Land and Water Productivity

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/34533

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Time allocation to energy resource collection in rural Ethiopia: Gender-disaggregated household responses to changes in firewood availability
(Working Paper, 2015-02-13) Scheurlen, Elena
This paper presents evidence on rural Ethiopian households’ time allocation to different activities, especially fuel collection work, and examines the effect of changes in the availability of firewood resources on households’ time allocation to fuel collection and on- and off-farm income generation. Based on firsthand insights from focus group discussions conducted with farmers in three rural villages of Ethiopia and data from an IFPRI-CIMMYT (International Food Policy Research Institute/International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) household survey implemented by the Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions, the results show that women are involved in more time-consuming and simultaneous work activities than men and hold the primary responsibility for fuel collection
Rural finance and agricultural technology adoption in Ethiopia: Does institutional design matter?
(Working Paper, 2015-03-06) Abate, Gashaw T.; Rashid, Shahidur; Borzaga, Carlos; Getnet, Kindie
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.
Is reliable water access the solution to undernutrition? A review of the potential of irrigation to solve nutrition and gender gaps in Africa South of the Sahara
(Working Paper, 2015-03-20) Domènech, Laia
Interventions aimed at increasing water availability for livelihood and domestic activities have great potential to improve various determinants of undernutrition, such as the quantity and diversity of foods consumed within the household, income generation, and women’s empowerment. However, current evidence on the topic is diluted across many different publications. This paper aims to connect the dots and review the literature available on the linkages between irrigation and food security, improved nutrition, and health. We conclude that the evidence remains insufficient to draw broad conclusions due to the low number of rigorous studies that can be used to assess the linkages. Based on the limited evidence, six factors that should be taken into account in irrigation development to address nutrition and gender gaps with a focus on Africa south of the Sahara are identified: (1) food security and nutrition gains should be stated goals of irrigation programs; (2) training programs and awareness campaigns should accompany irrigation interventions to promote nutrient-dense food production and consumption as well as minimization of health risks; (3) multiple uses of irrigation water should be recognized in order to improve access to water supply and sanitation and livestock and aquatic production; (4) women’s empowerment and women’s participation in irrigation programs should be promoted; (5) homestead food production should be encouraged; and (6) policy synergies between different sectors (agriculture, nutrition, health, water supply and sanitation, education) should be sought.
Promoting gender equality in irrigation
(Brief, 2016-07-13) Theis, Sophie; Passarelli, Simone; Bryan, Elizabeth; Lefore, Nicole; Deneke, Seblewongle; Nyamadi, Ben; Mlote, Sophia
Small-scale irrigation is increasingly recognized as a key strategy for enhancing agricultural productivity and food security under growing climate uncertainty in Africa south of the Sahara. Rainfed production dominates the region, but governments and other stakeholders are increasing investments in irrigation. As these efforts are being rolled out, the gender implications of irrigation must be consid-ered to ensure that both men and women have the opportunity to adopt irrigation technologies and benefit from these investments.
Irrigators’ willingness to pay for the adoption of soil moisture monitoring tools in South-Eastern Africa
(Journal Article, 2020-10-01) Abebe, F.; Zuo, A.; Ann Wheeler, S.; Bjornlund, Henning; Rooyen, Andre F. van; Pittock, J.; Mdemu, M.; Chilundo, M.
Contingent valuation is used to elicit irrigators’ willingness to pay for soil moisture tools in irrigation schemes in Africa, with various econometric methods employed to mitigate potential bias. Key results include that there is a neighbourhood effect influencing adoption, and that being located downstream and spending more on irrigation water positively and statistically significantly influenced willingness to pay for tools. The result suggests that although focusing on economic incentives and promoting farmer learning by those using the tools may promote greater adoption, there is likely to still be a need for co-investment by other bodies.
Monitoring and evaluation of climate resilience for agricultural development – A review of currently available tools
(Journal Article, 2017-03) Douxchamps, Sabine; Debevec, Liza; Giordano, Meredith A.; Barron, Jennie
Building climate resilience, defined as the ability to anticipate, absorb, accommodate, or recover from climate change in a timely and efficient manner, is becoming a major priority of development across multiple sectors. However, there is still no consensus on how resilience should be assessed despite the release of numerous theoretical papers on the topic. Various measurement frameworks and recommendations have emerged, but their applicability is yet to be critically assessed. Using a comprehensive review and a systematic selection approach, we review resilience assessment tools developed for the context of climate change and agricultural development, and their linkages to theoretical frameworks, with a particular focus on the choice of indicators and the scale and methods of measurement. Fifteen tools originating from diverse organizations were selected and evaluated according to a measurement framework. Our study finds that, while some of the tools remain embedded in classical approaches, by simply adding a resilience lens to previous tools and by recycling indicators, others demonstrate a true attempt to re-think in order to account for resilience dimensions. We conclude that for the use of resilience assessment tools, a major challenge is to ensure that simple and operational tools can address complexity. Full baseline should comprise both quantitative and qualitative data collection, and include more systemic indicators as well as indicators of stability and shocks. Changes should be tracked with regular monitoring and evaluation using simple tools based on key variables that capture short-term adaptive processes and changes in states, at the appropriate system level. Clear pathways to human well-being, including transformation, should be discussed through system-oriented approaches, to discard potential undesired resilient states. Finally, robust outcome and impact records from the use of these tools are needed to demonstrate whether the resilience concept is useful over time in driving development into more desirable paths.
Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI)
(Brief, 2017) International Water Management Institute
Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) - Factsheet for Tanzania
(Brief, 2017) International Water Management Institute
Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) - Factsheet for Ghana
(Brief, 2017) International Water Management Institute
Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) - Factsheet for Ethiopia
(Brief, 2017) International Water Management Institute
Feed the future: Innovation laboratory for small scale irrigation (FtF-ILSSI)
(Brief, 2017) International Water Management Institute
Revealing the hidden effects of land grabbing through better understanding of farmers’ strategies in dealing with land loss
(Journal Article, 2015-12) Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, Mark; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Sotoukee, Touleelor
This article examines changing contexts and emerging processes related to “land grabbing.” In particular, it uses the case of Laos to analyze the driving forces behind land takings, how such drivers are implied in land policies, and how affected people respond depending on their socio-economic assets and political connections. We argue that understanding the multiple strategies farmers use to deal with actual land loss and the risk of losing land is crucial to understanding the hidden effects of land grabbing and its potential consequences for agricultural development and the overall process of agrarian transformation. From a policy perspective, understanding the hidden effects of land grabbing is critical to assess costs and benefits of land concessions, in Laos and elsewhere, especially in relation to current approaches to turn land into capital as a policy strategy to promote economic growth and reduce poverty.
Understanding determinants of farmers’ investments in sustainable land management practices in Ethiopia: review and synthesis
(Journal Article, 2016-08) Adimassu, Zenebe; Langan, Simon J.; Johnston, Robyn M.
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.
The politics of land use planning: gold mining in Cajamarca, Peru
(Journal Article, 2015-12) Jeronimo, R.P.; Rap, Edwin; Vos, J.
Ecological and Economic Zoning (EEZ) is a Land Use Planning (LUP) methodology that aims at defining separate areas for productive uses and conservation. EEZ is designed as a method that balances different interests and it devises land use policy through stakeholder participation, technical expertise and GIS modelling. The article presents the case study of EEZ in Cajamarca, Peru to analyse the LUP process in a situation of conflicting interests over future land and water use. Cajamarca is a department with rich gold deposits in the headwater catchment area upstream of the city of Cajamarca. During the last decade, rural communities and urban populations have continuously protested against the opening of new open pit mines, as they fear this will affect their water supply. Therefore, the EEZ process became part of a controversy between a powerful pro-mining coalition lead by the central government and a conservation coalition lead by the regional government. We conclude that in these circumstances, LUP cannot, technically or politically, accommodate the different values attributed to the headwater catchment.
Farmers’ strategies as building block for rethinking sustainable intensification
(Journal Article, 2016-09) Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, Mark; Leebouapao, L.; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh
Agricultural intensification, now commonly referred to as sustainable intensification, is presented in development discourse as a key means to simultaneously improve food security and reduce rural poverty without harming the environment. Taking a village in Laos as a case study, we show how government agencies and farmers could perceive the idea of agricultural intensification differently. The study illustrates how farmers with the opportunities for groundwater use typically choose to grow vegetables and high valued cash crops rather than intensify rice production. This contrasts with government and donor supported efforts to promote rice intensification as a means to increase food security and reduce rural poverty. The article’s main message is that farmers’ differing strategies are related to a variety of household characteristics and that farmers’ strategies should be central to the current discussion on sustainable intensification.
Sediment control interventions and river flow dynamics: impact on sediment entry into the large canals
(Journal Article, 2015-10) Ashraf, M.; Bhatti, Muhammad Tousif; Shakir, A.S.; Tahir, A.A.; Ahmad.A.
At Marala barrage, two canals, i.e. Marala Ravi Link Canal (MRLC) and Upper Chenab Canal (UCC) off-take from left side of the River Chenab. MRLC has a very old history of experiencing sedimentation issues. Several attempts have been made to counterfoil or minimize this problem in the recent past. Two remarkable measures are the remodeling of MRLC in 2000-2001 (in-tervention-1) and the shifting of the confluence point of a heavily sediment-laden upstream tributary of the Chenab River by construction of a spur dike in 2004 (intervention-2). This paper investigates the effectiveness of these structural interventions as sedimentation control measures. The baseline period is selected from 1997 to 2000 and the impact is analyzed for two post-intervention time steps, i.e. evaluation period-1 ranging from 2001 to 2004 and evaluation period-2 from 2005 to 2011. Results obtained from double mass analysis revealed that sediment load increased by 33 and 8 % due to intervention-1, while decreased by 12 and 22 % due to intervention-2 in MRLC and UCC, respectively. The results suggest that monsoon floods are mainly responsible for sediment loading in the canals (66 % for UCC and 73 % for MRLC), supported by the finding that effective discharge (1900 m3 s-1) is almost twice the mean annual river discharge. The discharge classes between 900 and 2900 m3 s- 1 are mainly responsible for major proportion (89 % in MRLC and 86 % in UCC) of the total sediment load over the 15-year study period. The intervention-1 could not minimize the sediment entry into the canals; rather it aggravated the situation. The intervention-2, however, proved a useful structural measure in this regard.
Mapping the potential success of agricultural water management interventions for smallholders: where are the best opportunities?
(Journal Article, 2015-11) Barron, Jennie; Kemp-Benedict, Eric; Morris, J.; Bruin, A. de; Wang, G.; Fencl, A.
Managing water management research: analysis of four decades of research and outreach programmes in India
(Journal Article, 2015) Kuppannan, Palanisami; Kumar, D.S.; Malik, Ravinder Paul Singh; Raman, S.; Kar.G.; Mohan, K.
Performance and impacts of managed aquifer recharge interventions for agricultural water security: A framework for evaluation
(Journal Article, 2015-09) Prathapar, Sanmugam A.; Dhar, S.; Rao, G.T.; Maheshwari, B.
To minimize and counter decline of groundwater levels and improve the availability of water for cropproduction, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) interventions are widely adopted across India, often ini-tiated or supported by, local communities, state and central governments to improve the availability ofwater for irrigation. While the literature on MAR in India is vast, the science of their construction is lack-ing. Furthermore, there is an absence of a structured approach to evaluate the performance and impactof MAR interventions. Often, performance and impacts of MAR have been commented upon together,without distinguishing the two.In this article, we aim to propose that performance and impact are different from each other, andthat the evaluation of MAR interventions should take into account such differences between them. Aframework for performance and impact analysis, based on three levels, viz. primary, secondary and ter-tiary, is outlined. It is then applied to seven selected MAR interventions in India, Adarsha watershed –Andhra Pradesh, Gokulpura-Goverdhanpura watershed – Rajasthan, Kodangipalayam watershed – TamilNadu, Chikalgaon watershed – Maharashtra, Rajasamadhiyala watershed – Gujarat, Satlasana watershed– Gujarat and Sujalam Sufalam Yojana – Gujarat. Although, the evaluations of these case studies reportedwere not categorized into performance and impact, most of them have addressed both. However, noneof them could explicitly demonstrate that reported impacts were uniquely related to MAR interventions.If impacts are used as a surrogate for performance, it must be shown that impacts are uniquely linked toMAR interventions.
Soil management for raising crop water productivity in rainfed production systems in Lao PDR
(Journal Article, 2016-01-02) Mekuria, Wolde M.; Noble, A.D.; McCartney, Matthew P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Langan, Simon J.

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