Enhancing Communities’ Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Drought-prone Hotspots of the Blue Nile basin (Kabe, Ethiopia)

(Wollo University, ILRI, UNEP, ARARI)

Tilahun Amede and Yitbarek W/Hawariat,

Stakeholders’ Workshop on Enhancing Communities’ Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change Induced Water Scarcity in Kabe Watershed, South Wollo Zone

Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia, 24-25 November 2011

Nile Basin Development Challenge (NBDC)

• NBDC research focuses on the Ethiopian highlands and will examine the interrelated issues of rainwater management at Landscape and Sub-basin scales;

• Understanding causes and its consequences of low rainwater productivity;

• Innovations for improving rainwater management systems; addressing poverty, vulnerability and resources degradation in the basin.

o Managing rainfall variability; increased water storage;

o Crop and livestock water productivity;o Minimizing land degradation and downstream

siltation of water storage infrastructure, increased biomass;

o Resilient communities and systems that will manage climatic and market shocks

Nile BDCRainwater

Management Systems

Linkages

Sub-regional

Land-scape

Farm level

ImpactLearning

Communication

Nile 5.Coordinati

on, platforms

Nile 4. Consequences, impact, tradeoffs

Nile 2. Innovation

s, technologi

es , practices

Nile 3. Mapping, targeting. Up-scaling

Nile 1. Inventory

and synthesis

Linkages

Link

ages

Why Kabe Watershed?

• Both Programmes of CPWF and UNEP are focusing on the Nile basin; significance to the region, competition / regional peace??

• CPWF Nile has already three sites, high rainfall, relatively high potential..

• UNEP is interested in drought-prone areas, in the Nile;

• Presence of potential partnership/ access • Demand from communities and willingness of

local institutions

Five fundamental challenges for Land and water management in Ethiopian Highlands :

• Limited engagement of local actors in designing Watershed management –related initiatives; differ from their perceived priorities;

• Physical investment on land and water management was not accompanied by short-term incentives of farmers’ choices; a policy decision without linking it to the local contexts.

• Local knowledge is questioned ; dominant external knowledge systems, undermining local “best practice” and eroding traditional institutions.

• Limited access to knowledge, inputs and services related to improved technologies and extension services;

• Weak institutional arrangements and sectoral policies

 

Working Principles• It is a Research for Development Project;• Embraces a whole range of practices; from in situ

moisture conservation and water harvesting, various forms of irrigation to soil and water conservation and livestock management;

• Promote strategies that foster maximum economic use of rainwater that falls onto the hillside and agricultural field;

• Use climate smart technologies as entry points to change farmer’s income and behavior, but also enable adaptation to change

• Closely work with the local administration and local community towards climate change adaptation

Overview pictures

Specific objectives would be:• While introducing various technologies and practices, identify

key socio-economic factors (barriers and opportunities) affecting adoption, and effective utilization of land and water management interventions (e.g. livestock feed, water harvesting, watering points for livestock);

• In alignment with NBDC, create a local, knowledge-base forum that would enable communities, local administration and development actors (NGOs) to share best practices and improve their collective action for improved water management;

• To develop a relevant knowledge base (including extension guides) appropriate for the local extension system to apply climate smart interventions;

• To generate local evidence that may contribute to the regional and global debate on climate change issues, related to UNFCCC, UNFCCD, CSD, Nile BDC

ActivitiesStakeholder workshops to introduce the project, receive feedback from local actors and share lessons;Experimentation with communities and dissemination of climate change adaptation interventions;Assemble knowledge on perceptions, incentives, constraints and collective action schemes affecting adoption of climate adaptation strategies;Mapping and targeting land and water related interventions in the landscape;Training of local extension agents, communities and other development actors in the area;Development and dissemination of materials to upscale lessons learnt to influence regional and national policy;Final end of project workshop, for sharing key insights, and policy influence

Methods and approaches

• Focus on Kabe watershed; to be delineated• Introduce the project to the local communities through the local

administration;• Map the whole resources base, identify key challenges and niches;• Local community facilitator, to build collective action, facilitate

change and support the local extension system;• Establish farmers’ research groups for joint experimentation;• Provide technological options; through ILRI, ARARI, Wollo Uni..• Use local schools as technology hubs;• Continual community feedback meetings;• Frequent update of progress to key stakeholders;• Collect scientific data through the facilitator, PhD and MSc students

and ARARI;• Synthesis of Knowledge emerging from R4D

Climate-smart Interventions

• Through Niche analysis, community prioritization, introduce forages (e.g Napier relatives) as bund stabilizers, gullies, homesteads…

• Climate proof food security options for Belg (Potato, early maturing barley);

• Map and develop watering points; sample shallow wells for SSI; water reservoirs?

Home garden development

• The district is cereal-Livestock dominated; very limited experience in home garden farming;

• Major thrusts, improve nutrition and income for women;

• Home garden development is a knowledge-intensive process; demands initial investment;

• Linking them to market through homegardens?

Intensification Gradients of Home gardens

Improved Vegetation cover upstream

The project Outcomes:• Generate knowledge on socio-economic factors affecting adoption

and effective use of climate adaptation interventions (land, water, vegetation);

• Key incentives for collective action in adopting and promoting climate adaptation interventions at Watershed scales. Key lessons will be shared with the wider actors in the district and beyond;

• Strengthened extension capacity in organizing communities to serve collective action and in identifying appropriate climate adaptation interventions.

• Enhanced community adaptive capacity, through formal and informal trainings, and reflecting on different production scenarios including market opportunities , access to water etc.

• Joint Learning site for Wollo University, ARARI, ILRI, UNEP and other players;

• Thinking Big; hoping to attract more joint investments