Improving spate flow diversions in spate irrigation intake structures

Gebremariam, Hintsa Libsekal; Haile, Abraham Mehari

doi:10.1080/09715010.2020.1775715

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In fact, in Africa 70% of the population is agriculture-dependent [7] and water availability is a crucial issue for many rural communities. In these contexts, a spate irrigation system could be a best solution, guaranteeing livelihood and increasing the people's adaptive capacity to climate change [8][9][10][11][12][13]. However, in order to quantitatively support the proposal of a flood mitigation measure, the hazard assessment is of primary importance [14,15].…”

Section: Hydraulic Conditions Of the Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Flood Mitigation Measure and Water Storage in East Africa: An Analysis for the Rio Muaguide, Mozambique

Rrokaj

Corti

Giovannini³

et al. 2021

Hydrology

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In the last century, floods have been more frequently hitting population and human activity, especially in the sub-Saharan context. The aim of this study is to propose suitable flood mitigation measures for the downstream part of the Rio Muaguide, which flows in northern Mozambique. In this terminal part of the river, the bed has been buried by sediment in many reaches; due to the reduction of the section conveyance, wide areas are inundated during the rainy season with negative consequences for several villages relying on subsistence agriculture. The design of any measure requires quantitative determinations but, as many less developed countries, Mozambique is affected by data scarcity. Therefore, in this study global and freely available data have been used to perform hydrologic and two-dimensional hydro-dynamic modelling, finally producing a flood hazard map. Particular care has been put into a critical analysis of several data sources, in terms of their suitability for the purposes of the work. Based on the modelling results and on field evidence, an intervention has been proposed with a double functionality of mitigating the effects of periodic floods and storing water to be used by the agricultural community during drier seasons. The proposed intervention combines restoring a sedimentation-less shape of the river sections and exploiting a natural basin as a storage basin. The methods applied and the intervention proposed for the Rio Muaguide are prototypal for several analogous streams in the coastal portion of Mozambique.

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Section: Hydraulic Conditions Of the Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Flood Mitigation Measure and Water Storage in East Africa: An Analysis for the Rio Muaguide, Mozambique

Rrokaj

Corti

Giovannini³

et al. 2021

Hydrology

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“…The European Union has approved 40 million euros for the development of the Balochistan FBLS in Pakistan, to be implemented from 2022 to 2026 (European Union, 2021). The large majority of the few implemented investment programs in FBLS so far, particularly those in Africa, have largely been infrastructure-driven and did not adequately deliver on their promise to improve productivity and livelihoods (Mehari et al ., 2011; Libsekal and Mehari, 2020). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that such promise could be better realized if the investments recognize improving water distribution rules as imperative contributing factors and accordingly allocate sufficient financial and technical resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

System-wide nexus analyses: water distribution rules, agricultural productivity and livelihoods in flood-based livelihood systems

Zenebe

Fleskens

Newaz³

et al. 2023

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Water management and distribution rules in flood-based livelihood systems (FBLS) have a key role in enhancing system-wide productivity and livelihoods. While such potential has to a certain extent been harnessed in DG Khan FBLS in Pakistan, it has not yet been fulfilled in the Tana River and Fogera FBLS in Kenya and Ethiopia, respectively. These three systems are considered among the major sources of water and food security in their respective regions by the local governments and communities. Drawing from 105 individual interviews with Pakistani FBLS farmers, the paper establishes that a package of water management and distribution rules have significantly contributed to (a) mitigating excessive upstream floodwater use, (b) reducing downstream water scarcity and (c) realizing nearly 4 tons ha−1 harvest of the major wheat crop across the upstream and downstream areas. This yield is about 20% higher than the country-wide average, and two-third of the maximum achievable. Furthermore, 86% of the upstream and three in four of the downstream farmers have managed to cover their livelihood needs that included health, school, housing, transportation, energy and food expenses. On the other hand, the analyses based on individual interviews with 94 and 147 FBLS farmers from Kenya and Ethiopia respectively, uncovered the negative consequences of the absence of a comprehensive package of water management and distribution rules. In Kenya, the downstream small-scale farmers that account for two-third of the Tana River FBLS population frequently suffer from floodwater scarcity. They could not cultivate the high return rice crop and their staple maize yield was low at about 1.25 tons ha−1 or 20% of the maximum attainable. Four in five reported poor livelihoods. The upstream large-scale farmers however often diverted excessive floodwater; over 90% usually grow rice as well as maize as a second crop for home consumption. The situation in Fogera is similar. The water distribution rules prioritized the upstream rice cultivation introduced a decade back to boost economic growth. This, as informed by 95% of the interviewed farmers, has caused downstream floodwater scarcity, about 30% maize yield reduction and livelihood deterioration. These findings on the impacts of water distribution rules can contribute to formulating investments that better achieve the productivity and livelihood potentials of FBLS across Africa and globally.

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“…Despite their huge potential development impact, FBLS are neglected in most African countries, with policy, development and research attention going to perennial irrigation, or alternatively to rain-fed agriculture (van Steenbergen et al 2010). Much of the limited scientific research conducted to date on FBLS (Mehari, van Steenbergen, and Schultz 2011;Gebrehiwot et al 2015;Zenebe, Haile, and Mohamed 2015;Libsekal and Mehari 2020) is largely confined to spate irrigation and technical aspects. Some recent studies (Castelli and Bresci 2017;Castelli et al 2018) have discussed floodwater management practices; but they only addressed spate irrigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing traditional floodwater governance for inclusive and resilient flood-based livelihood systems in Tana river floodplains, Kenya

Zenebe

Fleskens

Ritsema

et al. 2021

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

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This paper analyses the effectiveness of traditional water governance in Floodbased Livelihood Systems (FBLS), which harness floods that could have caused environmental degradation. Ostrom's Governing the Commons Principles, widely recognized for the effective management of shared resources, is used as a framework. The paper draws from discussions with 300 farmers and pastoralists in Tana River FBLS, the oldest traditional system in Kenya. The traditional floodwater governance does not satisfy Ostrom's Principles and livelihood needs. Small-scale farmers and pastoralists frequently experience floodwater scarcity while large-scale farmers use excessive floods often causing waterlogging. This floodwater sharing disparity generates conflicts and threatens small-scale farmers' and pastoralists' livelihoods. Large-scale farmers are primarily concerned with inadequate floodwater management infrastructure that hampers maximizing their harvest. For increased sustainability and equity, fairer floodwater sharing systems and enforcing institutions should be introduced before infrastructural development. These lessons from Tana River can contribute to a larger livelihood potential for flood-based agriculture globally.

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Improving spate flow diversions in spate irrigation intake structures

Cited by 3 publications

References 9 publications

Flood Mitigation Measure and Water Storage in East Africa: An Analysis for the Rio Muaguide, Mozambique

Flood Mitigation Measure and Water Storage in East Africa: An Analysis for the Rio Muaguide, Mozambique

System-wide nexus analyses: water distribution rules, agricultural productivity and livelihoods in flood-based livelihood systems

Enhancing traditional floodwater governance for inclusive and resilient flood-based livelihood systems in Tana river floodplains, Kenya

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