Watershed Management
Experiences in Amhara Region
Fentahun Mengistu (Dr.)
Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI)
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

Why Watershed Approach?
• Land degradation seriously Food Insecurity and Poverty Trap:
affects livelihoods and food Interrelationships between key
security in Ethiopia challenges
• Land degradation arises:
 soil erosion- steep slopes,
continuous encroachment and
cultivation of marginal lands
 deforestation
 overgrazing
 negative coping strategies
(animal dung burning , charcoal,
reduced rotation, etc.)
• has political, social and economic To combat the land degradation-food
implications insecurity-poverty nexus, a holistic
approach: watershed management

Common
Practices

Common
out comes

Common
out comes

Common
out comes

Elements and characteristics of watershed
• Biophysical (water, land, • Socio-economic
vegetation)
• population
• climate (rainfall, altitude,
and winds), drainage and • farming systems
water, • social setups
• soil, vegetation, specific
• economic activities
topographic features
(gradient and length of • vulnerability profile
slope, shape and direction • gender
and past/current erosion
features (rill, gullies, land
slides,etc).
• Land use: homesteads,
cultivated land, grazing land,

PWDP as a foundation for sustainable agricultural development in rural
Ethiopia
• CBPWD Guideline
• 5 Yrs GTP: on Natural Resources
Management and Climate Change:
 In all areas which require physical soil
and water conservation works will be
fully implemented through proactive
and organized community
participation
• Amhara rural development strategy: a
conservation based, watershed
focused development approach
• watershed focused NRM campaign as
of last year with organized community
participation ( Development Army,
20-30 people, 1 to 5 work team)
• Almost all BI-lateral/Multi-lateral
projects/NGOs follow IWM

PLANNING PROCEDURES AND STEPS

1. Amhara Micro-enterprise development, Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Watershed management
(AMAREW) Project
• Launched in July 2002
• Focus: functional integration of on-farm
research, extension, and watershed
management activities
• 3 pilot watersheds: Yeku (Sekota), Lenche Dima
(Guba Lafto) and Gumet (Sekela)

Approach: multi-faceted and integrated rural
development activities in agricultural research, extension,
watershed management and micro enterprise
development
Engaged Research in testing a wide range of technologies
at the watersheds and to provide the Extension and other
development organizations with land use planning tools
and proven technologies for sustainable development and
rehabilitation
Community watershed management organization
(CWMO) 12-32 members responsible for planning,
implementing and monitoring the watershed
development activities

Interventions made
I. Physical and biological soil &
water conservation measures
• Hill side and Farm land terrace
• Check dam construction
• Bund stabilization
• Gully rehabilitation
• Trench construction
• Small Scale Dam construction
• Micro basin , eye burrow basin
• Improved pits , Cut-off drains
• Hand dug well construction
• Trapezoidal water tanks
• Plastic bed water harvesting
ponds
• Forestry and agro forestry
• Area closure

Gully Rehabilitation: Yeku watershed

Impacts of interventions on Wsheds
• Hillside closure ,moisture harvesting • improved seeds at household and
- seasonal spring flow extended by 2M community seed bank level
- ground water at a depth of 8m • Poor farmer hhs- asset thr. goat
• income from grasses sell and sheep restocking
• Degraded gullies- feed and fuel wood
• Food-for-work –facilitated upper
• Water point -for human and livestock catchment's land care activities,
• Soil moisture harvesting , gully covered watershed community
rehabilitation on degraded hillside & food gap
farm lands maintained soil moisture
for plant growth , assisted the • Gabion box production and fuel
replenishment of ground water and saving stove production-
extended stream flow period additional income, reduction of
• vegetables and fruits thr. irrigation soil erosion and deforestation
• Striga resistant sorghum varieties • Pilot Wsheds served as learning
Gobiye and Abshir center for DAs, woreda experts
and farmers in the region

Impacts?

Hillside Closure Speeded up Environmental
Rehabilitation

Gully at Gumet

Closed from animal
interference
• self-help user groups organized to manage
degraded hillsides
 Minimized soil erosion
 Brought significant environmental impact
• allowed new shrubs and grass species
• increased biodiversity

Conservation structures on farmlands, degraded hills

Catchment Treatment replenished ground water
(Yeku)

Night pond at Yeku watershed used for cattle and other household service

Brought empowerment of watershed communities towards sustainable
management of land & water resources (bunds, gully rehabilitation)

Fuel-efficient stove production at Yeku watershed
Fuel efficient stove produced
and marketed by an
organized group of women
•make money
•reduction of deforestation
•reduces the drudgery
•encouraged schooling of
•Children
•stoves reduce smoke caused
eye problems

Gabion Wire Box
Production at Lenche Water Point
Dima Watershed Development: Yeku

2. Sida-Amhara Rural Development Programme 1997–
2008
Eight Woredas in East Gojjam and eight Woredas in South Wello

Objectives: Approach:
• Develop, test and
demonstrate an • bottom-up
integrated methodology
• Watershed
for management of
small agric. Watersheds management
committee
• Watershed planning
• To create public
• Characterization
awareness about
flexibility and site
specificity of IWM

Achievements
• Agricultural productivity can be sustained through
appropriate IWM approach
• Improved land
• Farmer’s livelihood improved

3. SWHISA (Sustainable Water Harvesting and
Institutional Strengthening in Amhara): Watershed
Program
• Designed to enhance sustainability of small-scale irrigation
structures and dams and increase productive uses of water
sources within the watersheds
• Participatory approaches – farmer to farmer extension
• Active promotion of self-help contributions from communities

Area covered by different SWC measures in the
pilot watersheds

Interventions
Physical soil conservation
measures
Biological conservation
• Farm bunds:- stone/ soil
measures
bunds • Area closure
• Hillside terraces • Planting on bunds
• Gully treatment:- stone • Gully re-vegetation
and gabion check dams;
brushwood check dams • Homestead planting
• Cutoff drains • Enrichment planting in
• Artificial waterways closed areas
• Percolation trenches • Planting on hillsides etc.
• Micro-basin/eyebrow basin
Planting pits

Interventions
Water harvesting • Change crops and cropping
• Shallow hand dug well pattern (Diversification)
• Introduction of improved
• Run off water harvesting
crop varieties
• Sand dams
• Compost preparation and
Natural Pasture Management application etc
• Grazing land improvement • Supplementary irrigation
• Introduction of high value ( risk reduction)
crops including feed crops • Dry season vegetable
• Over-sowing of closed areas production
with improved feed varieties • Subsistence oriented to
Market oriented farming

Achivements
Area Closure: Karita (west Belessa)
2011
2008
Hay harvest 2009

Pasture Land Management
R o t a t io n a l g r a z in g /
F r e e g r a z in g
ha y
Maywoha watershed, Goncha, E. Gojam

Pasture Land Management
P a r t ic ip a t o r y e v a lu a t io n of na tu ra l
p a s t u r e : u n d e r f r e e g r a z in g ( le f t ) a n d h a y
p r o d u c t io n ( r ig h t )
Maywoha watershed, Goncha, E. Gojam
2009 2009
Debre Mawi watershed, Adet, W. Gojam

Pasture Land Management
C h a n g e c o m m u n a l p a s t u r e la n d
m a n a g e m e n t : f r o m f r e e g r a z in g
t o h a y p r o d u c t io n
2011
2010
Debre Mawi watershed, Adet, W. Gojam

Pasture Land Management
C h a n g e in n a t u r a l p a s t u r e m a n a g e m e n t
in c r e a s e d h e r b a g e p r o d u c t iv it y a n d h e lp
t o s t a b iliz e g u lly s y s t e m
F r e e g r a z in g
2 0 10
Hay production 2011
Debre Mawi watershed, Adet, W. Gojam

Gully Rehabilitation
2009
2008
Debre Mawi watershed, Adet, W. Gojam

Gully Rehabilitation
2008
2011
Debre Mawi watershed, Adet, W. Gojam

Gully Rehabilitation
Gully head retreat: when promoting gully erosion control measures,
conservation of the entire hillside and watershed must be
considered

Gully Rehabilitation
2008 2011
Debre Mawi watershed, Adet, E. Gojam

Degraded Land Management
June 2007 October 2009

Shallow ground water development

Run off water harvesting
2011
2009
Tomato
Onion
Pepper

The gully formation in the Debremawi watershed is more importantly caused
by subsurface erosion generated from soil pore water pressure.
Land management processes that effectively drain subsurface water and reduce the
potential pore-water pressure in shallow soils are necessary
Potholes and smaller pipe A, and concentrated water outflow zones, B.

4. Unlocking the potential of rainfed agriculture in
Ethiopia
for improved rural livelihoods

Gumara-Maksegnit WS

Goal/Objectives
To sustainably improve agricultural productivity and conserve the
ecosystem resources by integrating affordable and appropriate
technologies in a favourable socioeconomic environment
• identify, evaluate and apply appropriate interventions that may
overcome the deficiencies and achieve higher productivity.
• test and fine tune a package of water harvesting technologies that
provides sufficient water for supplemental irrigation during dry
spells to alleviate stress

Steps in WS selection-implementation
Socioeconomic
characterization of the
watershed using PRA
approach by
interdisciplinary team
of researchers
Biophysical characterization of Community & District
the watershed policy makers
consultation and
establishment of
watershed community
leaders

Consultation & WS community
Establishment
• Consultation made with
Woreda policy makers.
• Watershed community
organized

Biophysical characterization

"Rainfed Ethiopia"
project
Interventions Underway
Theme II: Cross-cutting
Theme III:
Theme I: Water harvesting & theme:
Agronomic/
Land conservation Supplemental Agronomic water
land productivity
Irrigation balance
Subtheme 1:
Subtheme 1: Implementation of Subtheme 1:
Land conservation small ponds & drip Crop improvement
irrigation systems
Subtheme 2: Subtheme 2:
Subthem 2: Supplemental
watershed Crop management
Irrigation field (double cropping)
modeling experiment
Subtheme 3: Subtheme 3:
Subtheme 3:
Communal, Improved/
Reforestation
medium-size pond reduced tillage

Challenges
• Negotiation and convincing • Focus on physical structures
farmers • physical structures are not
constructed to their
• Sustainability, ownership technical standards
• System productivity
• completing the already • Social planning unit of the
started watershed government vs watershed
planning
• Duplication of management
(Wshed Devt Committee Vs
Govt’ committee)

Lessons Learnt
• Communities have high • Needs farm and non-farm
interest in development activities
initiatives including
rehabilitating natural • Interdisciplinary team
resources • IWM require a process
• But, farmers will accept a approach
change in agricultural
• Supported with new
practices if only if both
ecological and economic knowledge and practices
objectives are met • Site specificity nature
• Community participation is
vital that local farmers, users
and beneficiaries play an
active role

Lessons Learnt
• Government/ donors should • Building local level
refrain from directly institution: CWMOs
engaging in watershed • More emphasis has to be
management activities given to effective
• create an enabling organization of
environment; delivery of communities rather than
technical and advisory only focusing on
support introduction of technologies
• Experience sharing tours for e.g. At Lenche Dema
farmers • the watershed committee
• Nothing should be given for was operational 2yrs after
free • others near formed
CWMOs(Tesfaye 2008)

…Lessons
• Capacity building interventions • Withdrawal strategy,
are necessary to manage their continued follow up
resources and to guarantee
needed:
sustainability
• Molding democratic pragmatism eg. At Dijl:
(bottom up) within the existing • the spring had insufficient
administrative rationalism (top flow and providing water
down) governmental structure • Its construction was poor
• E.g. A top-down approach by • no management committee
GTZ: no community was established
involvement during planning
• the spring is not functioning
(Tesfaye Habtamu, 2008)
• the water harvesting
 community did not take over
structures cracked
the payments for the guard
 No attitude change