Your search found 80 records
1 Zemadim, B.; McCartney, Matthew; Langan, Simon; Sharma, Bharat. 2013. A participatory approach for hydrometeorological monitoring in the Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 32p. (IWMI Research Report 155) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2014.200]
Hydrometeorology ; Monitoring ; Participatory approaches ; Networks ; Meteorological stations ; River basins ; Watersheds ; Groundwater ; Water level ; Rainwater management ; Flooding ; Local communities ; Stakeholders ; Soil moisture / Ethiopia / Blue Nile River Basin / Dapo Watershed / Meja Watershed / Mizewa watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H046390)
(1 MB)
Participatory research is increasingly recognized as being useful for conducting multiple activities in research for development projects. The co-learning environment created in participatory research helps to identify existing social and technological gaps, and develop possible solutions to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. This report describes a participatory approach used in the establishment and implementation of hydrometeorological monitoring networks in the Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia. The networks were established with the involvement of rural communities and other stakeholders to gain insights into the hydrological processes of the watersheds, in order to improve rainwater management strategies. Local people were involved in the day-to-day management and maintenance of the networks. The participatory approach proved beneficial for several reasons, not least, because it instilled trust and goodwill amongst the communities.
2 Mekuria, Wolde; Langan, Simon; Johnston, Robyn; Belay, B.; Amare, D.; Gashaw, T.; Desta, G.; Noble, Andrew; Wale, A. 2015. Restoring aboveground carbon and biodiversity: a case study from the Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Forest Science and Technology, 11(2):86-96. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21580103.2014.966862]
Aerial parts ; Carbon sequestration ; Biomass ; Organic fertilizers ; Biodiversity ; Nile basin ; Ecosystem services ; Environmental degradation ; Plants ; Species ; Watersheds ; Vegetation ; Land degradation ; Land management ; Grazing lands ; Households ; Local communities ; Crop production ; Erosion ; Government agencies ; Non governmental organizations ; Case studies / Ethiopia / Nile Basin / Gomit Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046886)
(0.43 MB)
In Ethiopia, exclosures in landscapes have become increasingly important to improving ecosystem services and reversing biodiversity losses. The present study was conducted in Gomit watershed, northern Ethiopia, to: (i) investigate the changes in vegetation composition, diversity and aboveground biomass and carbon following the establishment of exclosures; and (ii) analyse the economic returns of aboveground carbon sequestration and assess the perception of local communities on land degradation and exclosures. A space-for-time substitution approach was used to detect the changes in aboveground carbon, species composition, and diversity. Exclosures of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 7-years-old and a communal grazing land were selected. Household surveys, key informant interviews, and a financial analysis were used to assess the perception of local communities and the value of exclosure impacts, respectively. Significant (P = 0.049) differences in species diversity and considerable increases in aboveground carbon (ranged from 0.6 to 4.2 t C ha-1), CO2 storage (varied between 2.1 and 15.3 t CO2 ha-1), woody species composition, and richness (ranged from five to 28) were observed following the establishment of exclosures. Exclosures generated temporary certified emission reductions (tCER) of 3.4, 2.1, 7.5, 12.6, 12.5, and 15.3 Mg CO2 ha-1 after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 years, respectively. The net present value (NPV) of the aboveground carbon sequestered in exclosures ranged from US$6.6 to US$37.0 per hectare and increased with exclosure duration. At a watershed level, 51.4 Mg C ha-1 can be sequestered, which represents 188.6 Mg CO2 ha-1, resulting in tCER of 139.4 Mg CO2 ha-1 and NPV of US$478.3 per hectare. This result would suggest that exclosures can potentially improve local communities’ livelihoods beyond rehabilitating degraded lands if carbon stored in exclosures is traded. Communities in the watershed demonstrated that exclosures are effective in restoring degraded lands and they are benefiting from increased fodder production and reduced impacts of soil erosion. However, the respondents are also concerned over the sustainability of exclosure land management, as further expansion of exclosures aggravates degradation of remaining communal grazing lands and causes fuel wood shortages. This suggests that the sustainability of exclosure land management can be attained only if these critical concerns are addressed by a joint effort among government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and communities.
3 Dittoh, S.; Snyder, K. A.; Lefore, Nicole. 2015. Gender policies and implementation in agriculture, natural resources and poverty reduction: case study of Ghana’s Upper East Region. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 22p. (WLE Research for Development (R4D) Learning Series 3) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2015.205]
Gender ; Women ; Equity ; Agricultural policy ; Policy making ; Agricultural workers ; Agricultural production ; Natural resources ; Poverty ; Funding ; Socioeconomic environment ; Civil society organizations ; Local communities ; Households ; Resource allocation ; Case studies / Ghana / Bawku West / Bongo
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047003)
(3 MB)
4 Das, A.; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Mukherji, A. 2015. Predicting success in community-driven water infrastructure maintenance: evidence from public goods games in coastal Bangladesh. In Humphreys, E.; Tuong, T. P.; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Pukinskis, I.; Phillips, M. (Eds.). Proceedings of the CPWF, GBDC, WLE Conference on Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone: Turning Science into Policy and Practices, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 21-23 October 2014. Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). pp.183-196.
Coastal area ; Water management ; Local communities ; Sustainability ; Econometrics ; Models ; Institutions ; Reclaimed land / Bangladesh
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047112)
(0.31 MB)
5 Chasukwa, M.; Kanyongolo, N. R.; Chiweza, A. L.; Chirwa, T. 2015. Primary actors on the back seat: gender, human rights and rural water governance in Malawi - lessons from Mpemba and Chileka. In Hellum, A.; Kameri-Mbote, P.; van Koppen, Barbara. (Eds.) Water is life: women’s human rights in national and local water governance in southern and eastern Africa. Harare, Zimbabwe: Weaver Press. pp.274-299.
Human rights ; Gender ; Women's participation ; Rural areas ; Local communities ; Water governance ; Water use ; Water policy ; Water law / Malawi / Mpemba / Chileka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047303)
6 Katus, S.; Suhardiman, Diana; Senaratna Sellamutu, Sonali. 2016. When local power meets hydropower: Reconceptualizing resettlement along the Nam Gnouang River in Laos. Geoforum, 72:6-15. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2016.03.007]
Water power ; Rural settlement ; Living standards ; Economic growth ; Poverty ; Local government ; Local communities ; Rivers ; Energy generation ; Reservoir storage ; Villages / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Bolikhamxai Province / Nam Gnouang River / Mekong River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047486)
(2.60 MB)
In Laos, hydropower development is occurring at rapid, though controversial pace. While hydropower development could in principle contribute to the country’s development objectives to promote economic growth and reduce poverty, it also impacts people’s livelihoods especially local communities living along the river. Focusing on the transition of Nam Gnouang River into a reservoir, this article looks at the process of resettlement of four neighboring villages in Bolikhamxai Province, Laos into one resettlement site, Ban Keosengkham. Conceptualizing hydropower development as a ‘technology’ of power, it illustrates how power relations between villagers, local government authorities, and dam developers determine resettlement processes and outcomes.
7 Ahmed, I. M.; Gumma, M. K.; Kumar, S.; Craufurd, P.; Rafi, I. M.; Haileslassie, Amare. 2016. Land use and agricultural change dynamics in SAT watersheds of southern India. Current Science, 110(9):1704-1709.
Land use ; Land cover change ; Agriculture ; Watersheds ; Farmland ; Living standards ; Water harvesting ; Water scarcity ; Water levels ; Water availability ; Local communities ; Ecosystem services ; Arid zones ; Groundwater irrigation ; Groundwater recharge ; Living standards ; Satellite imagery ; Farmers ; Rain / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047541)
(3.59 MB)
Impact of dynamic land use and land cover changes on the livelihood of local communities and ecosystem services is a major concern. This is particularly evident in most dryland agricultural systems in South Asia. We study land use/land cover (LULC) changes over the last two decades in a watershed (9589 ha) located in semi-arid eco-region in South India (Anantapuram district) using Landsat and IRS imagery. We captured additional data through field observations and focused group discussions. The high resolution 30 m data and the spectral matching techniques (SMTs) provided accuracy of 91–100% for various land use classes and 80–95% for the rice and groundnut areas. The watershed studied has undergone significant land use changes between 1988 and 2012. Diminishing size and number of surface water bodies, and contrastingly increased areas under irrigation clearly explain that the system has evolved significantly towards groundwater-irrigated groundnut production. Such changes could be beneficial in the short run, but if the groundwater withdrawal is without sufficient recharge, the long-term consequences on livelihoods could be negative. The water scarcity could be aggravated under the climate change. The construction of checkdams and dugout ponds to recharge groundwater is a potential solution to enhance recharge.
8 Wegerich, K.; Hussain, Asghar. 2016. Creating accountability: representation and responsiveness of the irrigation bureaucracy in Punjab, Pakistan. Water International, 41(5):662-681. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2016.1185890]
Irrigation management ; Technology transfer ; Political aspects ; Bureaucracy ; Civil service ; Public administration ; Empowerment ; Local communities ; Rural population ; Land ownership ; Canals ; Equity ; Water distribution ; Water supply / Pakistan / Punjab
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047637)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2016.1185890?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047637.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047637.pdf
(2.01 MB)
Here, more than 100 years of incumbency reports on officers of the irrigation bureaucracy of Punjab, Pakistan, are presented and analyzed. The data highlight how representation changed before and after partition within the irrigation bureaucracy. The data show that the irrigation bureaucracy increased through staffing its representation of local communities and is in its appointments responsive to elected representatives. Therefore, it is argued that empowerment of the local community can be achieved without irrigation management transfer but through the irrigation bureaucracy itself.
9 Tignino, M. 2016. Joint infrastructure and the sharing of benefits in the Senegal and Niger watersheds. Water International, 41(6):835-850. (Special issue: Legal Mechanisms for Water Resources in Practice: Select Papers from the XV World Water Congress). [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2016.1214894]
International waters ; Watershed management ; International cooperation ; River basin management ; Water governance ; Corporate culture ; Infrastructure ; Conventions ; Collective action ; Legal systems ; Riparian zones ; Watercourses ; Dams ; Environmental effects ; Local communities / West Africa / Senegal / Mauritania / Mali / Guinea / Niger River / Senegal River / Diama Dam / Manantali Dam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047778)
(1.25 MB)
Riparian states of the Senegal and Niger watersheds have developed specific techniques for the management of water infrastructure. A common feature in both watersheds is the sharing of benefits from water facilities. Niger River basin states are still at the beginning of a shared vision process for jointly managed infrastructure and equitable benefit sharing, while Senegal River basin states have led the way in innovative forms of shared ownership and governance. Environmental protection and public participation are increasingly included in the development of joint infrastructure, but more could be done to strengthen these aspects of river governance.
10 Lacombe, Guillaume; Bolliger, A. M.; Harrisson, R. D.; Thu Ha, T. T. 2016. Integrated tree, crop and livestock technologies to conserve soil and water, and sustain smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in Southeast Asian uplands. In Hiwasaki, L.; Bolliger, L.; Lacombe, Guillaume [IWMI]; Raneri, J.; Schut, M.; Staal, S. (Eds). 2016. Integrated systems research for sustainable smallholder agriculture in the Central Mekong: achievements and challenges of implementing integrated systems research. Hanoi, Vietnam: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Southeast Asia Regional Program. pp.41-64.
Soil conservation ; Water conservation ; Water availability ; Rainwater ; Water harvesting ; Sustainable agriculture ; Monoculture ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Farmland ; Living standards ; Highlands ; Land degradation ; Land use ; Land management ; Erosion ; Plantations ; Tectona grandis ; Rubber ; Coffee ; Environmental impact ; Natural resources management ; Local communities ; Catchment areas ; Case studies / Southeast Asia / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Southwest China / Vietnam / Cambodia / Yunnan Province
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047859)
https://www.worldagroforestry.org/region/sea/publications/download?dl=/BK00186-16.pdf&pubID=3760
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047859.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047859.pdf
(3.82 MB)
After reviewing the main causes and effects of land degradation and erosion in the uplands of mainland Southeast Asia, this chapter presents several case studies of recent land-use changes governed by economic, political and institutional transitions, the expansion of teak and rubber tree plantations in northern Laos and southwest China, respectively, and of monocropping coffee in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. We explain how these environmental disturbances are altering water and soil resources across different geographic scales, from the agricultural plot to the headwater catchment. Examples of coping strategies combining field trials and participatory approaches are illustrated with several case studies taken from research for development activities conducted in Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam and the Yunnan Province of China. These activities were part of the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics) in the Central Mekong Action Area. We propose solutions for sustainable agricultural intensification to diversify income, improve dietary diversity and improve natural resource management. The accomplishment of these objectives requires longterm involvement with ethnic minority communities that have been the particular focus in the target areas. The three-anda-half-year lifespan of Humidtropics in the Mekong region was a short period. It would require extension to maintain the carefully built and nurtured relationships with local implementation partners and local farming communities, and reach its full promise.
11 Mekuria, Wolde. 2016. Changes in regulating ecosystem services following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands in Ethiopia: a synthesis [Abstract only] Paper presented at the First African ESP [Ecosystem Services Partnership] Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, 21-25 November 2016. 1p.
Ecosystem services ; Grazing lands ; Carbon sequestration ; Soil fertility ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Senses ; Local communities ; Land use / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047880)
(142 KB)
12 Cardenas, J.-C.; Janssen, M. A.; Ale, M.; Bastakoti, Ram; Bernal, A.; Chalermphol, J.; Gong, Y.; Shin, H.; Shivakoti, G.; Wang, Y.; Anderies, J. M. 2017. Fragility of the provision of local public goods to private and collective risks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(5):921-925. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1614892114]
Small scale farming ; Agricultural production ; Investment ; Food production ; Food security ; Rice ; Local communities ; Climate change ; Private sector ; Economic aspects ; Economic systems ; Market economics ; Smallholders ; Risk management
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047982)
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/01/11/1614892114.full.pdf?sid=d3783b22-9c9e-4b02-ac30-a7944b47c376
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047982.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047982.pdf
(1.04 MB)
Smallholder agricultural systems, strongly dependent on water resources and investments in shared infrastructure, make a significant contribution to food security in developing countries. These communities are being increasingly integrated into the global economy and are exposed to new global climate-related risks that may affect their willingness to cooperate in community-level collective action problems. We performed field experiments on public goods with private and collective risks in 118 small-scale rice-producing communities in four countries. Our results indicate that increasing the integration of those communities with the broader economic system is associated with lower investments in public goods when facing collective risks. These findings indicate that local public good provision may be negatively affected by collective risks, especially in communities more integrated with the market economy.
13 Amerasinghe, Priyanie. 2017. Towards sustainable periurban ecosystems. Impact, 1:80-82. [doi: https://doi.org/10.21820/23987073.2017.1.80]
Ecosystem services ; Sustainable agriculture ; Periurban agriculture ; Urbanization ; Periurban areas ; Local communities ; Food production ; Landscape ; Poverty ; Mapping ; Living standards / India / Nepal / Bangladesh
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048066)
http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/sil/23987073/v2017n1/s29.pdf?expires=1490180444&id=90246646&titleid=72010637&accname=Guest+User&checksum=62FF52F390CF267F957AAF0DFF5B885D
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048066.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048066.pdf
14 Mekuria, Wolde; Barron, Jennie; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Adimassu, Zenebe; Amare, T.; Wondie, M. 2017. Exclosures for ecosystem restoration and economic benefits in Ethiopia: a catalogue of management options. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 28p. (WLE Research for Development (R4D) Learning Series 4) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2017.204]
Research and development ; Learning ; Capacity building ; Ecosystems ; Economic situation ; Stakeholders ; Smallholders ; Livestock production ; Milk production ; Woodlands ; Habitats ; Renewable energy ; Energy sources ; Natural resources management ; Gender ; Women ; Youth ; Guidelines ; Governance ; State intervention ; Local communities ; Community involvement ; Land use ; Land management ; Land degradation ; Living standards ; Income ; Fodder plants ; Soil conservation ; Water conservation ; Watershed management ; Management techniques ; Sustainability ; Risk reduction ; Private sector ; Public sector / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048081)
(3 MB)
15 Paudyal, K.; Baral, H.; Lowell, K.; Keenan, R. J. 2017. Ecosystem services from community-based forestry in Nepal: realising local and global benefits. Land Use Policy, 63:342-355. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.01.046]
Ecosystem services ; Community forestry ; Water supply ; Forest management ; Sustainability ; Legislation ; Decentralization ; Environmental policy ; Forestry policies ; Biodiversity conservation ; Local communities ; Living standards ; Economic value ; Social benefits ; Institutional development ; State intervention ; Stakeholders / Nepal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048095)
(1.90 MB)
Community-based Forestry (CBF) is now a popular approach for landscape restoration, forest management, biodiversity conservation and support for rural livelihoods worldwide. The Himalayan country Nepal has been at the forefront of CBF for over four decades, with almost 40% of the total population directly involved in protecting and managing more than 32% of the country’s forested land. However, in the past, the focus of CBF in Nepal was the provision of goods for local subsistence, and there has been limited analysis of the role of CBF in providing ecosystem services (ES) from restored forest landscapes. Based on material drawn from a literature review and a stakeholders’ workshop, this paper analyses changes in Nepalese forest policies to provide a more holistic framework for CBF that provides a wider range of ES and to potentially underpin payments for ecosystem services in Nepal. The analysis indicates that Nepal’s forest policy and practices are still dominated by a narrowly conceived notion of forest management that does not accommodate the holistic concept of ES. The study illustrates that CBF provides many ES from local to global benefits as result of forest restoration. For example, timber, firewood, food, and water have local importance, while climate regulation, flood/erosion control, and habitat improvement have global importance. Many innovative cases are emerging in the long journey of CBF in Nepal that demonstrate more diverse management strategies, new forms of tenure rights and autonomy in institutional spaces. These can potentially provide a catalytic platform for the wider adoption of the ES framework in CBF regimes, in order to focus and reward forest management more directly for the provision of services such as water, biodiversity, climate regulation and recreation. Consequently, this study discusses the issues and challenges that are impeding the implementation of the ES concept in Nepal and suggests some ways forward.
16 Keovilignavong, O.; Suhardiman, Diana. 2018. Characterizing private investments and implications for poverty reduction and natural resource management in Laos. Development Policy Review, 36(S1 March):O341-O359.
Natural resources management ; Poverty ; Economic policies ; Private investment ; Foreign investment ; Incentives ; Living standards ; Economic growth ; Local communities ; Local government ; State intervention ; Environmental impact assessment ; Developing countries / Lao People's Democratic Republic
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048207)
We examine the patterns and characteristics of private investment in Laos, and how these evolve in relation to the Lao government's investment incentive policies in particular, and the wider State policies in general. Our goals are to: 1) systematically describe and analyse the patterns and characteristics of private investment in the country; and 2) analyse investment outcomes in terms of economic growth, poverty reduction and livelihoods. We argue that while private investments in the resource sector have contributed to the economic growth, they have also negatively impacted local resources and communities. From a policy perspective, we highlight the need to examine the actual significance of policy incentives provided by the Lao government, especially with regard to its ability to direct investment decisions, geographically and sectorally.
17 Suhardiman, Diana; Rutherford, J.; Bright, S. J. 2017. Putting violent armed conflict in the center of the Salween hydropower debates. Critical Asian Studies, 49(3):349-364. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2017.1328284]
Water power ; Water governance ; Economic integration ; Economic growth ; Armed conflicts ; River basin development ; Dams ; Local communities ; Living standards ; Best practices ; Decision making ; Political aspects ; Land tenure / Southeast Asia / Myanmar / Salween River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048208)
Regional economic integration has become the dominant development pathway promoted, endorsed, and followed by many developing country governments in South East Asia and globally. Focusing on hydropower development, this article shows how forces of globalization manifested in the Myanmar government’s strategies to promote economic growth are shaping the Salween River basin’s development trajectory. Contesting the general belief that economic development would help the country’s transition to full democracy and achieve peace, it illustrates how hydropower development plans in the basin are closely interlinked with human rights issues. Well known for its long histories of violent conflict involving the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups in various states, hydropower development in the Salween River is not only linked to the ongoing peace process in Myanmar but could also have direct implications on the actual significance of the process. Despite the signing of nationwide ceasefire agreements in 2012, hydropower dam projects could contribute to and trigger reoccurrences of violent armed conflict. Recognizing this conflict-prone and politically fragile condition as the main characteristics of Salween water governance is essential if we are to strive for sustainable and just development.
18 CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 2017. Re-conceptualizing dam design and management for enhanced water and food security. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 12p. (WLE Towards Sustainable Intensification: Insights and Solutions Brief 3) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2017.212]
Sustainability ; Intensification ; Dam construction ; Water security ; Food security ; Ecosystem services ; Infrastructure ; Reservoirs ; River basins ; Local communities ; Economic aspects ; Environmental economics ; Cost benefit analysis ; Net primary productivity ; Habitats ; Nutrients ; Sediment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048214)
(804 KB)
Dams provide numerous economic benefits and can mitigate the adverse impacts of water variability and extreme climate events. However, such large-scale water infrastructure has also caused significant social and environmental costs, prompting calls for alternative, nature-based solutions. WLE suggests that collections of built and natural infrastructure, combined with participatory management approaches, can support water and food security, while enhancing livelihoods and environmental outcomes.
19 Naber, M. A. 2017. Controlling groundwater over abstraction: state policies vs localpractices in the Jordan highlands. Water Policy, 19(4):692-708. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2017.127]
Groundwater extraction ; Groundwater management ; Water governance ; Water policy ; Water law ; Legislation ; State intervention ; Highlands ; Local communities ; Farmers ; Wells / Jordan / Azraq Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048254)
The control of groundwater over abstraction is a vexing problem worldwide. Jordan is one of the countries facing severe water scarcity which has implemented a wide range of measures and policies over the past 20 years. While the gap between formal legal and policy frameworks and local practices on the ground is widely acknowledged, few studies investigate how local users react to state regulations and document their tactics to circumvent them. This paper examines the major tools implemented by the Jordanian government to control well expansion and water abstraction and how farmers in the Azraq basin have responded to these measures. It then documents how, in response, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation has recently enacted a series of creative counter-measures, both direct and indirect, in an attempt to toughen law enforcement and raise pressure over groundwater users. The lessons learned are highly relevant for countries with similar situations, both in the region and elsewhere.
20 Owusu, Seth; Cofie, Olufunke O.; Osei-Owusu, P. K.; Awotwe-Pratt, V.; Mul, Marloes L. 2017. Adapting aquifer storage and recovery technology to the flood-prone areas of northern Ghana for dry-season irrigation. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 35p. (IWMI Working Paper 176) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2017.214]
Aquifers ; Water storage ; Water acquisitions ; Water use ; Waterlogging ; Water drilling ; Water quality ; Groundwater extraction ; Groundwater irrigation ; Groundwater recharge ; Floodplains ; Dry season ; Artificial recharge ; Irrigation systems ; Irrigation methods ; Filtration ; Environmental impact ; Socioeconomic environment ; Land use ; Sloping land ; Soil properties ; Soil types ; Geology ; Hydrological factors ; Hydraulic conductivity ; Food security ; Farmers ; Farmland ; Seasonal cropping ; Crop production ; Local communities ; Costs / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048222)
(763 KB)
The Bhungroo Irrigation Technology (BIT) is a system designed to infiltrate excess ‘standing’ floodwater to be stored underground and abstracted for irrigation during the dry season. The system was developed in India and piloted in three sites in northern Ghana. This paper documents the implementation of BIT, the operating principles and criteria for selecting appropriate sites for the installation of such systems, as well as the potential benefits complementing existing irrigation systems in Ghana. Essential requirements for the installation of BIT include biophysical features such as land-use type, soil type, surface hydrology and slope of the terrain. The hydrogeological characteristics of the subsoil are also vital, and must exhibit high storage capacity and potential for groundwater accessibility. To be profitable and generate benefits for farmers, the technology needs to be situated in close proximity to markets and must have public acceptance.
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