Impact of Sustainable Land
Management on Community Water
Security and Downstream
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Gete Zeleke (PhD)
Director, Water and Land Resource Center, Addis Ababa University
Gete.z@wlrc-eth.org
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REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Sustaining growth
through water security
Awash basin
Water security in fragile
environments
Abbay basin
Small town pathways to
water security
Wukro, Tigray region
REACH Observatories in Ethiopia

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Objective
§ The aim of the REACH research in the FE Observatory
is to evaluate the contributions of SLM practices to
water security and poverty reduction in fragile
ecosystems. In particular, we aim to:
§ Understand how SLM interventions can interrupt the
relationship between water insecurity and poverty and
contribute to economic growth nationally.
§ Assess how SLM programmes can sustainably develop
groundwater to ensure benefits to the rural poor, for
agricultural, productive and domestic water use, can be
secured and maximised.
§ Provide evidence for how the benefits and impacts of
participatory SLM approaches are distributed within
households and communities.

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
§ High population pressure
§ ~ 23 million people
§ ~85% dependent on
subsistence rainfed
agriculture
§ Covers 44% of the
national surface runoff
§ 58-60% to the Nile
§ An important basin both
for Ethiopia and
transboundary countries-
Sudan and Egypt
Water Security Challenges in Abbay Basin

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
For Ethiopia it is major source of agricultural products

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Largely dominant Subsistence
Agriculture (~85%) with poor land
management

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Rainfall System
§ Rainfall System –
largely unimodal and
variable – causes
runoff-erosion-
dryness
§ 4 months intensive
rainfall – causing high
runoff and erosion
§ and 7-8 months dry
period – making water
stress for crop and
livestock production
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Mean 8.8 10.8 40.5 42.0 109.7 259.2 402.4 354.4 251.9 112.0 38.3 18.2
0
100
200
300
400
500
MeanMontlyRainfall(mm)

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Cause Severe Land degradation

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Soil Loss from Cultivated Lands can reach 200t/ha/y
131
87
1
48
22
32
170
212
4
80
25
36
0
50
100
150
200
250
Anjeni Andit Tid Dizi Gununo Hunde
Lafto
Maybar
Soilloss(t/ha)
Average Min Soil loss Average Max Soil loss
17 track load per
ha/year
~20.12 track load per
ha/year

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Sediment yield and hotspot areas in
Abbay Basin
§ Average
modelled
sediment
load for
Abbay Basin
feeding
GERD is 30.5
ton ha-1yr-1

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Our soils, our nutrient, our water
Our dams, our hydropower
Our lakes, our biodiversity

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Challenges of Siltation of Dams

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Can these challenges be addressed?
§ Yes
§ Need properly designed SLM
intervention
§ Need to understand the principle with
immediate and long-term impacts

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Our Guiding Conceptual Framework
Ensure
sustainable
utilization of the
NR Base without
compromising
the future
generation
Combat Land
Degradation and
Climate change
challenges
- Improved
environmental
quality and
ecosystem services
- Improved
livelihoods
- Create resilience
PIWM
Investment
on PIWM
Internalfeedback
Building
NR capital
CC adaptation
& mitigation

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Our LWs in Abbay Basin

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
January 2012
DEBRE YAKOB
Baseline Situation
• Severe LD
• Over grazing
Some Results - Biophysical Changes in our LWs

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
February 2015
DEBRE YAKOB

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
SWC structures on farmlands were
converted into cash bunds

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Baren homesteads can be easily converted to such high value
productive areas – it brings income at household level and confidence
in farmers to invest in other parts of the watershed

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Water is an essential component
for Homestead development that
addresses livelihood challenges
quickly & and the whole effort
improves water availability
February 2015
July 2016February 2015
November 2012
HD empowers women and
improves HH nutrition

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Biomass Improved Base Flow extended to the
dry season
Remote Sensing Direct Measurement
More Observations
In general we observed:
n Erosion reduced
n Conflict minimized
n Biomass improved
n Productivity
increased
n Base flow improved
n GW raised
n The poor started
owning water wells,
etc.

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Research Questions?
§ What does this mean in terms of addressing water
security for the poor?
§ What it means in the context of the small holder
farmer challenged by moisture availability for
production and sever erosion
• Insitu moisture availability
• Improved soil fertility
§ What does it mean in terms of making water available
for different uses – small scale irrigation and domestic
use?
§ Do these all have impact on peoples livelihoods?
§ What are the impact pathways that will lead us to
upscale the lessons from the LWs and findings

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
To answer the above questions the following
research activities were designed:
1.Insitu soil moisture dynamics and availability within
topo-sequences – for crop and forage production
2.Impact on surface water flow – base and peak flow
3.Impact on sediment and runoff
4.Checking speed of recharge of the groundwater
using ISOTOPE detection approach (AAU)
5.Impact on shallow ground water recharge and
availability (IRC/AAU)
6.Impact on livelihoods through water availability
(IFPRI/WLRC)

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
a) Insitu Moisture Dynamics Monitoring

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Findings of the insitu Moisture Dynamics Monitoring
§ Plots with SWC:
§ Improve recharge to
deeper profile
§ Better water availability
throughout the profile –
including during the dry
season
§ Plots without SWC:
§ Less soil moisture on
deeper depth – little or
no recharge – lost as
runoff
§ Sharp decline during the
dry season and sharp
increase during the wet
season

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
b) Shallow wells survey
§ IRC conducted a baseline survey of wells in May 2017 in Aba
Gerima and Debre Yacob learning watersheds and their controls.
§ The inventory includes 681 family wells and 35 community water
supply schemes.
§ The survey assessed socio-economic characteristics of well owners,
well characteristics, uses, reliability, and technology type, water
uses, satisfaction; sanitation around the well; and hygiene in
handling water
§ Water quality testing for e.coli was conducted for 41 water samples
(23 from family wells and 18 from community water supply
schemes)

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
b) Shallow wells survey…
27%
51%
6%
12%
8%
18%
0%
2%
Aba Gerima (Control)
Aba Gerima (Learning)
Debre Yacob (Control)
Debre Yacob (Learning)
Owning > 2 private wells Owning > 1 private well
Distribution of family wells

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
b) Shallow wells survey…
§ The poor are late entrants
into the well-owning class:
§ Over 80% of the poorest-
third households
surveyed in Aba Gerima
and 100% in Debreyakob
had owned wells after
2010, mainly after 2012
§ Why? Because SLM
raises the GW and
makes it less expensive
for the poor to dig a
well
§ Proof that SLM
improves water
security for the poor
19%
56%
26%
5%
30%
54%
12%
46%
39%
13%
<2000
2000-
2010
2011-
2014
2015-
2016
Poorest Third Middle Third Richest Third
83%
17%
1%
41%
43%
14%
20%
27%
40%
13%
<2000
2000-
2010
2011-
2014
2015-
2016
Poorest Third Middle Third
AG
DY
Source: IRC-WLRC
Well construction by wealth category

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
b) Shallow wells survey…
Tested Unsafe (>10
MPN/100 ml)
> 10-50
MPN/100 ml
> 100 MPN/ 100
ml
Aba Gerima
control 1 1
1
Aba Gerima
Learning 14 13
4 9
Debre Yacob
control 3 3
3
Debre Yacob
learning 4 3
2 1
Total 22 20 6 14
% to total 91%
Water quality results
There are significant water quality risks to family wells used for drinking.
More than 90% of tested family wells used for drinking had unsafe levels of faecal
coliform bacteria - most likely due to poor protection of wells from contamination
and surrounding sanitation. The population at risk is larger than just well-owning
households since most family wells used for drinking are shared (about 76%) with
neighbouring families

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
C. Socio-economic survey
§ IFPRI/WLRC conducted scoio-economic survey in
learning and control watersheds in June 2017
§ Checked Bio-physical changes,
§ Adoption of SLM technologies and improved
agricultural technologies
§ Economic benefits
§ Institutional arrangements
§ Identified gaps
§ Recommended further studies on major gaps

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
C. Socio-economic survey….
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Water
harvesting
Ground
water
Streams Pond Micro Dam River
Water Sources for Irrigation (%) in Learning and Control
Watersheds
Learning Control
Source: IFPRIWRLCREACH Survey 2017.

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
C. Socio-economic survey…
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
SLM Supported Learning
WaterShed
Non-SLM Supported Control
Watersheds
% SLM Adoption Levels
Source: IFPRIWRLCREACH Survey 2017.

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Impact on Crop Yield
Impact on Yields
(Kgs/Ha)
Propensity Score
Matching
Propensity Score
Matching
Bias Corrected
Matching
PSM Weighted
Regression
Non-PSM Weighted
Regression
Maize Yield 268**
(134)
268**
(130)
253*
(138)
278**
(130)
268**
(126)
Log Maize Yield 0.18***
(0.055)
0.18***
(0.065)
0.18***
(0.068)
0.18***
(0.067)
0.18***
(0.061)
% Impact 18%*** 18%*** 18%*** 18%*** 18%***
Gussa (Finger
Millet) Yield
413**
(192)
413**
(208)
235
(192)
404**
(167)
411**
(203)
Log Gussa (Finger
Millet) Yield
0.19***
(0.069)
0.19***
(0.070)
0.08
(0.076)
0.19***
(0.074)
0.19***
(0.067)
% Impact 19%*** 19%*** 8% 19%*** 19%***
SLM Program associated with 18%-19% impact on Crop
Yields – largely linked to reduction in soil erosion and soil
moisture availability
Source: IFPRI-WLRC

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Water Availability for Livestock
-6%
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Learning Control
% change in Perception of Having Enough Water for
Livestock 2012-2017
Learning Watersheds experienced improved water availability for
Livestock while control watersheds report worsening water conditions

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
C. Socio-economic survey…
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
SLM Supported Learning
Watersheds
Non-SLM Supported Control
Watersheds
Livestock Income (Birr)
Source: IFPRIWRLCREACH Survey 2017.
Significantly higher Livestock income is observed in Learning
watersheds than Control watersheds possibly due to better forage and
water availability

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Income Levels from Livestock
Livestock Income Levels SLM Program Impacts on Livestock Income Levels:
SLM Supported
Learning
Watersheds
(% Adopters)
Non-SLM
Supported
Control
Watersheds
(% Adopters)
Difference in
Adoption
(Leaning-
Control)
Propensity
Score
Matching
(PSM)
Bias Corrected
Matching
PSM-
Weighted
Regression
Non-PSM-
Weighted
Regression
Livestock
Income (Birr)
5193 3962 1230** 1633***
(227)
980***
(326)
1751***
(285)
1570***
(244)
Log Livestock
Income (Birr)
6.87 6.19 0.67*** 0.66***
(0.1341)
0.46***
(0.1634)
0.67***
(0.1251)
0.67***
(0.1217)
% Impacts 67%*** 66%*** 46%*** 67%*** 67%***
SLM Program associated with 67% impact on Livestock Income
Source: IFPRI-WLRC

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
C. Socio-economic survey…
Recommended further research areas
§ Identifying women headed household targeted
intervention
§ Ways to improve labor efficiency
§ Identifying high value enterprises on bunds,
rehabilitated gullies and area closures and other
homestead development options that maximize income
§ Community based potable and irrigation water supply
§ Detail analysis on current institutions

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
SLM-Water Security: Potential Linkages
SLM interventions
*soil bunds
*terraces, etc.
Reduced flooding of
fields
Reduced over-field
flows
Increased baseflow
in dry season
Increased water for
shallow wells
Reduced sedimen-
tation of rivers
Increased overall
biomass production
Increased soil water
storage
Increased crop yields in
rainy season, reduced
variability
Increased crop yields in
dry season
Reduced conflicts
between farmers
Enhanced water access
for domestic use
Enhanced water access
for other uses (fisheries,
artisanal uses, bathing..)
Enhanced overall
Environment
(agroforestry, etc)
Increased hydropower
Productivity/reduced
flood risk, other d/s ben
DIRECT WATER
SECURITY IMPACTS
INDIRECT WATER
SECURITY IMPACTS DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS
Increased agri-
cultural production
& stability of prod
Stronger societies
Enhanced nutrition
(lean season, diversity
of crops, WASH)
Increased energy
security
More stable agro-
ecosystems
Women’s
empowerment
(through time savings)
Source: IFPRIWRLCREACH Survey 2017.

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Translating the results of the LWs to Meso-
scale water security - Hydro-dams: the Case
of GERD in Ethiopia
The IWS Conceptual Model

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
We Communicate our findings
REACH BOOTH
REACH BOOTH
REACH BOOTH

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Field Visit: to another homestead and
community managed AC – March 12, 2019

REACH Water Security and Poverty Conference
27-29 March | Keble College, Oxford
Lessons / Way Forward
§ The empirical evidences shows that:
§ Properly designed SLM can effectively address
problem of water security and improve livelihoods at
different scales
§ It empowers women and improve household nutrition
§ The need for upscaling the experiences of LWs is
apparent
§ The big impact at policy level
§ Engage with government at higher level (MoA,
MoWIE and CfEFCC) and DPs - to make water
security as one outcome of SLM with measurable
indicators including water quality

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