This document summarizes research on tools to assist rainwater management strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses projects in Ethiopia working with communities and national partners to address food insecurity through improved rainwater management. Key tools and approaches discussed include the use of sensor networks, hydrological and economic modeling, innovation platforms, and community engagement to identify opportunities and constraints to landscape-scale changes. The goal is to generate knowledge and build skills among stakeholders to support more resilient agricultural systems.

1. Tools to Assist Rain Water Management
Strategies in SSA
Simon Langan
4th December 2012
Annual Research Meeting
IWMI HQ, Sri Lanka
Photo: David Brazier/IWMI
Water for a food-secure world
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2. Projects, Partners and Users
Projects: NBDC (CPWF), Afromaison (EU)
Partners:
International- ILRI, ICRAF, IFPRI, ODI, NBI,
Cemagraf, Cornell University.
National- Ethiopian Universities, Regional
research authorities, Ministry of Agriculture,
Ministry of Water and Energy, Nat. Met.
Agency, River Basin Authorities, NGO’s
Water for a food-secure world
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3. Problem
• In Ethiopia 95% of agriculture is rainfed.
Subject to high variability in rainfall and
access to water. In these areas rural
communities are vulnerable to food
insecurity and a high incidence of poverty.
• What are the opportunities and constraints
(biophysical, social, economic) to changing
this at a landscape scale? (Knowledge,
Attitudes and Skills)
Water for a food-secure world
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4. Toolbox of approaches
Examples
• Knowledge: Students, Modelling and Primary
data
– Hydrometeorological
– Economic- livelihoods
– Social- institutional
• Attitudes: Innovation Platforms
• Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills: Community
engagement and action
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5. Sentinel sites
Generate
primary data
and act as
learning sites
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6. Dynamics of hourly Rainfall and Ground Water
level
30.08.2011 10.10.2011 21.11.2011 02.01.2012 12.02.2012 25.03.2012 06.05.2012 16.06.2012 28.07.2012
0 0
Houly data
5
0.5
10
Ground Water Level from the surface (m)
1
15
Rainfall (mm)
1.5 20
Hourly GW Level
Hourly Rainfall
25
2
30
2.5
35
3 40
Use sites, instrumented networks and data for training
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7. Aug 2011-Aug 2012 SWAT Simulation
8 0
20
7
40
6
60
5
80
Flow (cumecs)
Rainfall (mm)
Observed Flow Simulated Flow Rainfall
4 100
120
3
Use data and models for ‘what if?’ 140
2 and link through to household
160
economic data
1
180
0 200
Date
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8. Climate Forecast and Reanalysis System
 Use as input to models as secondary data at regional scale to
provide a consistent methodology
 1979 – 2010 (will be updated to present > near real-time)
 Coupled atmosphere-ocean-land-sea ice system
 Finer spatial (~38km) and temporal (hourly and daily) resolution
700
600
y = 0.568x + 21.37
R² = 0.876
500
400
300 STN
200
100
0 CFSR
-100 100 300 500 700
Water for a food-secure world
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9. TopoSWAT toolbox for ArcSWAT
Key features:
Creates a pedotransfer
function from a topographic
index and elevation
increment
Performance SWAT TopoSWAT
Criteria
aR2 0.69 0.79
bNSE 0.65 0.77
(Under review Env. Sys.
Software)
Water for a food-secure world
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10. Why Innovation Platforms?
Or...
Water for a food-secure world
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11. Water for a food-secure world
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12. Community engagement
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13. Issues
Site Main Issue Related Issues
Unrestricted Land
Fogera grazing degradation
Land Termite
Diga degradation infestation *
Jeldu Soil erosion Deforestation
Fodder interventions have been selected by
stakeholders in all three sites to address these
issues
* Interventions in Diga linked to CPWF Termite Action Research
Project
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14. Demand Driven Action Research-
Innovation Fund
• 5000 USD allocated to platforms to fund activities
which address RWM issues
• Proposals and action plans developed by
stakeholders according to defined criteria
• Actions are cross-sectoral, participatory, designed
to address RWM issues and targeted to suitable
area
• Sites have been selected in areas within the
designated NBDC watersheds
• Action at household level, farmland and
communal land
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15. Learning so far
Research outputs Inform policy
Information on: •Suggestions for alternatives to current
• Livelihood strategies and constraints practices
• Factors influencing adoption/lack of adoption • Piloted processes that can be tested and
• Social, economic and political drivers of replicated for use in planning and
landscape change implementation
• Development of research/implementation •Concrete outcomes that can be fed to
processes national level platform
• Experiences, lessons, best practice
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16. Acknowledgement
• Alan Duncan- ILRI
• Beth Cullen- ILRI
• Birhanu Zemadim Congratulations:
• Charlotte MacAlister Mastewal and Wolde
• Josie Tucker- ODI Baby boy- Nathan
• Katherine Snyder
• Kindie Getnet
• Lisa-Maria Rebelo
• Matthew McCartney
• Mulugeta Lemenih
• Solomon Seyoum
• Teklu Erkossa
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17. Future activities
• Link SWAT model to household economic model (with IFPRI)
• ODI work on political economy and equity analysis of RWM
interventions
• Qualitative work on adoption to scale out across basin survey work
• Continued work on scenario development in collaboration (Wat-a-
game and Happy Strategies)
• Cross-basin collaboration and learning (Volta, Limpopo)
• Hand over facilitation to partners for long term sustainability
(partnership agreements currently being drafted)
• Formation of stronger links to national platform activities
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