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Title: Improving efficacy of landscape interventions in the (semi) humid Ethiopian Highlands

Author
item STEENHUIS, TAMMO - Cornell University
item TILAHUN, SEIFU - Bahir Dar University
item AYANA, ESSAYAS - Bahir Dar University
item YITAFERU, BIRRU - Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute
item AMARE, TADELE - Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute
item LANGAN, SIMON - International Water Management Institute, East Africa And Nile Basin Office
item MCALLISTER, CHARLOTTE - International Development Research Centre
item Langendoen, Eddy

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2014
Publication Date: 5/16/2014
Citation: Steenhuis, T.S., Tilahun, S.A., Ayana, E.K., Yitaferu, B., Amare, T., Langan, S., Mcallister, C., Langendoen, E.J. 2014. Improving efficacy of landscape interventions in the (semi) humid Ethiopian Highlands. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on the Advancement of Science and Technology (ICAST-2014), May 16-17, 2014, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, pp. 237-244.

Interpretive Summary: Despite millions of dollars invested in soil and water conservation practices and other landscape interventions in Ethiopian highlands and billions of hours of food-for-work farm labor, sediment concentration in Ethiopian rivers is increasing. Possible ways to reverse the current trend has been investigated by an interdisciplinary group of faculty and postgraduate students at Bahir Dar University in cooperation with scientists from International Irrigation Management Institute (Addis Ababa), Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (Bahir Dar), Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) and the USDA, ARS, Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit. Research findings of the interdisciplinary group were based on research conducted in the Debra Mewi, Maybar, Anjeni and other watersheds in the Amhara region south of Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Based on the understanding of the hydrology of Ethiopian highlands, priority in landscape interventions should be given to re-vegetation of the degraded areas so as to reduce the sediment concentration originating from these source areas. Additionally, efforts should be directed to gully rehabilitation in the saturated bottom landscape. The rehabilitation may consist of vegetating shallow gullies and stabilizing head cuts of deeper gullies by decreasing the slope of the head cuts and then protecting the chutes. Finally, research should be carried out in increasing the infiltration of the upland soil. This will reduce the direct runoff during the rainy season and increase baseflow during the dry season by connecting the land surface to the original deep flow paths that still exists below about 60 cm.

Technical Abstract: Despite millions of dollars invested in soil and water conservation practices and other landscape interventions in Ethiopian highlands and billions of hours of food-for-work farm labor, sediment concentration in rivers is increasing. Possible ways to reverse the current trend has been investigated by an interdisciplinary group of faculty and postgraduate students at Bahir Dar University in cooperation with scientists from International Irrigation Management Institute (Addis Ababa), Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (Bahir Dar), Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) and the USDA-ARS Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit (Oxford MS). This paper reports on the research findings of the interdisciplinary group conducted in the Debra Mewi, Maybar, Anjeni and other watersheds. Based on the understanding of the hydrology of Ethiopian highlands, priority in landscape interventions should be given to re-vegetation of the degraded areas so as to reduce the sediment concentration originating from these source areas. Additionally, efforts should be directed to gully rehabilitation in the saturated bottom landscape. The rehabilitation may consist of vegetating shallow gullies and stabilizing head cuts of deeper gullies by decreasing the slope of the head cuts and then protecting the chutes. Finally, research should be carried out in increasing the infiltration of the upland soil. This will reduce the direct runoff during the rainy season and increase baseflow during the dry season by connecting the land surface to the original deep flow paths that still exists below about 60 cm.