and snowmelt) were identified using field data. The model was calibrated against discharge data from five gauging stations and showed good performance, especially in the simulation of low flows, where the NashSutcliffe Efficiency of the natural logarithm (Ens_ln) of discharge were greater than 0.6 in both calibration and validation periods. At the outlet, the Ens_ln coefficient was even higher (0.90). During low flows, Qb consumed nearly 50% of the river flow in the basin. The Qb model result for irrigation was comparable to the field-based net irrigation estimates, with less than 20% difference. These results show the great potential of developing spatially distributed models that can account for supplementary water use. Such information is important for water resources planning and management in heavily utilized catchment areas. Model flexibility offers the opportunity for continuous model improvement when more data become available.

Hydrological modeling is an indispensable component of water resources research and management in large river basins. There is a tendency for each new group working in a basin to develop their own model, resulting in a plethora of such tools for each major basin. The question then becomes: how much modeling is enough? This study reviews hydrological modeling in four large basins (Nile, Mekong, Ganges and Indus). Based on this review, four areas for action to improve effectiveness and reduce duplication in hydrological modeling of large basins are suggested. Model setups and input data, as well as model results, should be published, to allow more coordinated approaches and capitalize on past modeling efforts. More focus is needed on reporting uncertainty, to allow more realistic assessment of the degree of confidence in using results for policy and management. Initiatives are needed to improve the quantity and quality of data for model input, calibration and validation, both traditional hydrological monitoring (improved networks, expansion of automated systems) and new methods for data collection (remote sensing, crowd-sourcing and community based observations). Finally, within each major basin, an appropriate agency should be identified and resourced to take responsibility for data sharing and coordination, to reduce redundancy of effort and promote collaboration.

Increasing the productivity of smallholder agriculture holds the key to poverty reduction. The empirical literature is limited to ascertain the linkages and the implications for policy uptake in Ethiopia. We examine the impact of growth in agricultural productivity on household poverty dynamics in rural Ethiopia using a panel data set (19942009). Findings suggest that government policies aimed at reducing poverty should adopt a growth plus approachdesigning policy interventions to support agricultural productivity growth, plus to protect assets and enhance market access for rural households in the country.

Elevated level of fluoride (F-) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F-, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F- elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F- elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F- on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly-selected households of 20 rural communities of the ZiwayShala lake basin of the Main Ethiopian Rift. DF severity was evaluated using the Thylstrup-Fejerskov Index (TFI). Household surveys were performed and water samples were collected from community water sources. To consider interrelations between the teeth within individual (in terms of DF severity) and between F- and non-F- elements in groundwater, the statistical methods of regression analysis, mixed models, and principal component analysis were used. About 90% of study participants consumed water from wells with F- levels above theWHO recommended standard of 1.5 mg/l. More than 62% of the study population had DF. F- levels were a major factor associated with DF. Age, sex, and milk consumption (both cowapos;s and breastfed)were also statistically significantly (p b 0.05) associated with DF severity; these associations appear both independently and as modifiers of those identified between F- concentration and DF severity. Among 35 examined elements in groundwater, Ca, Al, Cu, and Rb were found to be significantly correlated with dental health outcomes among the residents exposed to waterwith excessive F- concentrations. Quantitative estimates obtained in our study can be used to explore new water treatment strategies, water safety and quality regulations, and lifestyle recommendations which may be more appropriate for this highly populated region.

Until recently, the Ethiopian government’s investment did not systematically target high potential areas for agricultural intensification, limiting the potential productivity gains. Waterlogged vertisols, whichcover about 2.7 million hectares in the Ethiopian part of the Blue Nile Basin, are among the high potential soils where management interventions could result in positive impacts. This study utilized soil, climate,crop and livestock productivity data and models to demonstrate intensification strategies which canincrease crop-livestock system productivity. To understand the effects of alternative land use and water management interventions on water productivity, the areas have been classified into three drainagestatus depending on slope classes. Accordingly, non-drainable (02%), drainable (25%) and naturally drained (gt;5%) respectively, represented areas where artificial drainage is not feasible, where drainage using broad bed and furrows (BBF) is recommended, and areas where waterlogging is not a problem and no intervention is needed. Early planting of wheat (Triticum spp.) on BBF instead of the traditional late planting on flat beds in drainable areas and rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation instead of the traditional extensive grazing or growing grass-pea (Lathyrus sativus) on the flat areas provide viable alternative cropping options. Yield data of the crops and biomass of the native grass were obtained from research stations inthe area while the effective rainfall and crop water requirement were estimated using CROPWAT Model. The value of the native grass and crop straw as livestock feed was estimated based on previous works.With respect to effective rainfall, the water productivity increase due to BBF over the control ranged from 5% to 200%, with an average increase of 57%. Despite higher water consumption of rice, feeding itsresidues to livestock enhanced the overall economic water productivity of the system as compared to thenatural grazing or grass-pea cultivation. This can be accounted for by higher rice biomass productivity and the greater demand for its grain. The study demonstrated that draining the excess water when the slope allows, growing suitable high value crops on non-drainable areas, and integration of livestock into improved land and water management enhance overall agricultural system water productivity.

The study examined whether access to spate irrigation leads to better nutrition outcomes. The results showed that there is an overall improvement in the study sites compared to the 2011 DHS study. As far as households with access to spate irrigation are concerned, weight-for-height z-scores indicated that 8.2% of the children had prevalence of global acute malnutrition; 8.2% of them had moderate acute malnutrition. None of the children had severe acute malnutrition. The weight-for-age results indicated that 27.5, 17.6 and 9.8% of the children showed prevalence of underweight, moderate underweight and severe underweight, respectively. The height-for-age z-scores showed 56.5, 30.8 and 21.7% of the children had prevalence of stunting, moderate stunting and severe stunting, respectively. On the other hand, households without access to spate irrigation indicated that as far as the weight-for-height z-scores of children are concerned, there were no children (boys and girls) with prevalence of global acute malnutrition; weight for-age z-score showed that 13.6, 10.2 and 3.4% of the children had prevalence of underweight, moderate underweight and severe underweight, respectively. The height-for-age z-scores showed that 45.5, 25.5 and 20.0% of the children had prevalence of stunting, moderate stunting and severe stunting, respectively. The anthropometric measures, thus, showed the nutritional outcomes of users were worse-off than of nonusers of spate irrigation. This happens in the face of better income and consumption expenditures, mainly nonfood, for users compared to nonusers. This underlines the importance of nutrition education alongside efforts to improve access to irrigation. Moreover, multisectoral collaborations are needed between the health, agriculture, water, social protection, education, gender and other sectors to improve the nutrition outcome of children.

The study examined whether the use of spate irrigation in drought-prone areas of Ethiopia reduced poverty. Each of about 25 users of indigenous and modern spate irrigation schemes and an equal number of corresponding nonusers from the same peasant associations in Oromia and Tigray regional states were interviewed. The survey found that the poverty level of the spate irrigation users was significantly lower than that of the nonusers in terms incidence, depth and severity. Access to improved spate irrigation has led to reduced poverty, measured by all poverty indices, compared to traditional spate. Finally, the dominance test showed that the poverty comparison between users and nonusers was robust. From the study, it can be concluded that the use of spate irrigation in areas where access to other alternative water sources is limited, either by physical availability or by economic constraints, can significantly contribute to poverty reduction, and that modernizing the spate system strengthens the impact.

Flood-based farming is among the potential options in ensuring access to water for crop and livestock production for small-scale farmers in the arid and semiarid lowlands of sub-Saharan Africa, and Ethiopia in particular. Flood-based irrigation while inexpensive is rooted in tradition in many rural communities which is in contrast to many other irrigation types which are unavailable (in terms of water source, technology or capacity) or are costly to develop. Spate irrigation has been practiced in different parts of Ethiopia for many decades, but it was only recently that it gained the government’s attention. This study was conducted through a review and informal discussion with the objectives of documenting the current status, trends and prospects of spate irrigation in the country and the associated challenges, taking cases of selected schemes in different regional states. The study revealed that spate irrigation is expanding either through improvement of traditional schemes or by developing new ones. Neither the traditional nor modern schemes are free of challenges. The traditional schemes suffer from floods that damage their diversion structures, while poor design and construction of diversion structures have led to the failure of new ones. A range of socio-technical improvements in the planning, implementation and operation of schemes is proposed, including the design of headworks and canals consistent with the size and nature of expected flows, structures to minimize sedimentation, building capacity of farmers and district officers, and monitoring and improving the management that currently adversely impacts the performance of the schemes. Consulting farmers at every stage of the development, and building the capacity of engineers to deal with the unique nature of spate flows are the most likely interventions to ensure successful agricultural production using spate irrigation.

Better utilization of water resources depends on the level of understanding of the hydrology of a river basin. The understanding of the hydrology also depends on the extent to which the catchment is gauged. There are many catchments in the Blue Nile basin for which there are very little or no monitoring data available, thus the question as to whether it would be possible to extend and/or generalize model parameters obtained through calibration of gauged watersheds to ungauged catchments within the same region. This study explored the possibility of developing regionalized model parameter sets for use in ungauged catchments. The Blue Nile in the Ethiopian part is sub divided in to 16 sub-basins. In this study, except Dinder and Rahd the remaining 14 sub-basins were considered in the regionalization procedure. The HBV-96 rainfall-runoff model is used to perform the rainfall-runoff analysis. We calibrated HBV model for a number of gauged catchments in the basin. Among the calibrated catchments, 25 catchments were selected for regionalization purpose based on the criteria of relative volume error and Nash Sutcliffe values. For gauged and ungauged catchments, physical catchment characteristics (PCC) were extracted to establish a relationship with the model parameters (MPs) and develop regional model for estimating streamflow for ungauged catchments. The HBV-96 model is used to simulate the runoff from the ungauged catchments. Results from this study indicate that regionalized parameter sets for the HBV model can be obtained and used for making satisfactory hydrologic response predictions in ungauged catchments.

Land degradation through extensification of agriculture and overgrazing is an increasing problem across large expanses of the Ethiopian highlands that give rise to a loss in a range of ecosystem services. Ecological restoration through exclosure establishment has become increasingly important approach to reversing degraded ecosystems in Ethiopia and particularly in the Amhara regional state, northern Ethiopia. The present study was conducted in Nile basin, northern Ethiopia to investigate the changes in soil properties and nutrient contents following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands. A space-for-time substitution approach to monitor changes in soil properties after conversion of communal grazing lands to exclosures with ages of establishment ranging from 1 to 7-years was used. In the 0- to 20- and 20- to 50-cm depths, significant (p lt; 0.05) differences in soil pH, exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, soil moisture content, and bulk density were observed among exclosures and between exclosures and communal grazing land. Communal grazing land displayed significantly higher soil total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to exclosures. However, differences between exclosures and grazing land in soil organic matter (SOM) content and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock were not significant (p gt; 0.05). The results demonstrated that exclosure age influenced SOM content and SOC stock. The lack of influence in soil nutrient and SOM contents as well as SOC stock after 7-year of exclosure establishment could be attributed to: (a) the favorable environment (e.g., better moisture content and soil pH) in exclosures, which results in increased SOM decomposition, and (b) better vegetation growth in exclosures, which consequently reduce soil nutrient content due to higher nutrient uptake by restored plants. Exclosures alone therefore cannot be regarded as a comprehensive short- or medium-term soil rehabilitation option.

As anthropologists working in research for development (R4D) we are under pressure to use participatory methods in our research. However, the level and quality of participation often vary from one project to another or even within a single project, due to the type of participatory approaches used and due to differing perceptions by researchers and other stakeholders of what participation is all about. In this paper we examine the good and the bad of participatory approaches in R4D, by comparing methods (3D participatory mapping, Companion Modelling, Innovation platforms and other forms of participatory workshops) in concrete examples from R4D projects in 3 African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana and Burkina Faso). While participation is believed to offer an alternative to top-down decision making, it can, in some cases actually reinforce such decision-making processes and power differences. Understanding the potential of participation requires first an understanding of the political and social realities underlying the context in which it is being implemented.

Growing cities and their demand for water challenges the management of water resources and provides opportunities for wastewater use in irrigated agriculture. In the cases studied, large volumes of fresh water are extracted from sources often located increasingly further away from the city, while investments in wastewater disposal often lag behind. The resulting environmental impact in peri-urban areas can have multiple consequences for public health, in particular through the use of untreated or poorly treated wastewater in irrigated agriculture. Despite significant efforts to increase wastewater treatment, substantial volumes of untreated wastewater are applied in irrigated agriculture in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Accra (Ghana) and Hyderabad (India). Additional options for safeguarding public health are required to allow the cities to maintain the benefits from already existing, but largely informal, wastewater reuse.

In the Upper Blue Nile (UBN) basin, there is very sparse and uneven distribution of ground-based meteorological stations which constrain assessments on rainfall distributions and representation. To assess the diurnal cycle of rainfall across the UBN basin, satellite observations from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) were used in this study. Data of 7 years (20022008) of Precipitation Radar (PR) and TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) were processed, with analyses based on geographic information system (GIS) operations, statistical techniques, and harmonic analysis. Diurnal cycle patterns of rainfall occurrence and rain rate from three in-situ weather stations are well represented by the satellite observations. Harmonic analysis depicts large differences in the mean of the diurnal cycle, amplitude, and time of the amplitude across the study area. Diurnal cycle of rainfall occurrence has a single peak in Lake Tana, Gilgel Abbay, and Jemma subbasins and double peaks in Belles, Dabus, and Muger subbasins. Maximum rain rate occurs in the morning (Gilgel Abbay, Dabus, and Jemma), afternoon (Belles, Beshilo, and Muger), and evening (Lake Tana and along the river gorges). Results of this study indicate that satellite observations provide an alternative source of data to characterize diurnal cycle of rainfall in data-scarce regions. We noticed, however, that there are a number of constraints to the use of satellite observations. For more accurate assessments, satellite products require validation by a network of well-distributed ground stations. Also, we advocate bias correction.

En ameliorant l’acces des agriculteurs et agricultrices aux eaux souterraines, il est possible de contribuer a un accroissement de leurs revenus, a une augmentation de leur securite alimentaire et a une amelioration de leur acces a l’eau pour leurs besoins domestiques et ceux de leur betail. Dans de nombreux contextes, le forage manuel de puits initie par le secteur prive est un moyen fiable et abordable d’acceder aux eaux souterraines peu profondes, mais il est peu repandu en Ethiopie. Les donnees, informations et cartes realisees pour des operations pilotes de forage manuel de puits dans des zones ciblees d’Ethiopie ont indique que la technique permettait aux agriculteurs d’acceder aux eaux souterraines peu profondes a un cout abordable et demontre une forte demande des agriculteurs pour des puits fores manuellement, ainsi qu’une bonne profitabilite pour les entreprises de forage. Les auteurs de cet article suggerent que l’investissement dans la creation d’une base de donnees spatiales des zones favorables sur le plan hydrogeologique et dans des formations en forage, ainsi que des investissements connexes dans la dynamisation des activites de forage, pourraient catalyser l’industrie du forage manuel de puits et ameliorer considerablement les possibilites d’un acces abordable des petits exploitants agricoles aux eaux souterraines peu profondes.

Increasing female and male farmers’ access to groundwater can contribute to increased incomes, improved food security and improved access to water for livestock and domestic needs. In many contexts, private sector manual well drilling is a reliable and affordable means to access shallow groundwater, but it is not widely available in Ethiopia. Data, information and mapping on pilot manual well drilling efforts in selected areas of Ethiopia indicated that the technique provided affordable access to shallow groundwater for farmers and demonstrated high demand among farmers for manually drilled wells, as well as profitability for drilling businesses. The authors of this paper suggest that investments in creating a spatial database of hydrogeologic suitability domains, investments in driller training, and associated investments in accelerating the drilling industry could catalyze a manual well drilling industry and significantly improve smallholder farmers’ affordable access to shallow groundwater.

Using household survey data from Ethiopia, this paper evaluates the impact of agricultural cooperatives on smallholders’ technical efficiency. We utilize propensity score matching to compare the average difference in technical efficiency between cooperative farmers and similar independent farmers. The approach assumes exogenous cooperative formation and similar farm technology across households. The results show that agricultural cooperatives are effective in providing support services that significantly contribute to members’ technical efficiency. These results are found to be insensitive to hidden bias and consistent with the idea that agricultural cooperatives enhance members’ efficiency by easing access to productive inputs and facilitating extension linkages. Based on the findings, increased participation in agricultural cooperatives should further enhance efficiency gains among smallholder farmers.

Participatory research is increasingly recognized as being useful for conducting multiple activities in research for development projects. The co-learning environment created in participatory research helps to identify existing social and technological gaps, and develop possible solutions to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. This report describes a participatory approach used in the establishment and implementation of hydrometeorological monitoring networks in the Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia. The networks were established with the involvement of rural communities and other stakeholders to gain insights into the hydrological processes of the watersheds, in order to improve rainwater management strategies. Local people were involved in the day-to-day management and maintenance of the networks. The participatory approach proved beneficial for several reasons, not least, because it instilled trust and goodwill amongst the communities.

Agriculture is the main sector of the Ethiopian economy. Uneven distribution of rainfall, droughts and high rainfall intensities contribute to low agricultural productivity and high levels of food insecurity. High population growth, the cultivation of steep and marginal lands, poor land management practices and lack of effective rainwater management (RWM) strategies aggravate the situation. Studies show that the adoption of RWM technologies is low and is influenced by several factors. This study assesses the patterns and the factors that influence farm household adoption of RWM technologies. Unlike previous studies which typically examined a single technology rather than the interdependence between technologies, the conceptual framework of this study is based on the premise that farmers are more likely to adopt a combination of promising RWM technologies. The need to consider this interdependence is one of the many recommendations made by this study to promote the adoption of RWM technologies.

In this article, we explore the ways in which people in the Ethiopian Gambela region dealt with the extreme flood that occurred in 2007, with specific attention to the associated loss and damage, i.e., the impacts that people were not able to avoid through preventive and coping measures. We found that all of the 431 surveyed households took preventive measures such as the construction of boundary walls, harvesting premature crops and digging drainage ditches to divert the flood away from croplands. However, these could not prevent widespread negative effects such as damage to houses and crops, the outbreak of diseases, and loss of livestock. To deal with the adverse effects, 50% of the respondents relied on the help of relatives, neighbours or friends for food and money. Such assistance appeared crucial. People were, however, worried about over-using their social networks, especially with floods occurring more regularly. Widening peopleapos;s agricultural and non-agricultural options, for example through investments in micro-finance services and irrigation systems, will help to increase their coping capacity.

[1] Evapotranspiration (ET) accounts for a substantial amount of the water use in river basins particular in the tropics and arid regions. However, accurate estimation still remains a challenge especially in large spatially heterogeneous and data scarce areas including the Upper Pangani River Basin in Eastern Africa. Using multitemporal Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Surface Energy Balance Algorithm of Land (SEBAL) model, 138 images were analyzed at 250 m, 8 day scales to estimate actual ET for 16 land use types for the period 20082010. A good agreement was attained for the SEBAL results from various validations. For open water evaporation, the estimated ET for Nyumba ya Mungu (NyM) reservoir showed a good correlations (R = 0.95; R2 = 0.91; Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Means Square Error (RMSE) of less than 5%) to pan evaporation using an optimized pan coefficient of 0.81. An absolute relative error of 2% was also achieved from the mean annual water balance estimates of the reservoir. The estimated ET for various agricultural land uses indicated a consistent pattern with the seasonal variability of the crop coefficient (Kc) based on Penman-Monteith equation. In addition, ET estimates for the mountainous areas has been significantly suppressed at the higher elevations (above 2300 m a.s.l.), which is consistent with the decrease in potential evaporation. The calculated surface outflow (Qs) through a water balance analysis resulted in a bias of 12% to the observed discharge at the outlet of the river basin. The bias was within 13% uncertainty range at 95% confidence interval for Qs. SEBAL ET estimates were also compared with global ET from MODIS 16 algorithm (R = 0.74; R2 = 0.32; RMSE of 34% and MAE of 28%) and comparatively significant in variance at 95% confidence level. The interseasonal and intraseasonal ET fluxes derived have shown the level of water use for various land use types under different climate conditions. The evaporative water use in the river basin accounted for 94% to the annual precipitation for the period of study. The results have a potential for use in hydrological analysis and water accounting.

In arid and semi-arid areas, evaporation fluxes are the largest component of the hydrological cycle, with runoff coefficient rarely exceeding 10%. These fluxes are a function of land use and land management and as such an essential component for integrated water resources management. Spatially distributed land use and land cover (LULC) maps distinguishing not only natural land cover but also management practices such as irrigation are therefore essential for comprehensive water management analysis in a river basin. Through remote sensing, LULC can be classified using its unique phenological variability observed over time. For this purpose, sixteen LULC types have been classified in the Upper Pangani River Basin (the headwaters of the Pangani River Basin in Tanzania) using MODIS vegetation satellite data. Ninety-four images based on 8 day temporal and 250 m spatial resolutions were analyzed for the hydrological years 2009 and 2010. Unsupervised and supervised clustering techniques were utilized to identify various LULC types with aid of ground information on crop calendar and the land features of the river basin. Ground truthing data were obtained during two rainfall seasons to assess the classification accuracy. The results showed an overall classification accuracy of 85%, with the producer’s accuracy of 83% and user’s accuracy of 86% for confidence level of 98% in the analysis. The overall Kappa coefficient of 0.85 also showed good agreement between the LULC and the ground data. The land suitability classification based on FAO-SYS framework for the various LULC types were also consistent with the derived classification results. The existing local database on total smallholder irrigation development and sugarcane cultivation (large scale irrigation) showed a 74% and 95% variation respectively to the LULC classification and showed fairly good geographical distribution. The LULC information provides an essential boundary condition for establishing the water use and management of green and blue water resources in the water stress Pangani River Basin.

The government of Ethiopia has invested in groundwater development for smallholder irrigation in the Raya Valley and Kobo Valley, north-eastern Ethiopia, where the hydrogeological potential is large but not fully developed. A cost-benefit analysis shows that investment in deep groundwater irrigation development is viable at a 9.5% discount rate in 75% of the wells. Assuming full cost recovery of capital investment, the annual payment rates (annuity) that irrigation users should pay over the wells’ service life (25 years) were estimated. It is recommended that future investment be based on cost sharing rather than full cost recovery to facilitate uptake and address financial realities.

The expansion of irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa has been slow. In Asia, the rapid expansion of smallholder irrigation systems was attributed in part to the availability and affordability of motorized pumps. This paper appraises the current extent of pump-based irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa; profiles the socio-economic and demographic attributes of current pump adopters; and assesses the poverty outreach of small-pump technology. It shows that private smallholder irrigation is practised mainly by the wealthier farmers. The development of groundwater irrigation requires targeted and deliberate public-policy interventions and institutional support focusing on the more marginal farmers.

Smallholder irrigation is emerging as a development priority in Sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a survey of 1554 smallholders from nine countries, this paper compares rainfed farming with gravity-flow, manual-lift and motor-pump irrigation. Motor-pump-irrigation farmers reported the highest net value added per acre and per family worker, with gravity-flow and manual-irrigation farmers earning marginally more than rainfed-only farmers. In addition to making affordable pumps more readily available, improving the availability of working capital, enhancing security of tenure and ensuring the availability of affordable fuel are all likely to accelerate smallholder irrigation development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Community participation, defined as engaging users of schemes in the decision-making processes for the planning and implementation of irrigation projects, is critical for the sustainability of irrigation schemes. This study was carried out in three regional states of Ethiopia to investigate the contribution of Water User Associations (WUAs) to sustaining participation in irrigation projects. The paper demonstrates that the poor understanding of community participation and institutional development by project staff in donor-supported irrigation projects results in the poor performance of WUAs in enhancing participation in irrigation systems. The interventions of external bodies in setting up the WUA by-laws and in determining the responsibilities of users and WUA committees contributed to the low level of participation. The transfer of schemes to WUAs without building WUA committeesapos; abilities in operation and maintenance constrained their ability to sustainably manage irrigation schemes. The WUA committees are male-dominated and the views of women are hardly represented in the decision-making. Therefore, establishing WUA committees that reflect the interests and inputs of scheme users is crucial to achieve fair decision-making. Local authorities and non-governmental organizations could do more to change perceptions and behavior on the importance of gender equity in sustaining the positive outcomes of irrigation at household and community levels.

Irrigation with wastewater supports agricultural production and the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers in many parts of the world. Considering the importance of better wastewater management at the local and national levels, there is a need for updated national data on wastewater generation, treatment, and use, which would also assist in regional and global wastewater assessments. While searching data and literature in published or electronic forms for 181 countries, we find that only 55 countries have data available on all three aspects of wastewater generation, treatment, and use. The number of countries with one or two aspects of wastewater generation, treatment, and use is 69, while there is no information available from 57 countries. Of the available information, only 37% of the data could be categorized as recent (reported during 20082012). The available data suggest that high-income countries on average treat 70% of the generated wastewater, followed by upper-middle-income countries (38%), lower-middle-income countries (28%), and low-income countries, where only 8% of the wastewater generated is treated. The availability of current information on wastewater generation, treatment, and use is crucially important for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners, as well as public institutions, to develop national and local action plans aiming at safe and productive use of wastewater in agriculture, aquaculture, and agroforestry systems. The country level information aggregated at the regional and global levels would help in identifying the gaps in pertinent data availability and assessing the potential of wastewater in food, feed, and fish production at different scales.

The study was undertaken with the objective of assessing factors affecting milk market outlet choices in Wolaita zone, Ethiopia. Using farm household survey data from 394 households and Multinomial Logit Model, milk market outlet choices were analyzed. Multinomial Logit model results indicate that compared to accessing individual consumer milk market outlet, the likelihood of accessing cooperative milk market outlet was lower among households who owned large number of cows, those who considered price offered by cooperative lower than other market outlets and those who wanted payment other than cash mode. The likelihood of accessing cooperative milk market outlet was higher for households who were cooperative member, who owned large landholding size, who had been in dairy farming for many years and who received better dairy extension services. Compared to accessing individual consumer milk market outlet, the likelihood of accessing hotel/restaurant milk market outlet was lower among households who were at far away from urban center and higher among households who accessed better dairy extension services and who owned large number of dairy cows. As one of the key factors to boost milk market outlet choices, dairy extension services should be strengthened through redesigning or reforming implementation strategies or improving/strengthening existing policy. It should be strengthened to enable farmers produce surplus milk for markets and should devise means to reduce local milking cow numbers by replacing them with crossbred cows. Moreover, governments should strengthen milk processing cooperatives and improve infrastructure facilities.

A simple but comprehensive framework for analysing the potential for and constraints to groundwater development for irrigated agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is proposed. The framework, based on food value chain principles, is applied to the sub-Saharan context and a specific catchment in Tanzania, the Usangu plains, where groundwater has been proposed as a strategic resource for augmenting food production and smallholder livelihoods and to alleviate seasonal water scarcity. The novel contribution of the work is the presentation of a tool that can be applied to support an interdisciplinary approach to systematically identify most significant barriers and most critical water management and development interventions for sustainable development of groundwater irrigation. The result of the case study shows that farmer economics, capacity, and pump and well drilling market constraints limit groundwater irrigation in the Usangu plains rather than hydrogeological conditions.

In four separate studies undertaken in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, changes in regulating ecosystem services, economic viability, and the perception of local communities following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands were investigated. Replicated ( = 3) 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year-old exclosures were selected and paired each exclosure with an adjacent grazing land. All exclosures displayed higher ecosystem services than communal grazing lands. Differences between exclosures and grazing lands varied between 29 (4.9) and 61 (6.7)Mg C ha-1 for ecosystem carbon stock (ECS), 2.4 (0.6) and 6.9 (1.8)Mgha-1 for total soil N stock, and 17 (3) to 39 (7) Kg ha-1 for the available P stock, and all differences increased with exclosure duration. Differences in plant species richness and biomass between an exclosure age and communal grazing land were higher in oldest than in youngest exclosures. Over a period of 30 years, sequestered carbon dioxide was 246Mgha-1, total soil nitrogen increased by 7.9Mgha-1, and additional available phosphorous stocks amounted to 40 kg ha-1. The Net Present Value of exclosures ecosystem services under consideration was about 28% (837US$) higher than alternative wheat production indicating that exclosures are competitive to alternative land uses. There are substantial opportunities to mobilize the local communities in efforts to establish exclosures, given that more than 75% had a positive view on exclosures effectiveness to restore degraded ecosystems. Establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands can be effective for restoring degraded ecosystems and the services that they provide.

West and East Africa experience high variability of rainfall that is expected to increase with climate change. This results in uctuations in water availability for food production and other socioeconomic activities. Water harvesting and storage can mitigate the adverse effects of rainfall variability. But past studies have shown that when investments in water storage are not guided by environmental health considerations, the increased availability of open water surface may increase the transmission of waterrelated diseases. This is demonstrated for schistosomiasis associated with small reservoirs in Burkina Faso, and for malaria in Ethiopia around large dams, small dams, and water harvesting ponds. The concern is that the rush to develop water harvesting and storage for climate change adaptation may increase the risk for already vulnerable people, in some cases more than canceling out the bene ts of greater water availability. Taking health issues into account in a participatory approach to planning, design, and management of rainwater harvesting and water storage, as well as considering the full range of water storage options would enable better opportunities for enhancing resilience against climate change in vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa.

Assessing and empirically measuring the development impact of rainwater management innovations to inform related decisions remains conceptually and methodologically difficult. Whether it is empirically more appropriate to assess and measure the impact pathways than the impact per se remains an important methodological issue. This paper proposes a RainwaterLivelihoodsPoverty Index (RLPI) as a comprehensive and participatory impact pathway assessment technique with measurable indicators recapitulating the sustainable livelihoods framework. The methodological contributions to rainwater impact assessment are two-fold. First, the RLPI explicitly incorporates intermediate processes and impact pathways as important factors affecting the development impacts of rainwater-related interventions. Second, the RLPI combines quantitative and qualitative household response data into a single yet meaningful quantitative impact indicator. This makes the methodology participatory, allowing farmers engagement to use their knowledge (as local expert observers) in informing rainwater management decisions. The methodology is empirically tested in Diga district (western Ethiopia) and validated using expert opinions.

Using a production function, marginal productivity of farm inputs and benefit-cost analysis, we explore the economics of selected water control technologies. From the production function, all farm inputs, including irrigation water is found to have a significant and positive effect on yield. Marginal value products of farm inputs are found to be positive but their magnitudes differ by type of control structures, crop type, agro-ecology and regions. The net present values of all water control structures are positive. There is a favorable precondition for sustainable adoption of these controls technologies and institutionalizing some sort of cost recovery schemes. The level of education, the ratio of irrigated land allocated to irrigated annuals and perennials, access to markets and off-farm income are found to have significant effect on successful use of these control structures. Recommendations and policy implications are drawn accordingly.

We present a framework for prioritizing adaptation approaches at a range of timeframes. The framework is illustrated by four case studies from developing countries, each with associated characterisation of uncertainty. Two cases, on near-term adaptation planning in Sri Lanka and on stakeholder scenario exercises in East Africa, show how the relative utility of ‘capacity’ versus ‘impact’ approaches to adaptation planning differ with level of uncertainty and associated lead time. A further two cases demonstrate that it is possible to identify uncertainties that are relevant to decision-making in specific timeframes and circumstances. The case on coffee in Latin America identifies altitudinal thresholds at which incremental versus transformative adaptation pathways are robust options. The final case uses three crop-climate simulation studies to demonstrate how uncertainty can be characterised at different time horizons to discriminate where robust adaptation options are possible. We find that ‘impact’ approaches, which use predictive models, are increasingly useful over longer lead times and at higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. We also find that extreme events are important in determining predictability across a broad range of timescales. The results demonstrate the potential for robust knowledge and actions in the face of uncertainty.

This article examined the determinants of off-farm labor supply decision of adult members of households in rural western Ethiopia using cross-section data collected from 324 sample households. The double hurdle model was employed and the off-farm work participation and hours of work decision of male and female adults were jointly estimated. The result indicated that individual characteristics, household composition, availability of credit, value of off-farm equipment and location factors significantly influenced participation decision; yet, individual attributes, economic incentives and location were the major determinants of hours of work decisions. The findings imply that given the importance of off-farm activity in alleviating the problems of low agricultural productivity and the resulting low income, policy measures which can promote rural investment and create employment opportunities in off-farm activities may help minimize the effects of low farm income.

In water stressed regions such as the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia, increasing Crop Water Productivity (CWP) is imperative for sustainable food and water security. This paper presents CWP of Teff (Eragrostic Tef), a staple food in Ethiopia and an important export crop. Field experiments were conducted under irrigated agriculture during the dry seasons in the periods: 1) November 2010 to March 2011; and 2) December 2011 to April, 2012 at Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre in Ethiopia. Teff crop was irrigated at sixteen different water application depths ranging from 100 to 25 % of the optimum Crop Water Evapotranspiration (ETc.) during the four growing stages, the initial, development, mid season and late season. The effect of seeding rates of 25 kg/ha and 10 kg/ha on lodging and yield of the crop was also determined. The main results were: 1) At 25 % deficit irrigation applied for the whole growth period, Teff CWP was the highest at 1.16 and 1.08 kg/m3 respectively for the seeding rates of 25 kg/ha and 10 kg/ha; 2) the CWP slightly decreased to 1.12 and 1.07 kg/m3 when the 25 % deficit was applied during the late season stage; 3) the crop yield response factor (Ky) of 1.09 and 1.19 was obtained for seeding rates of 25 kg/ha and 10 kg/ha respectively; the equivalent biomass response factor (Ky) was less at 0.88 and 0.96 respectively.

In the semi-arid tropics, communal grazing lands provide a livelihood for millions of people.However, it is highly threatened by overgrazing and continuous land degradation and, as a result, proper management is important to improve the livelihood of the people. This study investigated the effectiveness of exclosures established on communal grazing lands to restore soil properties and identified the relationship among soil properties, site and vegetation characteristics, and exclosure age. A space-for-time substitution approach to detect changes in soil properties following the establishment of exclosures on communal grazing lands was used. Replicated (n¼3) 5-, 10-, and 15-year-old exclosures were selected and paired, each exclosure with an adjacent communal grazing land. All exclosures showed higher soil organic matter (OM), total soil nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) than the adjacent grazing lands. The increases in soil properties between exclosures and grazing lands in the 0- to 0.2-m depth varied between 58 and 101% for OM, from 54 to 108% for N, from 26 to 128% for P, and from 18 to 28% for CEC over the grazing lands. Soil properties in exclosures and grazing lands showed significant (plt;0.05) correlations with biomass and vegetation cover indicating that vegetation restoration is a key to restore degraded soils through exclosure establishment. Establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands can be effective in restoring the degraded soils in the semi-arid lowlands of Ethiopia. However, further studies are required on the ecological and economic benefits of future exclosures, as expansion of exclosure could cause grazing pressure on the remaining communal grazing lands.

This paper examines the determinants of labor market participation decision of farm households in rural Ethiopia using sample household survey data collected from the study area. Factors affecting households’ probability of participation in a particular labor market regime were analyzed using descriptive data and multinomial logit model. The overall result of the analysis indicated that farm households in the study area integrate into labor markets as buyers or sellers of labor. Specifically, the probability of a household to choose a particular labor market regime was related to initial differences in resource endowments, household composition and characteristics, farm attributes and location characteristics. The finding that households integrate into labor markets as buyers or sellers has considerable policy implications with regards to the distribution of benefits that may arise from policy interventions, were the rural labor market serves as a mechanism through which the distribution of benefits from such interventions are realized.

Restoring vegetation in low rainfall areas is difficult and urges the need to design an effective and low-cost method of vegetation restoration. This study was undertaken in the lowlands of northern Ethiopia to: (1) investigate how exclosure age affects restoration of degraded native plant species richness, diversity and aboveground standing biomass, and (2) identify soil characteristics, which affect effectiveness of exclosures to restore degraded native vegetation. Replicated (n = 3) 5-, 10- and 15- year-old exclosures were selected and each exclosure was paired with an adjacent grazing land to detect changes in vegetation variables following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands. All exclosures displayed higher species richness, diversity and aboveground biomass when compared to the adjacent grazing lands. Results on vegetation composition indicate that all exclosures are at early stage of succession. In all exclosures and grazing lands, vegetation variables displayed significant (p lt; 0.05) correlations with soil variables indicating that consideration of soil fertility will help enhance natural regeneration in exclosures. Our study indicates that the establishment of exclosures on degraded communal grazing lands can be effective in restoring degraded native vegetations, and with time, exclosures may obtain an important role as source of seeds of indigenous woody species.

This paper explores a fruitful convergence between the distributive and procedural dimensions of environmental justice theory and current debates in the field of development studies over capitals and capabilities, institutions, and discourse formation to shed new light on natural resource management projects in the developing world. Specifically, we document the planning and implementation of two types of water interventions in two contrasting regions: watershed development programmes in northeast India and small reservoirs in sub-Saharan West Africa.We find that there is a contradiction between the inherently political nature of water interventions and the fact that such projects remain grounded in apolitical, technical and managerial narratives. In contrast to the new semantic of development, this depoliticization results in the near absence of attention paid to procedural (participation and empowerment) and distributive (equity) justice concerns and in local actors having to revert to covert ways to achieve their ends. A constructive dialogue between development studies and environmental justice scholars can offer a fresh look on the society-environment nexus in the developing world.

Communities in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, have established exclosures on formerly degraded grazing lands and other land uses to promote natural regeneration of plants. Village bylaws devised by communities govern the management of exclosures. We analysed the effectiveness of village bylaws that are used to manage exclosures in addressing forest degradation, resolving conflicts among users over natural resource use, and meeting high expectations of users to realise economic benefits from exclosures through enhancing revenue from sale of grass and dry wood. We collected data using qualitative methods during July and November 2008 in two villages of Tigray. The village bylaws mitigated forest degradation by facilitating users to have common goals in the management of exclosures, and resolved conflicts among users by using monetary sanctions including penalties. The village bylaws were not effective in meeting the high expectations of users to realise economic benefits from exclosures. In some cases, the enforcement of village bylaws was constrained by high social capital, which resulted in the negligence among users in exposing free riders. This indicates that high social capital does not always enhance communal resource management. Moreover, recurrent drought, shortage of fuel wood, and the growing number of landless youths in both villages constrained the effectiveness of village bylaws and further expansion of exclosures. Village committees should focus on addressing the low level of rule enforcement and minimise negligence among users of exclosures through developing a sense of responsibility among users rather than focusing on penalties.

In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, establishment of exclosures to restore degraded communal grazing lands has been practiced for the past three decades. However, empirical data on the effectiveness of exclosures in restoring degraded soils are lacking. We investigated the influence of exclosure age on degree of restoration of degraded soil and identified easily measurable biophysical and management-related factors that can be used to predict soil nutrient restoration. We selected replicated (n = 3) 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year-old exclosures and paired each exclosure with samples from adjacent communal grazing lands. All exclosures showed higher total soil nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and cation exchange capacity than the communal grazing lands. The differences varied between 24 (061) and 69 (185) Mgha1 for the total N stock and from 17 (3) to 39 (7) kg ha1 for the available P stock. The differences in N and P increased with exclosure age. In exclosures, much of the variability in soil N (R2=064) and P (R2=071) stocks were explained by a combination of annual average precipitation, woody biomass, and exclosure age. Precipitation and vegetation canopy cover also explained much of the variability in soil N (R2=074) and P (R2=052) stocks in communal grazing lands. Converting degraded communal grazing lands into exclosures is a viable option to restore degraded soils. Our results also confirm that the possibility to predict the changes in soil nutrient content after exclosure establishment using regression models is based on field measurements.

People across Africa are urbanizing and cities act as magnets that attract poor migrants from rural areas, looking for employment and better life. During the last few decades, the informal sector has been growing fast in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia due to the influx of many young workers into the sector who come from rural areas of the country with the expectation of a better life in the city. The informal sector employment includes casual, temporary jobs such as lottery selling, street vending, petty trade and other similar activities coping strategies and earning strategies to escape food poverty. The informal sector is believed to play an important role in food security as it provides jobs, reduces unemployment, bolsters economic activity, and helps alleviate poverty. However, there is limited local knowledge about the role of this sector in enhancing food security and reducing vulnerability of the emigrants. There is also limited research about the problems and prospects of the informal sector, and via-a-vis its potential contribution towards food security. Therefore, this research was conducted with the major objective of examining the food security level and vulnerability status of emigrants worker and their households to identify the major challenges and prospects for future policy interventions. Primary data were collected from 240 respondents (60 from each of the four sub-cities) who were selected randomly. Secondary data were also collected from government offices. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and econometric approaches. Probit model was used to determine food security status of respondents; whereas ordered probit model was used to identify the factors affecting their vulnerability level. Results suggest that the daily life of the majority of migrants in Addis Ababa (most of them are young school dropouts) is highly connected with street-based informal economic activities such as marketing, vending and lottery selling, etc. Results show that the annual mean income a household would earn is Eth. Birr 7,786.2 ($442). Results of the vulnerability analysis show that informal activities in the study area serve migrants only as temporary safety nets, not as sustainable earnings/livelihood strategies. Results further show that lack of access to bank credit (due to collateral requirements), fluctuating market prices and lack of working premises impacts their work. Data shows that the workers are forced to consume less food or poor quality food. Therefore, future urban policy may need to give due consideration to informal sector employment in order to realize synergies between the formal and informal sectors for addressing food security and poverty issues.

This study examined the links between food security and HIV/AIDS in urban Ethiopia taking Dire Dawa city administration as a case example. The household level primary data were collected from selected kebeles the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia, - using a two stage sampling technique. In the first stage, four kebeles were selected due to their large number of known cases of people living with HIV (PLHIV). In the second stage, 200 households were randomly selected, taking 100 households each from HIV affected and non-affected category. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using well structured and pre-tested questionnaires, and key informant interviews and focus group discussions, which were held with the community members. Using weekly recall period, the data on food variety and quantity consumed were obtained from the principal person preparing food in the household, and then food consumption score was computed using the model developed by the World Food Program (poor consumption, borderline consumption, and better consumption with a score of lt;21, 21.5-35 and gt;35, respectively). Based on the results of the descriptive statistics, it was found out that food consumption score of HIV/AIDS affected and non-affected households were of 35.73 and 37.65, respectively suggesting that the latter are better off. About 70% of HIV affected households have food consumption score of less than 31.5 against 57% of the non-affected ones. Regression results of the ordered logit model also confirm this finding; holding all other variables constant, the marginal effect of being affected by HIV significantly increases the probability of the household being at poor and border line consumption category by 3.13% and 12.49%, respectively. On the other hand, being HIV affected decreases (by 15.62%) the probability of being in the better food consumption category. Thus HIV affected households were less likely to be food secure. Regression results further revealed that, ceteris paribus, participating in social networks significantly increased (by 20.01%) the probability of a household being in a better food consumption category. This suggests that socially isolated households may experience worse food insecurity situation because of lack of supportive safety nets that could shield them against shocks. Results further show that the coping strategies of HIV affected households include, among others, relying more on poor quality food, reducing the daily quantity of food intake and restricting the food consumption of adults in the family so that children can get a chance to eat. For households having fewer social networks and less diversified income sources, these stand out to be ‘better’ and affordable coping mechanisms. However, these coping strategies may hasten the death of HIV affected adult family members by weakening their health as they need more energy and proteins than non-affected ones. This was very well established during key informant

Climate change poses one of the gravest risks to mankind as it affects a wide variety of socio-economic activities, important to world food security. Agriculture is one of the most important sectors vulnerable to climate change. Agricultural production is sensitive to climate change, and food security is sensitive to agricultural production. Climate abnormalities such as perpetual droughts, floods, heat waves, and rainfall failure can have devastating consequences for agricultural production and the impacts could be immediately transmitted to food security and livelihoods. This chapter attempted to assess the short-run economic impacts of climate change (change in the levels of temperature and precipitation) with a focus on the Ethiopian economy. In doing so, it uses a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model based on the 2005/06 Ethiopian Social Accounting Matrix. One of the innovative approaches of this study is the explicit inclusion of different agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of the country in estimating the likely effects of climate change. The results of the CGE model simulation show that climate change has a dampening effect on economic growth and many key macroeconomic indicators. Investment is the only macroeconomic variable that increases despite the changes in climate. For instance, for a 3.260C increase in temperature and a 12.02mm decline in precipitation which will result in a 9.71% loss in crop production, the CGE model simulation indicated that real GDP declines by 3.83%. Moreover, almost all sectoral activities are affected negatively and different agro-ecologies are affected differently. For instance, the highland part of the country, which is the main producer of food crops, is severely affected compared to other AEZs in terms of agricultural production. The findings further revealed that household livelihoods (measured in terms of real income and welfare) are negatively affected, and the effect is unevenly distributed across different household groups. The highest losses in income and welfare are likely to be incurred by the poor households that are residing in smaller urban centers. Thus, the results of this study call for improved climate adaptation actions at farm level and beyond for reducing both economic decline and welfare loss and enhancing resilience. These results also provide critical information for informing economic policy on climate change and achieving food security.

The AgWater Solutions Project, carried out between 2009 and 2012, focused on resolving water issues faced by smallholder farmers. The project examined existing Agricultural Water Management (AWM) solutions, together with factors that influence their adoption and scaling up. The project aimed to identify investment opportunities in AWM that have high potential to improve the incomes and food security of poor farmers. The work was undertaken in the African countries of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, and in the Indian States of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. This Working Paper series summarizes results and recommendations from the research carried out in each of these countries and states.

The AgWater Solutions Project, carried out between 2009 and 2012, focused on resolving water issues faced by smallholder farmers. The project examined existing Agricultural Water Management (AWM) solutions, together with factors that influence their adoption and scaling up. The project aimed to identify investment opportunities in AWM that have high potential to improve the incomes and food security of poor farmers. The work was undertaken in the African countries of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, and in the Indian States of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. This Working Paper series summarizes results and recommendations from the research carried out in each of these countries and states.

It has been suggested that the collective action needed for integrated water management at larger spatial scales could be more effective and sustainable if it were built, bottom-up, on the nested arrangements by which local communities have managed their water resources at homestead, plot, village and sub-catchment levels. The upscaling of such arrangements requires an understanding of why they emerge, how they function and how they are sustained. This paper presents a case study of local level water institutions in Bangalala village in the Makanya catchment, Tanzania. Unlike most research on collective action in which water asymmetry, inequality and heterogeneity are seen as risks to collective action, this study looked at how they dynamically interact and give rise to interdependencies between water users which facilitate coordination and collective action. The findings are confined to relatively small spatial and social scales, involving irrigators from one village. In such situations there may be inhibitions to unilateral action due to social and peer pressure. Spatial or social proximity may thus be a necessary condition for collective action in water asymmetrical situations to emerge. This points to the need for further research, namely to describe and analyse the dynamics engendered by water asymmetry, inequality and heterogeneity at larger spatial scales.

Water transfers to growing cities in sub-Sahara Africa, as elsewhere, seem inevitable. But absolute water entitlements in basins with variable supply may seriously affect many water users in times of water scarcity. This paper is based on research conducted in the Pangani river basin, Tanzania. Using a framework drawing from a theory of water right administration and transfer, the paper describes and analyses the appropriation of water from smallholder irrigators by cities. Here, farmers have over time created flexible allocation rules that are negotiated on a seasonal basis. More recently the basin water authority has been issuing formal water use rights that are based on average water availability. But actual flows are more often than not less than average. The issuing of state-based water use rights has been motivated on grounds of achieving economic efficiency and social equity. The emerging water conflicts between farmers and cities described in this paper have been driven by the fact that domestic use by city residents has, by law, priority over other types of use. The two cities described in this paper take the lion’s share of the available water during the low-flow season, and at times over and above the permitted amounts, creating extreme water stress among the farmers. Rural communities try to defend their prior use claims through involving local leaders, prominent politicians and district and regional commissioners. Power inequality between the different actors (city authorities, basin water office, and smallholder farmers) played a critical role in the reallocation and hence the dynamics of water conflict. The paper proposes proportional allocation, whereby permitted abstractions are reduced in proportion to the expected shortfall in river flow, as an alternative by which limited water resources can be fairly allocated. The exact amounts (quantity or duration of use) by which individual user allocations are reduced would be negotiated by the users at the river level.

The diversity of small-scale irrigation in the Ethiopian Blue Nile basin comprises small dams, wells, ponds and river diversion. The diversity of irrigation infrastructure is partly a consequence of the topographic heterogeneity of the Fogera plains. Despite similar social-political conditions and the same administrative framework, irrigation facilities are established, used and managed differently, ranging from informal arrangements of households and apos;water fathersapos; to water user associations, as well as from open access to irrigation schedules. Fogera belongs to Ethiopian landscapes that will soon transform as a consequence of large dams and huge irrigation schemes. Property rights to land and water are negotiated among a variety of old and new actors. This study, based on ethnographic, hydrological and survey data, synthesises four case studies to analyse the current state of small-scale irrigation. It argues that all water storage options have not only certain comparative advantages but also social constraints, and supports a policy of extending water storage apos;systemsapos; that combine and build on complementarities of different storage types instead of fully replacing diversity by large dams.

Deforestation in African dry forests is widespread and its drivers are complex and vary in space and time. In this paper, we assessed impacts of immigration on dry forests and options for improved management in a resettlement district in north-western Ethiopia. Key informants interviews, focus group discussions and household questionnaire survey were used to collect data. The results indicated that forests of the district are degrading in spatial coverage and quality. The most important drivers were land use change, excessive wood harvest, grazing pressure and forest fire following immigration. The continuous influx of people with different origins, cultures, religions and lengths of residence in the district underscores absence of social bonds for collective action to regulate access. This, coupled with weak formal regulatory system, market forces and policy incentives for farming, resulted in a near open access situation. Our findings confirm the negative relationships between migration and environment not necessarily because of the mere population number added through immigration but because of lack of regulatory frameworks (formal or informal) and poor social capital. Enforcing existing policy of farm size and putting institutional framework on the ground to regulate rate of immigration, extraction of forest products and to encourage tree planting to meet wood demand are suggested measures. We conclude that Government programmes that opt for resettlement as a measure for poverty alleviation must also have mitigating measures to reducing negative impacts on the natural resource base. Thus, the trade-off between environment and development must be carefully managed.

While the importance of forests for livelihoods has long been well-recognized, empirical knowledge of the factors influencing the extent and diversity of household engagement in the extraction of forest products across different socio-economic groups remains limited. In this paper, we use primary data collected through a household survey of 180 households in a resettled dry forest areas of Northwestern Ethiopia. The paper mainly aims at identifying the main drivers of household behavior regarding collection of main forest products in the context of dry forest environment. A multivariate probit analysis was used to explain variation in household participation in collection of different forest products. The results showthat householdsapos; participation in collection of different forest products is significantly determined by a combination of household demographic characteristics, ownership of oxen and of cows, proximity to forest, access to health and school infrastructure, resettlement history and self-reported change in standard of living. The estimation results also suggest households most likely to engage in collection of forest honey, gum, and wood for fuel and other purposes are those located farther from the forest. Policy implications and outlook for further study are discussed in the paper.

Objectives: To identify entomological determinants of increased malaria transmission in the vicinity of the Koka reservoir in Central Ethiopia.Methods: Larval and adult mosquitoes were collected between August 2006 and December 2007 in villages close to (lt;1 km) and farther away from (gt;6 km) the Koka reservoir. Adult mosquitoes were tested for the source of blood meal and sporozoites.Results: In reservoir villages, shoreline puddles and seepage at the base of the dam were the most productive Anopheles-breeding habitats. In villages farther from the dam (control villages), rain pools were important breeding habitats. About five times more mature anopheline larvae and six times more adult anophelines were found in the villages near the reservoir. Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles pharoensis were the most abundant species in the reservoir villages throughout the study period. The majority of adult and larval anophelines were collected during the peak malaria transmission season (SeptemberOctober). Blood meal tests suggested that A. arabiensis fed on humans more commonly (74.6%) than A. pharoensis (62.3%). Plasmodium falciparum-infected A. arabiensis (0.971.32%) and A. pharoensis (0.470.70%) were present in the reservoir villages. No P. falciparum-infected anophelines were present in the control villages.Conclusions: The Koka reservoir contributes to increased numbers of productive Anopheles-breeding sites. This is the likely the cause for the greater abundance of malaria vectors and higher number of malaria cases evidenced in the reservoir villages. Complementing current malaria control strategies with source reduction interventions should be considered to reduce malaria in the vicinity of the reservoir.

The main focus of this article is to explore whether access to selected agricultural water management (AWM) technologies has led to significant reduction in poverty and, if they did so, to identify which technologies had higher impacts. In measuring impact we estimated the average treatment effect for the treated on crop income and measured the differences in consumption expenditures per adult equivalent of those with access and without access using matched data. The estimated average treatment effect was significant and amounted to USD 82 per season. Moreover, there was 24 less poverty incidence among users of AWM technologies compared to nonusers. All technologies were found to have significant poverty reducing impacts with micro dams, deep wells, river diversions, and ponds leading to 37%, 26%, 11%, and 9% reduction in poverty incidence compared to rainfed system. Finally, our study identified the most important correlates of poverty on the basis this we made the policy recommendations to build assets (AWM technologies, livestock, etc); to enhance human resource development and improve the functioning of labor markets for enhanced impact of AWM technologies on poverty.

Understanding plant species distribution patterns along environmental gradients is fundamental to managing ecosystems, particularly when habitats are fragmented due to intensive human land-use pressure. To assist management of the remaining vegetation of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, plant species richness and diversity patterns were analyzed along the main elevation gradient (1,0002,760 m) of the Great Rift Valley escarpment in northern Ethiopia, using 29 plots established at 100-m elevation intervals. A total of 129 vascular plant species belonging to 59 families was recorded. Species richness and diversity showed a hump-shaped relationship with elevation, peaking at mid-elevation (1,9002,200 m). Beta diversity values indicated medium species turnover along the elevation gradient and were lowest at mid-elevation. Elevation strongly partitioned the plant communities (r = 0.98; P.001). Four plant communities were identified along the elevation gradient: Juniperus proceraClutia lanceolata community (2,4002,760 m), Abutilon longicuspeCalpurnia aurea community (1,9002,300 m), Dracaena ombetAcacia etbaica community (1,4001,800 m), and Acacia melliferaDobera glabra community (1,0001,300 m). To optimize conservation of species and plant communities, it is recommended that a conservation corridor be established along the elevation gradient that includes all four plant communities. This strategyin contrast to creating single isolated reserves in zones with high species richnessis necessary for the habitat protection of species with narrow elevational ranges, in particular the globally endangered Nubian dragon tree (Dracaena ombet).

Ethiopia’s policy of large dam construction in the Blue Nile River basin is evaluated by simulating the impact of one downscaled midrange climate change scenario (A1B) on the performance of existing and planned irrigation and hydropower schemes. The simulation finds that by 2100: 1) average basin-wide irrigation demand will increase; 2) annual hydroelectricity generation will be just 60% of potential; and 3) flow at the Ethiopia-Sudan border will be reduced from 1661 m3/s to 1301 m3/s as a consequence of climate change in combination with upstream water resource development. Adaptation to climate change and development must be considered together.

Stochastic production frontiers of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia, were fitted to a random sample of irrigated and rain-fed plots to compare their technical efficiencies. Propensity Score Matching Method was applied to select rain-fed plots with comparable bio-physical attributes to irrigated plots that might have blurred the true efficiency differences between the two systems. Irrigated farms are on a higher production frontier with significant inefficiencies, while rain-fed farms are on a lower production frontier with high efficiency levels. Thus, there is considerable potential for increasing outputs by improving the efficiency of irrigation farms. Rain-fed systems need interventions in soil moisture management to move to a higher production frontier. The study underlines the need for correcting the sequence and mix of yield boosting technologies such as irrigation, improved seeds, and fertilizer that are promoted in arid environments such as Tigray. We recommend that water control must proceed or implemented in tandem with improved seeds and fertilizer technologies. Unless soil moisture is improved by investing in moisture improving technologies, the use of seed and fertilizer in moisture stress areas such as Tigray may have adverse effects.

With growing scarcity and competition for water, urban wastewater is increasingly marketable because of its water and nutrient values. Commodification has implications for the current “residual” uses of wastewater (particularly by poor farmers in developing countries), for the risk of disease transmission, and for wastewater-dependent agro-ecosystems. Using examples from Pakistan, India, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mexico, and the United States, this paper contrasts commodification as it occurs in the developed and developing worlds and demonstrates the need for public information and coherent institutional frameworks, including private- and public-sector participation.

Ethiopia is often highlighted as a country in which a lot of foreign land acquisition is occurring. The extent to which these investments also constitute significant acquisitions of water is the subject of this paper. It is apparent that water availability is a strong driver of the recent surge of investments in agricultural land globally, and in general the investments occur in countries with significant apos;untappedapos; water resources. Ethiopia is no exception. We propose that the perception of unused and abundant water resources, as captured in dominant narratives, that drives and justifies both foreign and domestic investments, fails to reflect the more complex reality on the ground. Based on new collections of lease information and crop modelling, we estimate the potential additional water use associated with foreign investments at various scales. As a consequence of data limitations our analyses provide only crude estimates of consumptive water use and indicate a wide range of possible water consumption depending on exactly how foreign direct investment (FDI) development scenarios unfold. However, they do suggest that if all planned FDI schemes are implemented and expanded in the near future, additional water consumption is likely to be comparable with existing water use in non-FDI irrigation schemes, and a non-trivial proportion of the country’s water resources will be effectively utilised by foreign entities. Hence, additional water use as well as local water scarcity ought to be strong considerations in regulating or pricing land leases. If new investments are to increase local food and water security without compromising local and downstream water availability they should be designed to improve often very low agricultural water productivity, and to safeguard access of local populations to water.

Agricultural cooperatives are important rural organizations supporting livelihood development and poverty reduction. In recognition of such roles of cooperatives, Ethiopia showed a renewed interest in recent years in promoting cooperative sector development. However, there is lack of a wider and systematic analysis to produce sufficient empirical evidence on the livelihood development and poverty reduction impacts of cooperatives in the country. Using a matching technique on rural household income, saving, agricultural input expenditure and asset accumulation as indicator variables, this paper evaluates the livelihood impact of agricultural cooperatives in Sidama zone, Ethiopia. The finding shows that cooperatives improved the livelihoods of service user farmers through impacting better income, more savings and reduced input costs. In view of such evidence, further promotion, deepening and supporting of agricultural cooperatives is recommended.

This study aims to assess the link between fluoride content in groundwater and its impact on dental health in rural communities of the Ethiopian Rift. A total of 148 water samples were collected from two drainage basins within the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). In the ZiwayShala basin in particular, wells had high fluoride levels (mean: 9.410.5 mg/L; range: 1.1 to 68 mg/L), with 48 of 50 exceeding the WHO drinking water guideline limit of 1.5 mg/L. Total average daily intake of fluoride from drinking groundwater (calculated per weight unit) was also found to be six times higher than the No-Observed-Adverse-Effects-Level (NOAEL) value of 0.06 mg/kg/day. The highest fluoride levels were found in highly-alkaline (pH of 7 to 8.9) groundwater characterized by high salinity; high concentrations of sodium (Na+), bicarbonate (HCO3 -), and silica (SiO2); and low concentrations of calcium (Ca2+). A progressive Ca2+ decrease along the groundwater flow path is associated with an increase of fluoride in the groundwater. The groundwater quality problem is also coupled with the presence of other toxic elements, such as arsenic (As) and uranium (U). The health impact of fluoride was evaluated based on clinical examination of dental fluorosis (DF) among local residents using the Thylstrup and Fejerskov index (TFI). In total, 200 rural inhabitants between the ages of 7 and 40 years old using water from 12 wells of fluoride range of 7.818 mg/L were examined. Signs of DF (TF score of =1) were observed in all individuals. Most of the teeth (52%) recorded TF scores of 5 and 6, followed by TF scores of 3 and 4 (30%), and 8.4% had TF scores of 7 or higher. Sixty percent of the teeth exhibited loss of the outermost enamel. Within the range of fluoride contents, we did not find any correlation between fluoride content and DF. Finally, preliminary data suggest that milk intake has contributed to reducing the severity of DF. The study highlights the apparent positive role of milk on DF, and emphasizes the importance of nutrition in management efforts to mitigate DF in the MER and other parts of the world.

Declining natural forests and growing demands for wood products are encouraging the rapid expansion of eucalypt farm forestry in Ethiopia, and Arsi Negelle district represents areas with recent plantation expansion in the Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. This study assessed trends in eucalypt planting over the last five decades, identified the determinants, and examined perceptions of local stakeholders towards this expansion in the district. Quantitative data were gathered through a household survey and farm level inventory. About 90% of the respondents had planted eucalypts, and 52% of them were engaged in planting since the late 1990s. About 11% converted cropland to eucalypt woodlots, which is also a growing trend in the area. Proximity to Arsi-Forest Enterprise (P.01) and area of land holding (P.01) positively and significantly affected both decision to plant and land area allocated to eucalypts plantings. Active labour in the family negatively and significantly (P.05) affected planting decisions, while education level of the household head positively and significantly (P.05) affected land area allocated to eucalypts plantings. Despite strong policy discouragement and perceived adverse ecological effects by the farmers themselves, 96% of them and 90% of the district experts support the expansion. Eucalyptus has become the most desired and planted tree genus, and economics not ecology appears to drive its expansion. Unless better alternative sources of cash income and substitutes for energy and construction materials are found, its expansion is likely to continue even at the expense of cropland. It is concluded that research is needed to fine-tune current eucalypt farm forestry practices to reduce the associated ecological externalities, rather than grossly banning eucalypt planting by smallholders.

The biting cycle of the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) was assessed by hourly light trap collections in three villages in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Hourly catches were conducted in two houses in each village, for four consecutive nights. Light traps were set from 18.00 hours to 07.00 hours in houses in which people slept under untreated bednets. Anopheles arabiensis showed early biting activities, which peaked between 19.00 hours and 20.00 hours in the three villages; over 70% of biting activity occurred before 22.00 hours, when people typically retire to bed. This early biting activity may have a negative impact on the efficiency of bednets to control malaria.

Perceived increased water scarcity in the Usangu catchment, Tanzania has raised social conflict that requires proper water management. Proper management of water resources requires understanding long-term trends of hydrological change. Information of baseflow is critical in the assessment of changes as it is the main contributor to stream flow in the dry season, while also indicating potential shifts in flow pathways in a catchment, including that of groundwater. Three upper perennial tributaries as well as a lower main channel downstream of the Usangu catchment were analysed in this study. The recursive digital filter (RDF) method was used to quantify baseflow with monthly stream flow records. Baseflow decline over the 50-year period (19602009) was a generally observed phenomenon across the catchment in all the streams investigated. A significant downward sloping change point was detected in 1989/1990. Total stream flows also decreased for the western part (because baseflow constituted a major share), whereas total stream flows did not change for the eastern and lower section. These phenomena may be partially explained by climate factors (including rainfall and potential evapotranspiration (ET)) as well as human activities (e.g. deforestation, irrigation, and groundwater abstraction) taking place in the lower as well as upper parts of the catchment.

The recent interest of international funding organizations for financing water storage schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa as a response to anticipated climate change has revived the debate on more appropriate methodologies for welfare assessments. Increasingly, water storage construction is moving away from single objectives like simple irrigation or hydropower production to multiple purpose systems. The inclusion of other socially and environmental related aspects like poverty alleviation and sustenance of minimum ecological services becomes a highly demanding objective for most of the donors. The multi-objective purpose of water storage questions in turn impacts the scaling of a storage scheme as well as the effectiveness of larger versus smaller technical options.The prevailing monetary assessments of direct costs and benefits appear inefficient to capture the diversity of multi-objective targets and the scaling issue by often indicating sub-optimal solutions. The current study proposes an alternative methodological approach based on an outranking methodology equipped with a set of preference conditions and weighting indices. Though based on the underlying principle of economic efficiency, the approach avoids some crucial weaknesses of the mainstream analysis by giving higher attention to a wider range of criteria. The method was tested in six case studies in Ethiopia and Ghana where representative small and large water storage types of Sub-Saharan Africa (small dams, large dams, wells, river diversion, ponds and soil moisture) were assessed in comparison to each other and then evaluated with the help of ethnographic findings.