Effective small-scale irrigation in Ethiopia

Effective small-scale irrigation in Ethiopia

Published Jul 2006

Authors

Richard Carter, Kerstin Danert, false

Publisher

Focus countries

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Effective small-scale irrigation in Ethiopia

Small-scale irrigation can contribute to agricultural intensification in Ethiopia. However, policymakers should promote this with caution, because this approach does not work everywhere.

Many regions ofEthiopia are prone to low and erratic rainfall. Soil erosion is also a serious problemin some areas. Small-scale irrigation (SSI) can help to tackle these problems.SSI refers to a range of techniques for increasing the amount of soil and waterin an area, and for managing these resources better. Examples include buildingstructures to capture and store soil and water, and machines for channelling orlifting water.

Many Ethiopian governmentpolicies encourage greater use of SSI, and many non-governmental projectssupport SSI as well. This is generally positive, but there are many examples ofpoorly planned and poorly managed SSI projects in Ethiopia. These are oftenimplemented as emergency measures during food crises. A study by Farm-Africa inEthiopia looked at conditions for successful SSI. The researchers found that:

  • SSI canbring severely degraded land back into production. It can contribute to betterharvests, a more diverse mix of crops and improved incomes. This can makecommunities less dependant on food aid.
  • SSI may beineffective without soil and water conservation measures in the wider watercatchment area.
  • Landless peopledo not necessarily benefit from SSI. SSI may create work and lower the price offood, but it can increase inequality between them and people who own land.
  • Greaterareas of still surface water may increase the risk of malaria andschistosomiasis outbreaks.

Successfulinterventions are not only about water and soil. There also needs to be farmerinterest in new techniques, and markets for selling new products and buying inputs.Cash incomes may also be necessary to pay for maintaining some structures. Structuresbuilt from local materials are often easier for communities to repair andmaintain.

While SSI cantransform communities, it can also be costly and time consuming. Alternative usesof development funds, such as improving rain-fed farming, may sometimes makemore sense. Policymakers and practitioners must plan carefully before startingSSI projects and consider several issues:

  • Good siteselection is critical if SSI interventions are to work. This means consultingfarmers and encouraging their participation in designing and implementingprojects.
  • Genderissues, such as potential changes in the control of resources, can affect howSSI projects affect communities.
  • A lack oflegal status for Water User Associations can cause problems for farmers tryingto access credit.
  • It cantake a long time for farmers to master SSI techniques. Projects must allowfarmers to learn and experiment. Non-governmental organisations must commit to long-termsupport (maybe 10 years) when an innovation is particularly complex or new to acommunity.
  • Organisationsimplementing SSI must consider competition between water users, both upstream anddownstream. Regulations in Ethiopia provide little guidance for resolving theseproblems.
  • SSI mayconflict with other land uses, such as grazing. Land tenure is a critical issuein Ethiopia and the risk of land redistribution may alwaysundermine an SSI initiative.

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