N2+Project+description

Integrated Rainwater Management Strategies (IRMS) combine technologies, policies and institutions. Research work and other activities in this project will aim to integrate land and water management, crop component technology, crop management, crop-livestock systems, pastoral systems and the agro-forestry systems so as to raise productivity and incomes and enhance resilience, while slowing land degradation and reducing downstream siltation. It is clear, however, that the shape of policies and institutions can foster or discourage farmer adoption of productivity- increasing, resource conserving strategies. This project will also examine the extent to which policy change and institutional strengthening and reform can combine with new technologies to spur wide spread innovation. It will endeavour to look into micro-credit, cooperative societies, land tenure, collective action in communities, and the various roles of formal and informal institutions, as part of integrated strategies to improve rainwater management.

The major Project Deliverables shall include:


 * Rainwater management strategies (RMS) appropriate for well-defined areas of the Ethiopian highlands which maximize water productivity, economic and livelihood benefits, and ecosystem services, and which contribute to reducing the agricultural water demand. RMS may include various components of water storage infrastructure, soil and water management and conservation, and cropping, livestock and tree systems. They may feature integration of technical, institutional and policy innovations.


 * An analysis of local and formal (government, NGO or international development agencies) institutions to contribute to the development of RMS, and to collaborate in their implementation.


 * Systems for integrating livestock into broader RMS, and demonstrating how these can improve water productivity across high, intermediate and low rainfall landscapes in the Ethiopian Highlands.


 * Economic analyses of a variety of economically useful soil and water conserving tree species to complement livestock systems in dryland areas of the Ethiopian Highlands.

To achieve the above the research studies shall ask and strive to answer the following research questions:


 * What RMS work best for which and in which parts of the Ethiopian highlands, given soil, topography and rainfall levels? (with Nile Project 3)
 * In terms of rainwater productivity, what are the most suitable land use systems for the basin in terms of sustainability and income generation?
 * What additional soil and water conservation systems are needed in the study sites to maximize water productivity?
 * What are the economic, livelihood and agricultural productivity potential of integrated water, nutrient, fertility and seed technology management?
 * What sort of RMS would work best for the Ethiopian Highlands, and what kinds of institutions are needed to support them?
 * What social, institutional and political factors contribute to the development, implementation and maintenance of rainwater management systems?
 * What kind of administrative and policy support do rainwater harvesting agricultural systems need in order to improve adoption potential?
 * How can the positive benefits of improved RMS be successfully scaled up? (with Nile Project 3)

The project has selected the following three sites under the varying social and agro-ecological conditions in the Blue Nile Basin: Farming system is: “Mixed crop-livestock system” || 1,376 – 2,037 || Farming system is: “Mixed crop-livestock system” || 900 – 1,350 || Farming system is: “Mixed crop-livestock system” || 974 – 1,516 ||
 * ** Study Landscape ** || ** Woredas ** || ** Predominant farming systems ** || **Mean annual rainfall (mm)** ||
 * //**Nekemte**// || Gimbi and Diga || In the lowland maize & sorghum based agriculture (mono-cropping) is practiced with crop rotation every 3-4 years. In the midland, teff, millet & maize are important.
 * //**Jeldu**// || Jeldu || Potato is the dominant crop. Barley and teff are also common. Crop rotation is also practiced within the year with fallowing every third year.
 * //**Fogera**// || Fogera and Farta || Rice is the major crop followed by maize, millet & teff and barley.

Further work is now in progress for the hydrological monitoring, establishment of Learning Partnership Alliances and Institutional Mapping in these three locations. The programs shall be further refined and agreed with CPWF Management and the partners during the proposed Launching Workshop and Project Meetings during September 28-30, 2010.