Ecosystems for water, food and economic development in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia
Huib Hengsdijk, Dagnachew Legesse, Herco Jansen, Petra Spliethoff, Wolter Scholten, Edwin van der Maden, Tamiru Alemayehu, Petra Hellegers
Content
LNV policy questions and needs Introduction Central Rift Valley (CRV) Research approach Some results Policy/research agenda
LNV policy questions and needs
FAO/NL Pre-conference ‘Water for Food and Ecosystems’ in Ethiopia, November 2004
Request for collaboration Case study area: Central Rift Valley
Horticulture development (export) Food insecure/poverty National Wetland Park Declining surface water tables
LNV policy questions and needs
Goal:To strengthen local authorities in the field of environmental management contributing to a sustainable development of the CRV
Identify and study interrelated issues Identify options for improved resource use Contribute to policy and research agenda
Study area
Catchment area: 1.0 Mln ha
Population: 1.5 Mln
Land use 1999
Land use
Irrigated land 0.6%
Intensively cultivated 21%
Mixed cultivated/wood land 42%
Swamp/wetland/Lake 10%
Forest/acacia woodland 21%
Degraded savanna 5%
Altitude: 1500 - 2400 mRainfall: 600 – 1400 mm
Interrelated problems
Poverty Lack of employment opportunities Deforestation (charcoal, land clearing) Overgrazing and land degradation Low rainfed productivity Over-fishing of lakes Etc, etc. but most prominent…..
Falling water table Lake Abijata
0
50
100
150
200
250
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
year
km
^2
Research approach
Main research question: Cause of declining water tables?
Stakeholder analysis (who are water users?) Water consumption Performance: Water, land and labor productivity of water
users Historical land use analysis Relation between land use change and hydrology Climate change and variability Alternative livelihood strategies
Research methods
Rapid rural appraisal Survey floriculture a.o. on input use Digitalization and analysis of climate data (20
stations) Estimation of irrigation water use Analysis of discharge data of rivers and lakes Water balances for sub-catchments Interpretation satellite images (land use
classification) Literature
Research approach
People
Planet Profit
Public sector
NGO’s
Private sector
Science
Research approach: Stakeholder relationships Science: Interdisciplinary
science communication
Primary stakeholders: Concerned, directly involved
Secundary stakeholders: Concerned, not directly involved
Society: Societal conditions, all other drivers
Society
Secundary
stakeholders
Primary stakeholders
Science
Society
Secundary
stakeholders
Primary stakeholders
Science
A dialogue
Research approach: Policy dialogue – collaboration
Multi-stakeholder platform ‘Lake Ziway’ DGIS Horn of Africa program Bilateral contacts with Dutch Embassy, MoW, LNV Collaboration with Univ. of Addis Ababa, UTwente,
Norw. Univ of Life Sc. Supervision/support of Ethiopian and Dutch students Bill Gates-funded IDE-project on drip irrigation Master Plan development for entire Rift Valley
Some results
Increased intensification of land use Irrigated smallholder/state farms are major water
users and reason for the drop in water tables Rainfall decreased with 15% during 1996-2005,
which further contributed to declining water levels Water & land productivity of rose production > 10
times higher than irrigated smallholder production Labor input (per ha) of rose production > 5 higher
than in irrigated smallholder production
Some results:
Performance of irrigated smallholder production highly variable.
Effect of increasing daily temperature (±1.5°C over the past 30 years) on hydrology?
Effect of deforestation and erosion on hydrology?
Policy/research agenda
Increase water use efficiency (drip, recirculation systems).
Autonomous expansion of smallholder irrigation.
Pollution risks associated with greenhouse production needs attention.
Expansion of greenhouse production will put pressure on urban and social infrastructure.
Alternative livelihood strategies: tourism, rainfed agriculture, fisheries/aquaculture, and Payment for Environmental Services.
Thank you
