Nile+4+meeting+-+February+28,+2011

 **Date:** February 24, 2011 **Participants: ** Amare H/Selassie Charlotte Macalister Catherine Pfeiffer Deborah Bossio Nancy Johnson Katherine Snyder Kees Swans Kindie Getnet Solomon Seyoum Ranjitha Puskur Tilahun Amede <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Tseday Ayalew <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Venue: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> IWMI Meeting Room <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The meeting started with a brief introduction of Nancy Johnson to the participants. Following was made update of the individual projects. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Katherine Snyder gave the update for N2 ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Following were raised some discussion points ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Catherine Pfeiffer gave the update on N3 ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Teklu gave a presentation on Productivity issue. He discussed different elements like water productivity, run off, the need to assess crop type, detail soil characteristics, management practices in the specified area and how water productivity plus feed sources combine into livestock. In addition he detailed on the use of drainage as an option. Much discussion was made among participants on this idea and its pros & cons. He also gave indication what tasks needed to be performed to fill the gaps on data by recruiting students. (Presentation attached) <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Amare on his part mentioned that he has already contracted two students to work on livestock and feeding/feed source and demonstrate the linkage. He said he will cooperate with Lisa to look through data from the remote sensing. The issue of land cover map and its importance was discussed. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Kindie briefs on the Economic sector progress. He said that he is working on a bio-economic modeling by integrating the biophysical element with economic modeling. This model is said to be non-linear. Factors on irrigation, rain-fed system and livestock will be encompassed into the model. Impact of rain water can be captured from the model. Basic economic factor to be considered is farming income. Effort will be made to integrate at a basin level. Secondary data on livestock and crop will be used. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Secondly he dealt with the livelihood component for which data, qualitative and quantitative, he will approach Katherine. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Finally it was suggested that a review of RMS must be produced project wide by making projects add inputs instead of producing individually. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The following potential research points were raised to be seen along side.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">MINUTES OF N4 MEETING **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The hydrology group has selected its micro catchments, 3/site
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">They are now waiting for different instruments to arrive
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Two PhD students from AAU, Geography department are attached to focus on biophysical and socio economic/cultural data collection of watershed management. Attachment is will be with Ministry of Agriculture, SLM department. Supervisors will be from the Ministry, the University and Katherine from IWMI. This is also targeted to create natural linkage with the Ministry. The fund for the students will come from N5. Review of literature is being worked currently.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Livelihood group is to conduct a baseline survey which is designed by ODI. Included in the consideration to practice natural resource management are farmers, associations, research organizations, private sectors, Weredas and DAs. A consultant is also hired.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Regarding water productivity integration in livestock, two students are recruited to work on livestock and feed source
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Students should assess impacts of SLM intervention by working on areas with and without the interventions. Selected sites don’t have those interventions though it is possible to use nearby accessories. It was noted that much effort is yet to be done by supervisors to put the students in the right track to produce much of the work providing analysis, gap identification etc.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Suggestion was made to put up an interactive map for the three sites where all involved can use indicating what they are doing by different mechanisms. For this task it is said that it is important to identify the data available, what is needed, what is remaining, what part of the remaining can be done in house or by recruiting students. The map can be put up in the meeting room for the time being.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Some issues were also discussed regarding Innovation Platforms. Some sites are indicated to be not ready to be involved due to the small number of actors they have. Training and relationship building are marked as necessary. So far effort is being done to understand how the platform at the National level is working. Local platforms’ structure and what they are doing is said to be unclear. At times when discussion is made with communities’ issues that are raised may not be of any connection with the project’s objective and task. However it is still most essential to provide opportunities to meet the community to know what constraints are labeled as most crucial.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Data driven similarity analysis is just produced
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The targeting is to interpret which practice would be suitable where
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The aim is to define how each character would contribute to the basin problem
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Factors would be poverty & population, land & labor
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Focus is to be fill limits of modeling are how to integrate information from catchment to basin scale, how to use optimization.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Livestock mortality
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Rain water management: tree and forestry
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Investment land