Your search found 13 records
1 van Koppen, Barbara; Schreiner, B. 2018. A hybrid approach to decolonize formal water law in Africa. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 45p. (IWMI Research Report 173) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.219]
Legislation ; Legal pluralism ; Customary law ; Water law ; Water resources ; Water users ; Water use ; Water rights ; Water management ; Water allocation ; Water policy ; Water governance ; Water distribution ; Water security ; Colonialism ; Economic aspects ; State intervention ; Authorities ; Investment ; Rural population ; Political aspects ; Regulations ; Small scale systems ; Equity ; Marginalization / Africa / South Africa / Kenya / Malawi / Uganda / Zimbabwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048956)
(639 KB)
In recent decades, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have pursued national water permit systems, derived from the colonial era and reinforced by “global best practice.” These systems have proved logistically impossible to manage and have worsened inequality in water access. A new study conducted by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Pegasys Institute, with support from the UK government, traces the origins of these systems, and describes their implementation and consequences for rural smallholders in five countries – Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The authors of this report propose a hybrid water use rights system to decolonize Africa’s water law, lighten the administrative burden on the state and make legal access to water more equitable. This would strengthen smallholder irrigation, which is vital for boosting Africa’s food production and making it more resilient in the face of worsening drought.
2 van Koppen, Barbara; Schreiner, B.; Sithole, P. 2019. Decolonising peasants’ marginalisation in African water law. Journal of Water Law, 26:51-61.
Water law ; Peasant workers ; Smallholders ; Water rights ; Customary law ; Colonialism ; Water resources ; Regulations ; Legislation ; Licences ; Water authorities ; Land tenure ; Water users ; Marginalization / Africa South of Sahara / South Africa / Kenya / Malawi / Uganda / Zimbabwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049188)
(0.49 MB)
3 Joshi, Deepa; Braaten, Y.; Hakhu, Arunima; Pradhan, Rubina; Gallant, Bryce. 2021. Gender and inclusion in the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE): an end of program reflection and evaluation. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 30p. (WLE Legacy Series 5) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2022.207]
Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; CGIAR ; Research programmes ; Project evaluation ; Agricultural research for development ; Gender-transformative approaches ; Women ; Marginalization ; Social change ; Norms ; Learning ; Institutions ; Corporate culture ; Stakeholders ; Policies ; Diversification ; Impact assessment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050977)
(2.87 MB)
The growing relevance of research on gender and social inclusion in agricultural research for development calls for systemic, transformative change processes. Transformative gender ambitions can stand at odds with personal biases and experiences that shape diverse understandings of gender, institutional values, structures and cultures that tend to reward technological quick-fix solutions, and other practical challenges to ‘doing’ gender on the ground. Very little is known about these challenges. How are these challenges navigated by (relatively small) teams of gender researchers, who are often caught between the demand for tangible fast gains on gender, and the intractable challenges of deep-rooted and complex, intersectional gender inequalities? This was the focus of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) End of Program Reflection and Evaluation (EoPRE) to assess how gender and inclusion research is pursued, and the key barriers to knowing and doing gender in eight research projects. Adopting a reflexive, self-analytical feminist approach to evaluation, this EoPRE facilitated eight project teams, diverse and with an uneven focus on gender, to connect the dots between the processes of knowing and doing gender research. A key finding of this evaluation is that the need for change is foremost internal. We need to begin by fixing our personal biases and assumptions, and fixing institutional cultures, values and structures instead of just trying to fix things out there, including fixing poor and marginalized women. A key recommendation is to seek more regular and open conversations across researcher disciplines and hierarchies, and between CGIAR and external partners and stakeholders, including feminist grassroots actors and networks – on what works well (and does not) and why. This would allow us to grasp why we start with different meanings and conceptualizations of gender; how agile we are (or not) in adapting to changes on the ground; and how, through a culture of reflection and learning, we might shift pathways to more transformative change processes in a fast evolving and increasingly unequal world.
4 Sobratee, N.; Davids, R.; Chinzila, C. B.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Scheelbeek, P.; Modi, A. T.; Dangour, A. D.; Slotow, R. 2022. Visioning a food system for an equitable transition towards sustainable diets—a South African perspective. Sustainability, 14(6):3280. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063280]
Healthy diets ; Agrifood systems ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Communities ; Marginalization ; Policies ; Stakeholders ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Strategies / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051024)
(5.99 MB) (5.99 MB)
The global goal to end hunger requires the interpretation of problems and change across multiple domains to create the scope for collaboration, learning, and impactful research. We facilitated a workshop aimed at understanding how stakeholders problematize sustainable diet transition (SDT) among a previously marginalized social group. Using the systems thinking approach, three sub-systems, namely access to dietary diversity, sustainable beneficiation of natural capital, and ‘food choice for well-being’, highlighted the main forces governing the current context, and future interventions of the project. Moreover, when viewed as co-evolving processes within the multi-level perspective, our identified microlevel leverage points—multi-faceted literacy, youth empowerment, deliberative policymaking, and promotion of sustainable diet aspirations—can be linked and developed through existing national macro-level strategies. Thus, co-designing to problematize transformational SDT, centered on an interdisciplinary outlook and informational governance, could streamline research implementation outcomes to re-structure socio-technical sectors and reconnect people to nature-based solutions. Such legitimate aspirations could be relevant in countries bearing complex socio-political legacies and bridge the local–global goals coherently. This work provides a collaborative framework required to develop impact-driven activities needed to inform evidence-based policies on sustainable diets.
5 Hiwasaki, L.; Minh, Thai Thi. 2022. Negotiating marginality: towards an understanding of diverse development pathways of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. Journal of International Development, 34(8):1455-1475. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3646]
Ethnic minorities ; Ethnic groups ; Marginalization ; Development policies ; Social inequalities ; Social differentiation ; Livelihoods ; Transformation ; Living standards ; Assets ; Natural capital ; Human capital ; Cultural capital ; Social capital ; Socioeconomic development ; Political aspects ; Strategies ; Frameworks / Vietnam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051153)
(4.76 MB)
Existing studies on socio-economic differentiation in Vietnam focus on the inequality between the ethnic majority and minorities while neglecting the disparities among ethnic minorities. Using a framework to analyse marginalisation at different scales, we identified through an extensive literature review the diverse ways in which ethnic groups develop strategies to transform or maintain their marginality. These strategies depend on, at the same time influence, inequalities that manifest in processes of social differentiations and power relations. Elucidating these processes of inequalities enables us to promote livelihood opportunities that support the diverse development pathways of different ethnic groups, thus increasing the relevance of development interventions.
6 Hlahla, S.; Simatele, M. D.; Hill, T.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Climate–urban nexus: a study of vulnerable women in urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Weather, Climate, and Society, 14(3):933-948. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-20-0180.1]
Climate variability ; Urban areas ; Nexus approaches ; Vulnerability ; Women ; Climate change adaptation ; Policies ; Coping strategies ; Resilience ; Gender mainstreaming ; Gender equality ; Decision making ; Marginalization ; Communities ; Livelihoods ; Households ; Socioeconomic aspects / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal / Pietermaritzburg
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051371)
https://journals.ametsoc.org/downloadpdf/journals/wcas/14/3/WCAS-D-20-0180.1.xml
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051371.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051371.pdf
(1.28 MB) (1.28 MB)
The changes in climatic conditions and their associated impacts are contributing to a worsening of existing gender inequalities and a heightening of women’s socioeconomic vulnerabilities in South Africa. Using data collected by research methods inspired by the tradition of participatory appraisals, we systematically discuss the impacts of climate change on marginalized women and the ways in which they are actively responding to climate challenges and building their adaptive capacity and resilience in the urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We argue that changes in climate have both direct and indirect negative impacts on women’s livelihoods and well-being. Less than one-half (37%) of the women reported implementing locally developed coping mechanisms to minimize the impacts of climate-related events, whereas 63% reported lacking any form of formal safety nets to deploy and reduce the impacts of climate-induced shocks and stresses. The lack of proactive and gender-sensitive local climate change policies and strategies creates socioeconomic and political barriers that limit the meaningful participation of women in issues that affect them and marginalize them in the climate change discourses and decision-making processes, thereby hampering their efforts to adapt and reduce existing vulnerabilities. Thus, we advocate for the creation of an enabling environment to develop and adopt progendered, cost-effective, transformative, and sustainable climate change policies and adaptation strategies that are responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups (women) of people in society. This will serve to build their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate variability and climate change–related risks and hazards.
7 Korzenevica, M.; Grasham, C. F.; Johnson, Z.; Gebreegzabher, A.; Mebrahtu, S.; Zerihun, Z.; Hoque, S. F.; Charles, K. J. 2022. Negotiating spaces of marginality and independence: on women entrepreneurs within Ethiopian urbanization and water precarity. World Development, 158:105966. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105966]
Gender ; Women ; Entrepreneurship ; Marginalization ; Negotiation ; Urbanization ; Water supply ; Water access ; Social aspects ; Norms ; Empowerment ; Households / Ethiopia / Tigray / Wukro
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051332)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X22001565/pdfft?md5=3ed6f395debc4aaeda69717ed11ec2de&pid=1-s2.0-S0305750X22001565-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051332.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051332.pdf
(1.39 MB) (1.39 MB)
In the context of the growth of Ethiopia’s market economy the importance of women-owned enterprises is acknowledged, with barriers to economic success outlined in a limited number of studies. However, the daily struggles and embodied experiences of low-skilled women entrepreneurs in informal economies, as well as precarious and unequal intermittent water environments, have been insufficiently understood. We analyse how women strive for and negotiate their independence through spatiality and how services, specifically water, affect their ability to develop their business spaces. The evidence derives from five studies, using mixed methods, conducted in the small town of Wukro, Ethiopia. The methods used were household surveys, a water diary, and interviews with women entrepreneurs - owners of coffee, alcohol, and hair salons businesses. Our study finds that they develop their businesses through the simultaneous presence of various, multilevel spaces of marginality/paradoxical spaces and articulation of independence as control over one’s business and body. Unlike the positive term ‘empowerment’, the lens of negotiating ‘independence’ integrates spaces of conflicting subjectivities, where marginality and resistance, suffering and claimed control, interpellation, and re-construction of own identities are simultaneously present. We suggest that water struggles are analysed not only through the evaluation of water shortages and unequal geographical sectorization but also through the perspective of ‘water precarity’ (Sultana, 2020) as in our study it was a water-induced lack of control over businesses and daily lives that caused the most suffering. We highlight that this multidimensional approach is pivotal in supporting women’s entrepreneurship and gender equality.
8 Bethancourt, H. J.; Swanson, Z. S.; Nzunza, R.; Young, S. L.; Lomeiku, L.; Douglass, M. J.; Braun, D. R.; Ndiema, E. K.; Pontzer, H.; Rosinger, A. Y. 2022. The co-occurrence of water insecurity and food insecurity among Daasanach pastoralists in northern Kenya. Public Health Nutrition, 11p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022001689]
Water insecurity ; Food insecurity ; Pastoralists ; Water scarcity ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Marginalization ; Climate change ; Households ; Communities ; Livestock ; Models / Kenya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051477)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/48A2473E1F5FB3C4CE30FE165368D54C/S1368980022001689a.pdf/the-co-occurrence-of-water-insecurity-and-food-insecurity-among-daasanach-pastoralists-in-northern-kenya.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051477.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051477.pdf
(0.55 MB) (564 KB)
Objective: Water plays a critical role in the production of food and preparation of nutritious meals, yet few studies have examined the relationship between water and food insecurity. The primary objective of this study, therefore, was to examine how experiences of household water insecurity (HWI) relate to experiences of household food insecurity (HFI) among a pastoralist population living in an arid, water-stressed region of northern Kenya.
Design: We implemented the twelve-item Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE, range 0–36) Scale and the nine-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS, range 0–27) in a cross-sectional survey to measure HWI and HFI, respectively. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and intake of meat and dairy in the prior week were collected as covariates of interest.
Setting: Northern Kenya, June–July 2019.
Participants: Daasanach pastoralist households (n 136) from seven communities.
Results: In the prior 4 weeks, 93·4 % and 98·5 % of households had experienced moderate-to-severe HWI and HFI, respectively. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated a strong association between HWI and HFI. Each point higher HWISE score was associated with a 0·44-point (95 % CI: 0·22, 0·66, P = 0·003) higher HFIAS score adjusting for socio-economic status and other covariates.
Conclusions: These findings demonstrate high prevalence and co-occurrence of HWI and HFI among Daasanach pastoralists in northern Kenya. This study highlights the need to address HWI and HFI simultaneously when developing policies and interventions to improve the nutritional well-being of populations whose subsistence is closely tied to water availability and access.
Design: We implemented the twelve-item Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE, range 0–36) Scale and the nine-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS, range 0–27) in a cross-sectional survey to measure HWI and HFI, respectively. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and intake of meat and dairy in the prior week were collected as covariates of interest.
Setting: Northern Kenya, June–July 2019.
Participants: Daasanach pastoralist households (n 136) from seven communities.
Results: In the prior 4 weeks, 93·4 % and 98·5 % of households had experienced moderate-to-severe HWI and HFI, respectively. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated a strong association between HWI and HFI. Each point higher HWISE score was associated with a 0·44-point (95 % CI: 0·22, 0·66, P = 0·003) higher HFIAS score adjusting for socio-economic status and other covariates.
Conclusions: These findings demonstrate high prevalence and co-occurrence of HWI and HFI among Daasanach pastoralists in northern Kenya. This study highlights the need to address HWI and HFI simultaneously when developing policies and interventions to improve the nutritional well-being of populations whose subsistence is closely tied to water availability and access.
9 Joshi, Deepa; Panagiotou, A.; Bisht, Meera; Udalagama, Upandha; Schindler, Alexandra. 2023. Digital ethnography? Our experiences in the use of SenseMaker for understanding gendered climate vulnerabilities amongst marginalized agrarian communities. Sustainability, 15(9):7196. (Special issue: Gender and Socially-Inclusive Approaches to Technology for Climate Action) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097196]
Ethnography ; Climate change ; Vulnerability ; Communities ; Marginalization ; Gender ; Women ; Agriculture ; Transdisciplinary research ; Technology ; Social aspects / India / Bihar / Gaya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051885)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/9/7196/pdf?version=1682494939
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051885.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051885.pdf
(1.64 MB) (1.64 MB)
Digital innovations and interventions can potentially revolutionize agri-food systems, especially in coping with climate challenges. On a similar note, digital research tools and methods are increasingly popular for the efficient collection and analysis of real-time, large-scale data. It is claimed that these methods can also minimize subjective biases that are prevalent in traditional qualitative research. However, given the digital divide, especially affecting women and marginalized communities, these innovations could potentially introduce further disparities. To assess these contradictions, we piloted SenseMaker, a digital ethnography tool designed to capture individual, embodied experiences, biases, and perceptions to map vulnerabilities and resilience to climate impacts in the Gaya District in Bihar. Our research shows that this digital tool allows for a systematic co-design of the research framework, allows for the collection of large volumes of data in a relatively short time, and a co-analysis of the research data by the researchers and the researched. This process allowed us to map and capture the complexities of intersectional inequalities in relation to climate change vulnerability. However, we also noted that the application of the tool is influenced by the prior exposure to technology (digital devices) of both the enumerators and researched groups and requires significant resources when implemented in contexts where there is a need to translate the data from local dialects and languages to more dominant languages (English). Most importantly, perceptions, positionalities, and biases of researchers can significantly impact the design of the tool’s signification framework, reiterating the fact that researcher bias persists regardless of technological innovations in research methodology.
10 Buchy, Marlene; Elias, M.; Khadka, Manohara. 2023. Invisible women: barriers for women professionals in the water, energy, food, and environment sectors in Nepal. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1146187. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1146187]
Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Role of women ; Barriers ; Leadership ; Water management ; Energy ; Food production ; Environment ; Nexus approaches ; Climate change ; Social norms ; Decision making ; Marginalization ; Discrimination ; Caste systems ; Ethnicity ; Sexual harassment ; Public sector ; Private sector ; Non-governmental organizations ; Policies / Nepal / Kathmandu
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052233)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1146187/pdf?isPublishedV2=False
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052233.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052233.pdf
(0.38 MB) (390 KB)
Despite evidence of women’s roles and expertise in the management of water, energy, food, and the environment (WEFE), the WEFE literature is almost silent on gender issues. In the context of climate change, achieving more inclusive management of natural resources is vital; yet women continue to be underrepresented as professionals in WEFE sectors, and largely absent in leadership positions. Using Nepal as a case study, this paper explores the enduring barriers to their exclusion, and entry points for greater equity among professionals in these sectors. To do so, we draw on key informant interviews with 34 male and 31 women professionals from government, civil society, non-governmental organizations and consultants, as well as a roundtable discussion with 20 women professionals specifically focused on gender barriers in these sectors in Nepal. Drawing on Gaventa (2006)’s power cube, this paper examines how power dynamics within and between the public and the private spheres create a web of barriers that conflate to sideline women professionals. While women have reached the “closed space” as defined by Gaventa (i.e., are recruited to professional positions in WEFE sectors), different sources of “hidden” and “invisible” power at play in the public and private spheres continue to limit their participation, influence and decision-making. We argue that the continued marginalization of women professionals calls for a focus on understanding the power and intersectionality dynamics that sustain exclusion. This focus is critical for the development of strategies to increase the voice and leadership of women professionals in WEFE decision-making.
11 Irfanullah, H. Md.; Asaduzzaman, M.; Joshi, Deepa; Garrett, J.; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Dikkumbura, Sahani; Rahman, M. M.; Islam, M. A. 2023. Towards inclusive governance for resilient agri-food systems in Bangladesh. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas. 12p.
Agrifood systems ; Governance ; Climate resilience ; Policies ; Intervention ; Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Women ; Marginalization ; Communities ; Innovation ; Participation ; Institutions ; Financing ; Vulnerability / Bangladesh
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052398)
(5.95 MB)
This policy brief — produced under the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) — emphasizes the urgent need for promoting inclusive governance in Bangladesh's agri-food systems to enhance resilience in the face of escalating climate risks. Although Bangladesh is transitioning toward climate-resilient agri-food systems, this shift faces challenges. There is notable variation among policies and interventions pertaining to food, water and environmental systems in their acknowledgment of socio-ecological interdependencies and representation of marginalized communities. This highlights the need for policies that address interlinked social, economic and political inequalities within the agri-food sector and translating the policies into practice. A gap also exists between local experiences of food insecurity and climate resilience and expert-led innovations. Key recommendations in this brief call for the promotion of nature-based solutions, leveraging the progressive National Adaptation Plan, and establishing a robust gender-focused fiscal system. These recommendations, which are aligned with the eight principles of locally led adaptation, underscore the vital role of empowering local communities to lead effective climate change adaptation efforts, ultimately fostering a more sustainable and resilient agri-food sector in Bangladesh.
12 Kassa, M.; Lemma, M.; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Mekuria, Wolde; Gezahagn, A.; Asnakew, M.; Haileslassie, Amare. 2024. Guidelines for the establishment and management of multi-stakeholder platforms to coordinate integrated water resources management in river basins with a focus on the Central Rift Valley Lakes Basin of Ethiopia. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 39p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2024.207]
Integrated water resources management ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Guidelines ; Governance ; River basin management ; Sustainability ; Collaboration ; Partnerships ; Decision making ; Policies ; Local communities ; Gender ; Women ; Social inclusion ; Marginalization ; Capacity development ; Learning ; Financing ; Monitoring and evaluation ; Accountability ; Communication ; Knowledge sharing ; Integrated land management / Ethiopia / Central Rift Valley Lakes Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052584)
(3.31 MB)
Water resources policy in Ethiopia emphasizes the significance of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in river basins. The Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) with its different directorates is vested with the responsibility of coordinating water resource management across basins. As part of executing this mandate, MoWE initiated the preparation of guidelines for establishment and management of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) to coordinate IWRM in various basins. The guidelines presented in this publication focus on coordinating and managing water resources in the Central Rift Valley Lakes Basin within the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes Basin. This basin faces numerous water-related challenges such as increasing water demand, pollution, ecosystem degradation, climate change impacts, and conflicting water-use practices. These guidelines are aimed at defining a framework outlining the purpose, scope, and scale of MSPs as well as the key roles to be played by the governance bodies involved. While facilitating collaboration and partnership among the stakeholders involved in basin water resources management, these guidelines explicitly emphasize inclusion of women and marginalized groups. They highlight the essential elements required for effective management and governance of MSPs and underline the need for facilitation, trust-building, planning, goal-setting, effective communication, and a commitment to participatory decision-making. Ultimately, MoWE bears the responsibility of making the final decisions. Collaborative dialogue and inclusive decision-making processes are vital for sustainable water management. Integrated planning, data collection, monitoring, and evaluation are important for taking well-informed decisions. Therefore, our guidelines recommend capacity-building initiatives and knowledge-exchange platforms to enhance the effectiveness of MSPs. Additionally, strategies and mechanisms for securing the financial resources needed to implement IWRM plans and activities are emphasized. As effective communication plays a vital role in MSP processes, there is a need to define objectives, identify stakeholders, select communication channels, establish communication protocols, build relationships and trust, and develop outreach materials. Gender issues in water resources management, particularly access to water and control and ownership, are highlighted in these guidelines. Capacity-building activities are recommended to enhance the knowledge and skills of the stakeholders involved in the MSPs. Lastly, the guidelines stress the importance of monitoring and evaluating the MSPs involved in basin management. Such evaluations involve measuring stakeholder engagement, policy alignment, knowledge sharing, and collaboration and partnerships. These guidelines can be used by basin and sub-basin coordination experts and officials to establish and manage MSPs in the Central Rift Valley as well as beyond.
13 Mekuria, Wolde; Hagos, Fitsum; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Admasu, W.; Bitew, A. 2024. Impacts of landscape and household climate-smart water management practices in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. Synthesis report prepared by the Prioritization of Climate-smart Water Management Practices project. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 32p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2024.214]
Landscape conservation ; Water management ; Climate change adaptation ; Households ; River basins ; Watersheds ; Small-scale irrigation ; Vulnerability ; Natural resources ; Forest landscape restoration ; Livelihoods ; Gender ; Women ; Marginalization ; Social groups ; Communities ; Socioeconomic impact ; Food security ; Geographical information systems ; Remote sensing ; Flooding ; Drought / Ethiopia / Awash River Basin / Maybar-Felana Watershed / Gelana Watershed / Ewa Watershed / Afambo Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052701)
(1.07 MB)
There is growing evidence that climate-related risk is increasing, and this will affect the livelihoods of small-scale producers (SSPs), with the effects being more severe in agropastoral and pastoral farming systems. In the Awash River Basin, the vulnerability of SSPs is mounting because of anthropogenic and climatic factors. Investigating the impact of landscape management practices and the interaction of SSPs with natural resources would inform sustainable planning, implementing and managing interventions. This study was conducted in four watersheds in the Awash River Basin: Maybar-Felana, Gelana, Ewa and Afambo. The overarching objective was to assess the biophysical and socioeconomic impacts and gender dimensions of landscape management practices. The researchers also investigated the links between natural resource degradation and the vulnerability of natural resource-dependent people, and the contributions of landscape management practices to address these issues. The study analyzed data gathered through 500 household surveys, 51 key informant interviews, 96 in-depth household interviews, 36 focus group discussions, and Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. The results indicated that diverse household-, farm- and watershed-level landscape management practices were adopted in the four watersheds. The findings indicated that implementing these practices could improve natural resources and the services they provide. The adopted practices contributed to reducing livelihood vulnerability by minimizing the effects of weather extremes (floods and droughts), improving food and water security, enhancing resource availability and building livelihood assets. Practicing small-scale irrigation (SSI) has a positive and significant effect on the household Food Consumption Score (FCS) and the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). Stone bunds and SSI have a significant impact on lowering the score on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The findings suggest that women and other marginalized groups (children, the elderly and resource-poor households) are the most affected by climate change and natural resource degradation. Government and non-government organizations recognize the needs of women and marginalized social groups in designing and implementing landscape management initiatives by prioritizing their participation in initiatives to empower them economically (e.g., involving them in income-generating activities) and socially (e.g., building social capital). Despite efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment in landscape management initiatives, women and marginalized social groups remain vulnerable and benefit less due to various factors, including social norms and limited institutional capacities. Gender norms, values and practices embedded within individuals, households, communities and institutions hinder progress. Limited institutional capacities, such as financial and human capacities remain challenges. This study offers recommendations to maximize and sustain the contributions of landscape management practices to reduce the vulnerability of SSPs.
Powered by DB/Text WebPublisher, from
