Community-based irrigation management in Ethiopia: Strategies to enhance human health, livestock and crop production, and natural resource management

Transcription

1 Community-based irrigation management in Ethiopia: Strategies to enhance human health, livestock and crop production, and natural resource management The Tekeze River Basin case study Mintesinot Behailu (Mekele U) Don Peden and Girma Taddese (ILRI) Mohammed A Kadir & Atinkut Mezgebu (Mekele U) 1

2 Acknowledgements Thank you: Dr David Molden Coordinator of Comprehensive Assessment Project (CA-IWMI) Thank you: The Governments of the Netherlands and Switzerland for funding this project through the CA 2

3 Goals To improve the livelihoods of poor farmers in Ethiopia through better management of irrigation systems to improve human health, reduce poverty and better manage natural resources To consider livestock-water interactions 3

4 Why Livestock? Major asset & part of agricultural GDP Water for drinking Water for feed 100 times more than drinking/head Contamination of water Overgrazing promotes sedimentation Animals often have access to water but excluded from catchment 4

5 Location of the Study Sites The project: Awash & Tekeze basins Focus now: the Tekeze Three small micro earth dams: Korir, La elay Wukro, and Mai-Nigus 150 households surveyed Evaluation method before/after Descriptive statistics for this presentation Preliminary results 5

6 Tekeze River Basin Often rugged terrain Severe land degradation Mostly rainfed agriculture Terracing common to control run-off & erosion Some closed areas to restore vegetative cover 6

7 Major River Basin of Ethiopia Tekeze 7

8 Tekeze River Basin Tigray Amhara 8

9 Small Micro Dam Sites Mainigus Dam Laily Wurkro Dam Korir Dam 9

10 Tekeze River Basin Area = km 2 Source near Lalibela Flows to Sudanese border Predicted population (2045) = 17.3 million Grazing & browsing animals = 3.7 million 3 micro-dams Catchment approximately 15 km 2 Command area approximately 1 km 2 10

11 Tekeze River Basin 1 Korir Dam 1. Irrigation water out let 2. Part of the reservoir 3. Part of the reservoir

12 Tekeze River Basin Laily Wurkro Dam in association with livestock 12

13 Tekeze River Basin Laily Wukro Max temp ET Min temp Rainfall 13

14 1 Tekeze River Basin Mainigus Dam 1. The Reservoir & part of catchment 2. The down stream irrigation fields. 2 The farmers keeps cattle at home, but feed is piled in command area. 14

15 Preliminary Results Livestock Population Livestock Poultry Beehives Mean livestock population (number) Livestock Poultry Beehives Before After Figure 2. Impact of community based irrigation development on livestock, chicken and honey beehives. 15

16 Preliminary Results Crop Residues (days/cattle) 724 After 598 Before 598 After irrigation Before irrigation 72 4 Figure 3. impact of irrigation on avaiability of crop residues in days/ cattle. 16

17 Preliminary Results % of households reporting constraints to livestock feed availability Drought 43% Cash 20% money 20% Grazing land 35% Grazing land 35% drought 43% water 2% Drinking water 2% Figure 4. Level of constraints after irrigation development. 17

18 Preliminary Results % of Year with Food Self-sufficiency After 62% Before 38% Before 38% After 62% Figure 5. Months of food self sufficeincy before and after community based irrigation was intoroduced. 18

19 Preliminary Results Impact on local human labor (Birr/day) Men Women labor (Birr) After Men women Men Women Before After Figure 6. Impact of cmmunity irrigation development on local labor before and after irrigation communut irrigation dvelopment. 19

20 Preliminary Results Impact on Environmental Change Soil ersosion 18% Water logging Water loggings 16% 15% Excessive water use 16% others Soil erosion 18% Soil fertility decline 28% 2% Soil fertility decline 28% Salinization 21% Salinization Excessive 21% water use 16% Figure 7. Environmental changes due to introduction of community based irrigation. 20

21 Preliminary Results Household Income Birr Income (Bir/household) Be fore Afte r Diffe re nce Before After Difference Figure 8. Impact of community irrigation development on average annual income (Birr/household). 21

22 Summary of Preliminary Results Ruminant animals declined after irrigation Irrigation increased feed & food security, but communities are not food secure year-round Household income increased by about 50% Labour income increased especially for women Environmental degradation may threaten sustainability of system Improvements to system possible, but more holistic indicators of performance needed Many questions still to be answered 22

23 Thank You 23