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In recent years, farmer-led irrigation development has gained the interest of development partners and governments in the Global South following its success in enhancing agricultural production and livelihoods in South Asia. However, little is known about the socio-economic situation of farmers who receive public support for its expansion. Considering its rapid expansion in sub-Saharan Africa, we take the case of Ethiopia and explore the relationship between irrigation suitability and farmers’ socio-economic status. We find that high-value crop producers and wealthier farmers are most likely to make private investments and also benefit from public support in farmer-led irrigation expansion if investments are directed to land areas highly suitable for irrigation. Cultivation of high-value crops (fruit, vegetables) was common in areas more suitable for irrigation but staple crop cultivation (cereals, legumes) was negatively associated with irrigation suitability. Wealth status (consumption expenditure, asset index, and land size) was also positively correlated with irrigation suitability. A 10 per cent increase in groundwater irrigation suitability score was associated with a 2 per cent increase in per-capita consumption expenditure. Results imply that policies aiming to facilitate farmer-led irrigation development should combine biophysical information on land and water suitability for irrigation with household socio-economic characteristics and existing agricultural systems.
Kashi Kafle; Oluwatoba Omotilewa; Mansoor Leh; Petra Schmitter. Who is Likely to Benefit from Public and Private Sector Investments in Farmer-led Irrigation Development? Evidence from Ethiopia. The Journal of Development Studies 2021, 1 -21.
AMA StyleKashi Kafle, Oluwatoba Omotilewa, Mansoor Leh, Petra Schmitter. Who is Likely to Benefit from Public and Private Sector Investments in Farmer-led Irrigation Development? Evidence from Ethiopia. The Journal of Development Studies. 2021; ():1-21.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKashi Kafle; Oluwatoba Omotilewa; Mansoor Leh; Petra Schmitter. 2021. "Who is Likely to Benefit from Public and Private Sector Investments in Farmer-led Irrigation Development? Evidence from Ethiopia." The Journal of Development Studies , no. : 1-21.
Ethiopia has decades of experience in implementing land and water management interventions. The overarching objectives of this review were to synthesize evidences on the impact of implementation of land and water management practices on agricultural landscapes in Ethiopia and to evaluate the use of adaptive management (AM) approaches as a tool to manage uncertainties. We explored how elements of the structures and functions of landscapes have been transformed, and how the components of AM, such as structured decision-making and learning processes, have been applied. Despite numerous environmental and economic benefits of land and water management interventions in Ethiopia, this review revealed gaps in AM approaches. These include: (i) inadequate evidence-based contextualization of interventions, (ii) lack of monitoring of bio-physical and socioeconomic processes and changes post implementation, (iii) lack of trade-off analyses, and (iv) inadequacy of local community engagement and provision of feedback. Given the many uncertainties we must deal with, future investment in AM approaches tailored to the needs and context would help to achieve the goals of sustainable agricultural landscape transformation. The success depends, among other things, on the ability to learn from the knowledge generated and apply the learning as implementation evolves
Amare Haileslassie; Wolde Mekuria; Petra Schmitter; Stefan Uhlenbrook; Eva Ludi. Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: Examining Application of Adaptive Management Approach. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8939 .
AMA StyleAmare Haileslassie, Wolde Mekuria, Petra Schmitter, Stefan Uhlenbrook, Eva Ludi. Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: Examining Application of Adaptive Management Approach. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):8939.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmare Haileslassie; Wolde Mekuria; Petra Schmitter; Stefan Uhlenbrook; Eva Ludi. 2020. "Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: Examining Application of Adaptive Management Approach." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 8939.
Ethiopia has decades of experience in implementing land and water management interventions. Nonetheless, there remains persisting challenges to follow an adaptive management (AM) approach in efforts of restoring and transforming agricultural landscapes. This review was carried out to synthesize evidences on the impact on agricultural landscapes following the implementation of land and water management practices and to evaluate the use of AM approaches. We explored how elements of the structures and functions of landscapes have been transformed, and how the components of AM, such as structured decision-making and learning processes, have been applied. Despite numerous environmental and economic benefits of land and water management interventions in Ethiopia, this review revealed gaps in AM approaches. These include: (i) insufficient efforts in relation to evidence based contextualization of interventions, (ii) insufficient efforts in monitoring of bio-physical and socio-economic processes and changes post implementation, (iii) lack of trade-off analyses, and (iv) inadequacy of local community engagement and provision of feedback. Given the many uncertainties we must deal with, efforts to restore and transform agricultural landscapes cannot follow a business-as-usual approach. Future investment, in AM approach, tailored to the needs and context would help to achieve the goals of sustainable agricultural landscape transformation. The success depends on three interdependent pillars of action: the ability to make a robust, co-developed plan of interventions, the ability to continuously monitor changes based on key variables, and to learn from the knowledge generated and apply the learning as implementation evolves.
Amare Haileslassie; Wolde Mekuria; Petra Schmitter; Stefan Uhlenbrook; Eva Ludi. Review of Lessons Learned in Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: What Worked Well and What Didn’t Work so Well? 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleAmare Haileslassie, Wolde Mekuria, Petra Schmitter, Stefan Uhlenbrook, Eva Ludi. Review of Lessons Learned in Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: What Worked Well and What Didn’t Work so Well? . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmare Haileslassie; Wolde Mekuria; Petra Schmitter; Stefan Uhlenbrook; Eva Ludi. 2020. "Review of Lessons Learned in Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: What Worked Well and What Didn’t Work so Well?" , no. : 1.
Paul Reuben Mwinuka; Boniface P. Mbilinyi; Winfred B. Mbungu; Sixbert K. Mourice; Henry F. Mahoo; Petra Schmitter. Optimizing water and nitrogen application for neglected horticultural species in tropical sub-humid climate areas: A case of African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.). Scientia Horticulturae 2020, 276, 1 .
AMA StylePaul Reuben Mwinuka, Boniface P. Mbilinyi, Winfred B. Mbungu, Sixbert K. Mourice, Henry F. Mahoo, Petra Schmitter. Optimizing water and nitrogen application for neglected horticultural species in tropical sub-humid climate areas: A case of African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.). Scientia Horticulturae. 2020; 276 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul Reuben Mwinuka; Boniface P. Mbilinyi; Winfred B. Mbungu; Sixbert K. Mourice; Henry F. Mahoo; Petra Schmitter. 2020. "Optimizing water and nitrogen application for neglected horticultural species in tropical sub-humid climate areas: A case of African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.)." Scientia Horticulturae 276, no. : 1.
Smallholder agriculture constitutes the main source of livelihood for the Ethiopian rural community. However, soil degradation and uneven distribution of rainfall have threatened agriculture at present. This study is aimed at investigating the impacts of conservation agriculture on irrigation water use, nutrient availability in the root zone, and crop yield under supplementary irrigation. In this study, conservation agriculture (CA), which includes minimum soil disturbance, grass mulch cover, and crop rotation, was practiced and compared with conventional tillage (CT). We used two years’ (2018 and 2019) experimental data under paired-t design in the production of a local variety green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The results showed that CA practices significantly (α = 0.05) reduced irrigation water use (13% to 29%) and runoff (29% to 51%) while it increased percolated water in the root zone (27% to 50%) when compared with CT practices under the supplementary irrigation phase. In addition, CA significantly decreased NO3-N in the leachate (14% to 44%) and in the runoff (about 100%), while PO4-P significantly decreased in the leachate (33% to 50%) and in the runoff (16%) when compared with CT. Similarly, CA decreased the NO3-N load in the leachate and in the runoff, while the PO4-P load increased in the leachate but decreased in the runoff. The yield return that was achieved under CA treatment was 30% higher in 2018 and 10% higher in 2019 when compared with the CT. This research improves our understanding of water and nutrient dynamics in green pepper grown under CA and CT. Use of CA provides opportunities to optimize water use by decreasing irrigation water requirements and optimize nutrient use by decreasing nutrient losses through the runoff and leaching.
Sisay Belay; Tewodros Assefa; P. Prasad; Petra Schmitter; Abeyou Worqlul; Tammo Steenhuis; Manuel Reyes; Seifu Tilahun. The Response of Water and Nutrient Dynamics and of Crop Yield to Conservation Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5989 .
AMA StyleSisay Belay, Tewodros Assefa, P. Prasad, Petra Schmitter, Abeyou Worqlul, Tammo Steenhuis, Manuel Reyes, Seifu Tilahun. The Response of Water and Nutrient Dynamics and of Crop Yield to Conservation Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (15):5989.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSisay Belay; Tewodros Assefa; P. Prasad; Petra Schmitter; Abeyou Worqlul; Tammo Steenhuis; Manuel Reyes; Seifu Tilahun. 2020. "The Response of Water and Nutrient Dynamics and of Crop Yield to Conservation Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands." Sustainability 12, no. 15: 5989.
General knowledge based on the good agricultural soils in temperate climates is that no-till and conservation-till practices increase infiltration of the rainwater and decrease runoff and erosion. Experiments in the semi-humid Ethiopian highlands do not often show the same benefits and in many cases no-till actually increases runoff above conventional and deep tillage. In contrast, for conservation-tillage with mulch at the surface, more of the water infiltrates and enhances plant growth
Reduced tillage systems increase infiltration through soil fauna that form soil macropores through which rainwater flows to the subsoil bypassing the soil matrix with limited conductivity. Most degraded soils (at least in the Ethiopian highlands) have a hardpan at shallow depths restricting downward movement of water. Runoff on conventionally tilled soils is caused by saturation excess when the perched water table in the plowed soil layer reaches the surface. Thus, the amount of runoff is determined by the water free pore space in the surface layer. Since this pore space is less under no-till, no-till has greater amounts of runoff than conventional till.
Under mulch tillage, organic matter is introduced at the surface and soil fauna becomes well-developed which will improve the soil structure and porosity of the soil. This structure will be maintained because the mulch decreases the sediment concentration in the water and the pores will remain open. Under conventional tillage sediment concentrations are high and any pores formed will be filled up with sediment. Our expectation is that since organic matter under mixed farming is used to feed the cattle, widespread implementation of no-till and conservation tillage will be limited to areas with high value crops in which farmers can afford using organic matter as a mulch.
Tammo Steenhuis; Misbah Hussein; Habtamu Muche; Sisay Belay; Azalu Gessess; Christian Guzman; Petra Schmitter; Manuel Reyes; Seifu Tilahun. Will no-till be the new panacea for degraded tropical landscapes? 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleTammo Steenhuis, Misbah Hussein, Habtamu Muche, Sisay Belay, Azalu Gessess, Christian Guzman, Petra Schmitter, Manuel Reyes, Seifu Tilahun. Will no-till be the new panacea for degraded tropical landscapes? . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTammo Steenhuis; Misbah Hussein; Habtamu Muche; Sisay Belay; Azalu Gessess; Christian Guzman; Petra Schmitter; Manuel Reyes; Seifu Tilahun. 2020. "Will no-till be the new panacea for degraded tropical landscapes?" , no. : 1.
While hydrological science has made great strides forward during the last 50 years with the advance of computing power and availability of satellite images, much is unknown about the sustainable development of water for irrigation, domestic use and livestock consumption for millions of households in the developing world. Specifically, quantification of shallow underground water resources for irrigation in highland regions remains challenging. The objective is to better understand better the hydrology of highland watersheds with sloping hillside aquifers. Therefore, we present a subsurface flow model for hillside aquifers with recharge that varied from day to day. Recharge to the aquifer was estimated by the Thornthwaite Mather procedure. A characteristic time was identified for travel time of water flowing from the upper part of the hillside to the river or well. Using the method of characteristics, we found that the height of shallow groundwater level can be predicted by determining the total recharge over the characteristic time divided by drainable porosity. We apply the model to farmer‐dug wells in the Ethiopian highlands using observed rainfall, potential evaporation and a fitted travel time. We find that the model performs well with maximum water table heights being determined by the soil surface and minimum heights by the presence or absence of volcanic dikes downhill. Our application shows that unless the water is ponded behind a natural or artificial barrier, hillslope aquifers are unable to provide a continuous source of water during the long, dry season. This clearly limits any irrigation development in the highlands from shallow sloping groundwater.
Tilashwork C. Alemie; Seifu A. Tilahun; Boris F. Ochoa‐Tocachi; Petra Schmitter; Wouter Buytaert; J‐Yves Parlange; Tammo S. Steenhuis. Predicting Shallow Groundwater Tables for Sloping Highland Aquifers. Water Resources Research 2019, 55, 11088 -11100.
AMA StyleTilashwork C. Alemie, Seifu A. Tilahun, Boris F. Ochoa‐Tocachi, Petra Schmitter, Wouter Buytaert, J‐Yves Parlange, Tammo S. Steenhuis. Predicting Shallow Groundwater Tables for Sloping Highland Aquifers. Water Resources Research. 2019; 55 (12):11088-11100.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTilashwork C. Alemie; Seifu A. Tilahun; Boris F. Ochoa‐Tocachi; Petra Schmitter; Wouter Buytaert; J‐Yves Parlange; Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2019. "Predicting Shallow Groundwater Tables for Sloping Highland Aquifers." Water Resources Research 55, no. 12: 11088-11100.
Feeding nine billion people in 2050 will require sustainable development of all water resources, both surface and subsurface. Yet, little is known about the irrigation potential of hillside shallow aquifers in many highland settings in sub‐Saharan Africa that are being considered for providing irrigation water during the dry monsoon phase for smallholder farmers. Information on the shallow groundwater being available in space and time on sloping lands might aid in increasing food production in the dry monsoon phase. Therefore, the research objective of this work is to estimate potential groundwater storage as a potential source of irrigation water for hillside aquifers where lateral subsurface flow is dominant. The research was carried out in the Robit‐Bata experimental watershed in the Lake Tana basin which is typical of many undulating watersheds in the Ethiopian highlands. Farmers have excavated more than 300 hand dug wells for irrigation. We used 42 of these wells, to monitor water table fluctuation from April 16, 2014 to December 2015. Precipitation, and runoff data were recorded for the same period. The temporal groundwater storage was estimated using two methods: one based on the water balance with rainfall as input and baseflow and evaporative losses leaving the watershed as outputs; the second based on the observed rise and fall of water levels in wells. We found that maximum groundwater storage was at the end of the rain phase in September after which it decreased linearly until the middle of December due to short groundwater retention times. In the remaining part of the dry season period, only wells located close to faults contained water. Thus, without additional water sources, sloping lands can only be used for significant irrigation inputs during the first three months out of the eight month long dry season.
Seifu A. Tilahun; Debebe L. Yilak; Petra Schmitter; Fasikaw A. Zimale; Simon Langan; Jennie Barron; Jean‐Yves Parlange; Tammo S. Steenhuis. Establishing irrigation potential of a hillside aquifer in the African highlands. Hydrological Processes 2019, 34, 1741 -1753.
AMA StyleSeifu A. Tilahun, Debebe L. Yilak, Petra Schmitter, Fasikaw A. Zimale, Simon Langan, Jennie Barron, Jean‐Yves Parlange, Tammo S. Steenhuis. Establishing irrigation potential of a hillside aquifer in the African highlands. Hydrological Processes. 2019; 34 (8):1741-1753.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSeifu A. Tilahun; Debebe L. Yilak; Petra Schmitter; Fasikaw A. Zimale; Simon Langan; Jennie Barron; Jean‐Yves Parlange; Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2019. "Establishing irrigation potential of a hillside aquifer in the African highlands." Hydrological Processes 34, no. 8: 1741-1753.
Intensification of rainfed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands has resulted in soil degradation and hardpan formation, which has reduced rooting depth, decreased deep percolation, and increased direct runoff and sediment transport. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential impact of subsoiling on surface runoff, sediment loss, soil water content, infiltration rate, and maize yield. Three tillage treatments were replicated at five locations: (i) no tillage (zero tillage), (ii) conventional tillage (ox-driven Maresha plow, up to a depth of 15 cm), and (iii) manual deep ripping of the soil’s restrictive layers down to a depth of 60 cm (deep till). Results show that the posttreatment bulk density and penetration resistance of deep tillage was significantly less than in the traditional tillage and zero-tillage systems. In addition, the posttreatment infiltration rate for deep tillage was significantly greater, which resulted in significantly smaller runoff and sedimentation rates compared to conventional tillage and zero tillage. Maize yields were improved by 6% under deep tillage compared to conventional tillage and by 29% compared to no tillage. Overall, our findings show that deep tillage can be effective in overcoming some of the detrimental effects of hardpans in degraded soils.
Misbah Abidela Hussein; Habtamu Muche; Petra Schmitter; Prossie Nakawuka; Seifu A. Tilahun; Simon Langan; Jennie Barron; Tammo S. Steenhuis. Deep Tillage Improves Degraded Soils in the (Sub) Humid Ethiopian Highlands. Land 2019, 8, 159 .
AMA StyleMisbah Abidela Hussein, Habtamu Muche, Petra Schmitter, Prossie Nakawuka, Seifu A. Tilahun, Simon Langan, Jennie Barron, Tammo S. Steenhuis. Deep Tillage Improves Degraded Soils in the (Sub) Humid Ethiopian Highlands. Land. 2019; 8 (11):159.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMisbah Abidela Hussein; Habtamu Muche; Petra Schmitter; Prossie Nakawuka; Seifu A. Tilahun; Simon Langan; Jennie Barron; Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2019. "Deep Tillage Improves Degraded Soils in the (Sub) Humid Ethiopian Highlands." Land 8, no. 11: 159.
Water resources in sub-Saharan Africa are more overstressed than in many other regions of the world. Experiments on commercial farms have shown that conservation agriculture (CA) can save water and improve the soil. Nevertheless, its benefits on smallholder irrigated farms have not been adequately investigated, particularly in dry monsoon phase in the Ethiopian highlands. We investigated the effect of conservation agriculture (grass mulch cover and no-tillage) on water-saving on smallholder farms in the Ethiopian highlands. Irrigated onion and garlic were grown on local farms. Two main factors were considered: the first factor was conservation agriculture versus conventional tillage, and the second factor was irrigation scheduling using reference evapotranspiration (ETo) versus irrigation scheduling managed by farmers. Results showed that for both onion and garlic, the yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was over 40% greater for CA than conventional tillage (CT). The soil moisture after irrigation was higher in CA compared with CT treatment while CA used 49 mm less irrigation water. In addition, we found that ETo-based irrigation was superior to the farmers’ irrigation practices for both crops. IWUE was lower in farmers irrigation practices due to lower onion and garlic yield responses to overirrigation and greater water application variability.
Sisay A. Belay; Petra Schmitter; Abeyou W. Worqlul; Tammo S. Steenhuis; Manuel R. Reyes; Seifu A. Tilahun. Conservation Agriculture Saves Irrigation Water in the Dry Monsoon Phase in the Ethiopian Highlands. Water 2019, 11, 2103 .
AMA StyleSisay A. Belay, Petra Schmitter, Abeyou W. Worqlul, Tammo S. Steenhuis, Manuel R. Reyes, Seifu A. Tilahun. Conservation Agriculture Saves Irrigation Water in the Dry Monsoon Phase in the Ethiopian Highlands. Water. 2019; 11 (10):2103.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSisay A. Belay; Petra Schmitter; Abeyou W. Worqlul; Tammo S. Steenhuis; Manuel R. Reyes; Seifu A. Tilahun. 2019. "Conservation Agriculture Saves Irrigation Water in the Dry Monsoon Phase in the Ethiopian Highlands." Water 11, no. 10: 2103.
The vast majority of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa depend on rainfed agriculture for food production and livelihood. Various factors including but not limited to rainfall variability, land degradation, and low soil fertility constrain agricultural productivity in the region. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the water resources potential to sustain small-scale irrigation (SSI) in Ethiopia during the dry season so as to expand food supply by growing vegetables, and 2) understand the gaps and constraints of vegetable production. The case studies were conducted in the Robit and Dangishta watersheds of the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. To document farmers’ cropping practices, field-level data were collected from 36 households who had been cultivating tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) during the dry season (November – April). Two components of the Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS) - the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) – were respectively used to assess impacts of SSI at the watershed and field-scale levels. Results suggest that there is a substantial amount of surface runoff and shallow groundwater recharge at the watershed scale. The field-scale analysis in the Robit watershed indicated that optimal tomato yield could be obtained with 500 mm of water and 200 to 250 kg/ha of urea applied with 50 kg/ha of diammonium phosphate (DAP). In Dangishta, optimum onion yield can be obtained with 400 mm of water and 120 to 180 kg/ha of urea applied with 50 kg/ha of DAP. The field-scale simulation indicated that the average shallow groundwater recharge (after accounting for other groundwater users such as household and livestock use) was not sufficient to meet tomato and onion water demand in the dry season (October to April). The field-scale analysis also indicated that soil evaporation attributed a significant proportion of evapotranspiration (60% for onion and 40% for tomato). Use of mulching or other soil and water conservation interventions could optimize irrigation water for vegetable production by reducing soil evaporation and thereby increasing water availability in the crop root zone.
Abeyou W. Worqlul; Yihun T. Dile; Petra Schmitter; Jaehak Jeong; Manyowa N. Meki; Thomas J. Gerik; Raghavan Srinivasan; Nicole Lefore; Neville Clarke. Water resource assessment, gaps, and constraints of vegetable production in Robit and Dangishta watersheds, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Agricultural Water Management 2019, 226, 105767 .
AMA StyleAbeyou W. Worqlul, Yihun T. Dile, Petra Schmitter, Jaehak Jeong, Manyowa N. Meki, Thomas J. Gerik, Raghavan Srinivasan, Nicole Lefore, Neville Clarke. Water resource assessment, gaps, and constraints of vegetable production in Robit and Dangishta watersheds, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Agricultural Water Management. 2019; 226 ():105767.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbeyou W. Worqlul; Yihun T. Dile; Petra Schmitter; Jaehak Jeong; Manyowa N. Meki; Thomas J. Gerik; Raghavan Srinivasan; Nicole Lefore; Neville Clarke. 2019. "Water resource assessment, gaps, and constraints of vegetable production in Robit and Dangishta watersheds, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia." Agricultural Water Management 226, no. : 105767.
For planning, development and management of water resources, understanding runoff mechanism and groundwater recharge is useful especially to watershed management and groundwater use for domestic and irrigation water supply. During the period of the study, stream flow, groundwater levels, infiltration tests, rainfall and soil moisture measurements were conducted. The result from these measurement showed that saturation excess runoff were dominant in Dangishta watershed while infiltration excess runoff also contributes in some parts of the upslope area. This result was also corroborated by better correlation of (R2 = 0.82) at the main outlet than upstream sub watershed outlet (R2 = 0.56) using SCS runoff equation. The result from groundwater level measurement using water table fluctuations approach showed that the total annual groundwater recharge were found to be 400 mm (i.e. 24% of the total annual rainfall) which is a significant amount likely because of the interflow processes to each well.
Abdu Yimer Yimam; Ayele Mamo Bekele; Prossie Nakawuka; Petra Schmitter; Seifu Admasu Tilahun. Rainfall-Runoff Process and Groundwater Recharge in the Upper Blue Nile Basin: The Case of Dangishta Watershed. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2019, 536 -549.
AMA StyleAbdu Yimer Yimam, Ayele Mamo Bekele, Prossie Nakawuka, Petra Schmitter, Seifu Admasu Tilahun. Rainfall-Runoff Process and Groundwater Recharge in the Upper Blue Nile Basin: The Case of Dangishta Watershed. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering. 2019; ():536-549.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbdu Yimer Yimam; Ayele Mamo Bekele; Prossie Nakawuka; Petra Schmitter; Seifu Admasu Tilahun. 2019. "Rainfall-Runoff Process and Groundwater Recharge in the Upper Blue Nile Basin: The Case of Dangishta Watershed." Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering , no. : 536-549.
Although most recharge estimation studies apply multiple methods to identify the possible range in recharge values, many do not distinguish clearly enough between inherent uncertainty of the methods and other factors affecting the results. We investigated the additional value that can be gained from multi‐method recharge studies through insights into hydrogeological understanding, in addition to characterising uncertainty. Nine separate groundwater recharge estimation methods, with a total of 17 variations, were applied at a shallow aquifer in northwest Ethiopia in the context of the potential for shallow groundwater resource development. These gave a wide range of recharge values from 45 to 814 mm/a. Critical assessment indicated that the results depended on what the recharge represents (actual, potential, minimum recharge or change in aquifer storage), and spatial and temporal scales, as well as uncertainties from application of each method. Important insights into the hydrogeological system were gained from this detailed analysis, which also confirmed that the range of values for actual recharge was reduced to around 280‐430 mm/a. This study demonstrates that even when assumptions behind methods are violated, as they often are to some degree especially when data are limited, valuable insights into the hydrogeological system can be gained from application of multiple methods.
David Walker; Geoff Parkin; Petra Schmitter; John Gowing; Seifu Admassu Tilahun; Alemseged Tamiru Haile; Abdu Yimer Yimam. Insights From a Multi-Method Recharge Estimation Comparison Study. Groundwater 2018, 57, 245 -258.
AMA StyleDavid Walker, Geoff Parkin, Petra Schmitter, John Gowing, Seifu Admassu Tilahun, Alemseged Tamiru Haile, Abdu Yimer Yimam. Insights From a Multi-Method Recharge Estimation Comparison Study. Groundwater. 2018; 57 (2):245-258.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Walker; Geoff Parkin; Petra Schmitter; John Gowing; Seifu Admassu Tilahun; Alemseged Tamiru Haile; Abdu Yimer Yimam. 2018. "Insights From a Multi-Method Recharge Estimation Comparison Study." Groundwater 57, no. 2: 245-258.
Smallholder irrigation expansion would significantly increase agricultural production, and reduce food insecurity and poverty levels in East Africa. This paper reviews literature on trends, constraints and opportunities of smallholder irrigation in four East African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Irrigation development has been slow in these countries, and has been mainly through traditional schemes. Recently, individual irrigation technologies such as small motorized pumps, drip kits, treadle pumps, rope and washer pumps are being promoted. Adoption of these technologies and expansion of smallholder irrigation however face a number of challenges including land tenure issues; lack of access to appropriate irrigation technologies, improved agricultural inputs, reliable markets, finance and credit services, and research support; poor transport and communication infrastructures; poor irrigation water management; poor extension systems; and the over dependence on national governments, NGOs and donors for support. Despite these challenges, opportunities exist for smallholder irrigation expansion in East Africa. Such opportunities include: high untapped irrigation potential; rainwater harvesting to improve water availability; high commitment of national governments, NGOs and donors to smallholder irrigation expansion; low cost irrigation technologies adaptable to local conditions; traditional schemes rehabilitation; growing urbanization; and increased use of mobile phones that can be used to disseminate information
Prossie Nakawuka; Simon Langan; Petra Schmitter; Jennie Barron. A review of trends, constraints and opportunities of smallholder irrigation in East Africa. Global Food Security 2018, 17, 196 -212.
AMA StyleProssie Nakawuka, Simon Langan, Petra Schmitter, Jennie Barron. A review of trends, constraints and opportunities of smallholder irrigation in East Africa. Global Food Security. 2018; 17 ():196-212.
Chicago/Turabian StyleProssie Nakawuka; Simon Langan; Petra Schmitter; Jennie Barron. 2018. "A review of trends, constraints and opportunities of smallholder irrigation in East Africa." Global Food Security 17, no. : 196-212.
As solar panels become more affordable, solar photovoltaic (PV) pumps have been identified as a high potential water-lifting technology to meet the growing irrigation demand in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, little is known about the geo-spatial potential of solar-based PV pumping for irrigation taking into account not only solar radiation but also the availability of water resources and linkage to markets. This study developed a suitability framework using multi-criteria analysis in an open source geographic information system (GIS) environment and tested it in the case of Ethiopia. The accessibility of water resources was the driving factor for different scenarios. Suitability results following the groundwater scenarios showed good agreement with the available referenced well depth data. Comparing the suitability maps with available land use data showed that on average 9% (96 103 ha) of Ethiopian irrigated and 18% (3739 103 ha) of rainfed land would be suitable for solar PV pump irrigation. Furthermore, small solar PV pumps could be an alternative water-lifting technology for 11% of the current and future small motorized fuel hydrocarbon pumps on smallholder farms (2166 103 ha). Depending on the technical pump capacity, between 155 103 ha and 204 103 ha of land would be suitable for solar PV pumps and provide smallholder farmers with the option to either pump from small reservoirs or shallow groundwater. With the ongoing interest in development for smallholder irrigation, the application of this model will help to upscale solar PV pumps for smallholder farmers in SSA as a climate-smart technology in an integrated manner.
Petra Schmitter; Kefyalew Sahle Kibret; Nicole Lefore; Jennie Barron. Suitability mapping framework for solar photovoltaic pumps for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Applied Geography 2018, 94, 41 -57.
AMA StylePetra Schmitter, Kefyalew Sahle Kibret, Nicole Lefore, Jennie Barron. Suitability mapping framework for solar photovoltaic pumps for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Applied Geography. 2018; 94 ():41-57.
Chicago/Turabian StylePetra Schmitter; Kefyalew Sahle Kibret; Nicole Lefore; Jennie Barron. 2018. "Suitability mapping framework for solar photovoltaic pumps for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa." Applied Geography 94, no. : 41-57.
Rehabilitation of large valley bottom gullies in developing countries is hampered by high cost. Stopping head cuts at the time of initiation will prevent large gullies from forming and is affordable. However, research on practices to control shallow gully heads with local materials is limited. The objective of this research was therefore to identify cost-effective shallow gully head stabilization practices. The four-year study was conducted on 14 shallow gullies (<3 m deep) in the central Ethiopian highlands. Six gullies were used as a control. Heads in the remaining eight gullies were regraded to a 1:1 slope. Additional practices implemented were adding either riprap or vegetation or both on the regraded heads and stabilizing the gully bed downstream. Gully heads were enclosed by fencing to prohibit cattle access to the planted vegetation. The median yearly head retreat of the control gullies was 3.6 m a−1 with a maximum of 23 m a−1. Vegetative treatments without riprap prevented gully incision by trapping sediments but did not stop the upslope retreat. The gully heads protected by riprap did not erode. Regrading the slope and adding riprap was most effective in controlling gully head retreat, and with hay grown on the fenced-in areas around the practice, it was profitable for farmers.
Meseret B. Addisie; Eddy J. Langendoen; Dessalew W. Aynalem; Getaneh K. Ayele; Seifu A. Tilahun; Petra Schmitter; Wolde Mekuria; Mikael M. Moges; Tammo S. Steenhuis. Assessment of Practices for Controlling Shallow Valley-Bottom Gullies in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands. Water 2018, 10, 389 .
AMA StyleMeseret B. Addisie, Eddy J. Langendoen, Dessalew W. Aynalem, Getaneh K. Ayele, Seifu A. Tilahun, Petra Schmitter, Wolde Mekuria, Mikael M. Moges, Tammo S. Steenhuis. Assessment of Practices for Controlling Shallow Valley-Bottom Gullies in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands. Water. 2018; 10 (4):389.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMeseret B. Addisie; Eddy J. Langendoen; Dessalew W. Aynalem; Getaneh K. Ayele; Seifu A. Tilahun; Petra Schmitter; Wolde Mekuria; Mikael M. Moges; Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2018. "Assessment of Practices for Controlling Shallow Valley-Bottom Gullies in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands." Water 10, no. 4: 389.
Agricultural intensification to meet the food needs of the rapidly growing population in developing countries affects water quality. In regions such as the Lake Tana basin, knowledge is lacking on measures to reduce non-point source pollutants in humid tropical monsoon climates. The aim of this paper was, therefore, to develop a non-point model that can predict the placement of practices to reduce the transport of sediment and phosphorus (P) in a (sub) humid watershed. In order to achieve the objective, hydrometeorological, sediment, and P data were collected in the watershed since 2014. The parameter efficient semi-distributed watershed model (PED-WM) was calibrated and validated in the Ethiopian highlands to simulate runoff and associated sediments generated through saturation excess. The P module added to PED-WM was used to predict dissolved (DP) and particulate P (PP) loads aside from discharge and sediment loads of the 700 ha of the Awramba watershed of Lake Tana basin. The PED-WM modules were evaluated using the statistical model performance measuring techniques. The model parameter based prediction of source areas for the non-point source sediment and P was also evaluated spatially and compared with the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) of the watershed. The water balance component of the non-point source model performed well in predicting discharge, sediment, DP, and PP with NSE of 0.7, 0.65, 0.65, and 0.63, respectively. In addition, the predicted discharge followed the hydrograph with insignificant deviation from its pattern due to seasonality. The model predicted a sediment yield of 28.2 t ha−1 year−1 and P yield of 9.2 kg ha−1 year−1 from Awrmaba. Furthermore, non-point source areas contributed to 2.7 kg ha−1 year−1 (29%) of DP at the outlet. The main runoff and sediment source areas identified using PED-WM were the periodically saturated runoff areas. These saturated areas were also the main source for DP and PP transport in the catchment. Using the PED-WM with the P module enables the identification of the source areas as well as the prediction of P and sediment loading which yields valuable information for watershed management and placement of best management practices.
Mamaru A. Moges; Petra Schmitter; Seifu A. Tilahun; Tammo S. Steenhuis. Watershed modeling for reducing future non-point source sediment and phosphorus load in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia. Journal of Soils and Sediments 2017, 18, 309 -322.
AMA StyleMamaru A. Moges, Petra Schmitter, Seifu A. Tilahun, Tammo S. Steenhuis. Watershed modeling for reducing future non-point source sediment and phosphorus load in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia. Journal of Soils and Sediments. 2017; 18 (1):309-322.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMamaru A. Moges; Petra Schmitter; Seifu A. Tilahun; Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2017. "Watershed modeling for reducing future non-point source sediment and phosphorus load in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia." Journal of Soils and Sediments 18, no. 1: 309-322.
Although Ethiopia has abundant land for irrigation, only a fraction of its potential land is being utilized. This study evaluates suitability of lands for irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia using GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques in order to enhance the country's agricultural industry. Key factors that significantly affect irrigation suitability evaluated in this study include physical land features (land use, soil, and slope), climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration), and market access (proximity to roads and access to market). These factors were weighted using a pair-wise comparison matrix, then reclassified and overlaid to identify suitable areas for groundwater irrigation using a 1-km grid. Groundwater data from the British Geological Survey were used to estimate the groundwater potential, which indicates the corresponding irrigation potential for major crops. Results indicated that more than 6 million ha of land are suitable for irrigation in Ethiopia. A large portion of the irrigable land is located in the Abbay, Rift Valley, Omo Ghibe, and Awash River basins. These basins have access to shallow groundwater (i.e., depth of groundwater less than 20 m from the surface) making it easier to extract. The comparison between available groundwater and total crop water requirements indicate that groundwater alone may not be sufficient to supply all suitable land. The study estimates that only 8% of the suitable land can be irrigated with the available shallow groundwater. However, groundwater is a viable option for supplementing surface water resources for irrigation in several basins in the country
Abeyou W. Worqlul; Jaehak Jeong; Yihun T. Dile; Javier Osorio; Petra Schmitter; Thomas Gerik; R. Srinivasan; Neville Clark. Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia. Applied Geography 2017, 85, 1 -13.
AMA StyleAbeyou W. Worqlul, Jaehak Jeong, Yihun T. Dile, Javier Osorio, Petra Schmitter, Thomas Gerik, R. Srinivasan, Neville Clark. Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia. Applied Geography. 2017; 85 ():1-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbeyou W. Worqlul; Jaehak Jeong; Yihun T. Dile; Javier Osorio; Petra Schmitter; Thomas Gerik; R. Srinivasan; Neville Clark. 2017. "Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia." Applied Geography 85, no. : 1-13.
In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, gully erosion is severe. Despite many efforts to implement gully prevention measures, controlling gully erosion remains a challenge. The objective is to better understand the regional gully erosion processes and to prevent gully head retreat. The study was conducted in the Ene-Chilala catchment in the sub-humid headwaters of the Birr River located southwest of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Twelve gully heads were monitored during the 2014 and 2015 rainy monsoon phase. We measured gully head morphology and retreat length, soil shear strength, ground water table levels, and catchment physical characteristics. Two active gully head cuts were treated in 2014 and an additional three head cuts in 2015 by regrading their slope to 45° and covering them with stone riprap. These treatments halted the gully head advance. The untreated gullies were actively eroding due to groundwater at shallow depths. The largest head retreat was 22.5 m, of which about half occurred in August of the first year when the surrounding soil was fully saturated. Lowering both the water table and protecting the gully heads can play a key role in reducing gully expansion and soil loss due to gully erosion in the Ethiopian highlands. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meseret B. Addisie; Getaneh K. Ayele; Azalu A. Gessess; Seifu A. Tilahun; Assefa D. Zegeye; Mikael M. Moges; Petra Schmitter; Eddy J. Langendoen; Tammo S. Steenhuis. Gully Head Retreat in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands: The Ene-Chilala Catchment. Land Degradation & Development 2017, 28, 1579 -1588.
AMA StyleMeseret B. Addisie, Getaneh K. Ayele, Azalu A. Gessess, Seifu A. Tilahun, Assefa D. Zegeye, Mikael M. Moges, Petra Schmitter, Eddy J. Langendoen, Tammo S. Steenhuis. Gully Head Retreat in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands: The Ene-Chilala Catchment. Land Degradation & Development. 2017; 28 (5):1579-1588.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMeseret B. Addisie; Getaneh K. Ayele; Azalu A. Gessess; Seifu A. Tilahun; Assefa D. Zegeye; Mikael M. Moges; Petra Schmitter; Eddy J. Langendoen; Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2017. "Gully Head Retreat in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands: The Ene-Chilala Catchment." Land Degradation & Development 28, no. 5: 1579-1588.
Load estimates are more informative than constituent concentrations alone, as they allow quantification of on- and off-site impacts of environmental processes concerning pollutants, nutrients and sediment, such as soil fertility loss, reservoir sedimentation and irrigation channel siltation. While statistical models used to predict constituent concentrations have been developed considerably over the last few years, measures of uncertainty on constituent loads are rarely reported. Loads are the product of two predictions, constituent concentration and discharge, integrated over a time period, which does not make it straightforward to produce a standard error or a confidence interval. In this paper, a linear mixed model is used to estimate sediment concentrations. A bootstrap method is then developed that accounts for the uncertainty in the concentration and discharge predictions, allowing temporal correlation in the constituent data, and can be used when data transformations are required. The method was tested for a small watershed in Northwest Vietnam for the period 2010–2011. The results showed that confidence intervals were asymmetric, with the highest uncertainty in the upper limit, and that a load of 6262 Mg year−1 had a 95 % confidence interval of (4331, 12 267) in 2010 and a load of 5543 Mg an interval of (3593, 8975) in 2011. Additionally, the approach demonstrated that direct estimates from the data were biased downwards compared to bootstrap median estimates. These results imply that constituent loads predicted from regression-type water quality models could frequently be underestimating sediment yields and their environmental impact.
Johanna I. F. Slaets; Hans-Peter Piepho; Petra Schmitter; Thomas Hilger; Georg Cadisch. Quantifying uncertainty on sediment loads using bootstrap confidence intervals. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 2017, 21, 571 -588.
AMA StyleJohanna I. F. Slaets, Hans-Peter Piepho, Petra Schmitter, Thomas Hilger, Georg Cadisch. Quantifying uncertainty on sediment loads using bootstrap confidence intervals. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 2017; 21 (1):571-588.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohanna I. F. Slaets; Hans-Peter Piepho; Petra Schmitter; Thomas Hilger; Georg Cadisch. 2017. "Quantifying uncertainty on sediment loads using bootstrap confidence intervals." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 21, no. 1: 571-588.