PROCEEDINGS

of

CPWF NILE BASIN DEVELOPMENT

CHALLENGE PROGRAM:

SCIENCE WORKSHOP

May 04-06, 2011

ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Table of Contents

Title / Page
List of Abbreviations / 3
List of Annexes / 4
Day 1:
NBDC in Brief: Tilahun Amede / 5
CPWF in Brief: Boru Douthwaite / 5
Workshop Themes: Shirley Tarawali / 5
Workshop Process: Peter Ballantyne / 5
6
8
Theme 1: Rainwater Management Systems: Dr. Deborah Bossio
Hard Seat: RMS in India: Dr. Bharat Sharma with Dr. Alan Duncan
Theme 2: Processes / 9
Day 2:
Theme 3: Livelihood Impacts / 14
Theme 4: Water Productivity Impacts / 18
Hard Seat: CPWF Developments: Dr. Larry Harington with Dr. Shirley Tarawali / 21
Theme 5: Environment & Ecosystems Impacts / 23
Day 3: Project Planning and Reflection
Cross Theme Reflection / 25
Hard Seat: Dr. Boru Douthwaite with Dr. Matthew McCartney / 26
Agenda / i
List of Participants / ii

List of Abbreviation

CGIAR
CPR
CPWF / Challenge Program for Water and Food
CRP / Consortium Research Program
ECOSAUT
ES / Eco System
GIS / Geo Information Science
HH / House Hold
ILRI / International Livestock Research Institute
IP
IWMI / International Water Management Institute
KAS
KMIS / Knowledge Management and Information Sharing
LH
MoA / Ministry of Agriculture
NBDC / NileBasin Development Challenge
NGO / Non Governmental Organizations
NPK
NRM / Natural Resource Management
NWFF
RMS / Rain Water Management Systems
RWM / Rain Water Management
SLM / Sustainable Land Management
SWAT
SWC
WEAP

List of Annexes

Annex I / NBDC in Brief
Annex II / CPWF in Brief
Annex III / Rainwater Management Strategies for the NBDC: Concepts and Analytical Framework by Dr. Deborah Bossio
Annex IV / Rainwater Management Systems in the NBDC: Emerging Menu of Alternatives by Drs. Birhanu Zemadim, Teklu Erkossa, Amare H/Selassie and Fergus Sinclair
Annex V / Resources, Practices and Community Based Rainwater Management Strategies: Insights from the NBDC Sites by Dr. Bharat Sharma
Annex VI / Planning, implementation and innovation related to rainwater management - what we've learned so far - an update from the baselining exercise by Josie Tucker
Annex VII / Innovation platforms - what we envisage for national and local platforms, what we've done to develop these already and how they will link by Dr. Kees Swaans
Annex VIII / Linking innovation platforms with action to improve rainwater management - what mechanisms do we foresee? by Dr. Alan Duncan
Annex IX / Policy - what could we be doing to understand policy environment and how could we go about influencing policy by Dr. Ranjitha Puskur
Annex X / Engagement with partners by Dr. Tilahun Amede
Annex XI / Addressing Livelihoods within the Landscape in the Nile Basin by Dr. Katherine Snyder
Annex XII / Gender in the NBDC by Jemimah Njuki
Annex XIII / Livelihood and Poverty Impacts of RWMs: Analysis using Indexing Approach by Dr. Kindie Getnet
Annex XIV / Livelihood impacts in the NBDC by Nancy Johnson
Annex XV / Water and Productivity Impacts by theme 4 members
Annex XVI / Concepts, definitions and framework and some preliminary findings by Dr. Mulugeta Leminih
Annex XVII / Case example: RMS to build resilience from AHI by Dr. Tilahun Amede
Annex XVIII / Ecosystems and livelihoods: understanding co-production by Dr. Katherine Snyder
Annex XX / Modeling ecosystem services supply & trade-off: Polyscape by Dr. Fergus Sinclair
Annex XXI / The concept of scenarios by Dr. Deborah Bossio
Annex XXII / Reflection Wall Summary by Dr. Shirley Tarawali
Annex XXIII / Theme Reflection details
Annex XXIV / Ideas from Storage Jar
Annex XXV / Workshop Agenda
Annex XXVI / List of Participants

Day 1: May 04, 2011

Nile Basin Development Challengein Brief:

Dr. Tilahun Amede, NBDC Project Leader, ILRI/IWMI

Dr. Tilahun gave a presentation on Rain Water Management Systems as attached to NBDC. Full version of the presentation is attached as Annex I.

Challenge Program for Water and Food in Brief:

Dr. Boru Douthwaite, CPWF

Dr. Boru presented on the essence of NBDC as it stands alone and as it is seen in CPWF. He also related the whole perception to the importance of the workshop. Full version of the presentation is attached as Annex II.

Workshop Themes

Dr. Shirley Tarawali, Theme Leader, ILRI

An introduction was given to the different themes to be discussed in the upcoming sessions of the workshop. Accordingly the event was organized in 5 thematic blocks respectively:

Theme 1: Rainwater Management Systems

Theme 2: Processes

Theme 3: Livelihood Impacts

Theme 4: Water Productivity Impacts

Theme 5: Environment & Ecosystem Impacts

Workshop Process

Peter Ballantyne, KMIS Manager, ILRI

A round of one-by-one participants’ introduction and statement of their expectationsfrom the workshop wasmade. The process with which the workshop is intended to proceed was briefed. The following points were made during the briefing:

  • each theme addresses all three objectives
  • each theme conversation is self-organizing (with a leader); engaging and participatory, no long presentations
  • each theme draws on and integrates cross-project experiences
  • each theme has a leader
  • Process, presentations and discussions can be 'messy' - this is a working discussion with as open and critical discussions among participants. We are not 'presenting' to outsiders.
  • we address 'science' and 'reflection' in each theme
  • all participants will, somewhere in the program, 'present' something or have some other role
  • Each theme conversation should appoint a 'rapporteur' to capture main discussion points (on the NBDC wiki). We will complement this with other 'social' reporting/communication.

Theme 1: Rainwater Management Systems

Dr. Deborah Bossio, Theme Leader, IWMI

The goal of this session is to develop common understanding of RMS, concepts and impacts, which will guide other areas of work. Thus this session will present an analytical framework as an introduction to the conversation, and then focus on RMS how we define it, what we know already, and where we take it next.

The landscape of options in four areas will be presented that will give the background on various component areas (land use and crops, water, livestock and trees) and provide the ‘legend’ of practice options available as the framework is applied to study landscapes and to the basin.

Zooming in a brief tour of study landscapes will give everyone an idea of what we know about the selected landscapes, current status, trends, challenges, and needs, leading to preliminary RMS recommendations. A step back will be taken to view the basin and what is already learnt about similarities and hear proposals for methods of mapping suitability.

Three presentations were made on this session.

  1. Rainwater Management Strategies for the NBDC: Concepts and Analytical Framework by Dr. Deborah Bossio
  2. Rainwater Management Systems in the NBDC: Emerging Menu of Alternatives by Drs. Birhanu Zemadim, Teklu Erkossa, Amare H/Selassie and Fergus Sinclair
  3. Resources, Practices and Community Based Rainwater Management Strategies: Insights from the NBDC Sites by Dr. Bharat Sharma

See Annexes III, IV and V.

Following was a group discussion on major issues like wherethe conception of RMS will work or not work, how it will be seen with regard to the sites, different processes, interms of analysis and modeling?

Findings of the groups’ discussionon Operationalising rainwater management strategies and concepts in the Nile BDCwere presented.

Group I: Presenter: Dr. An Notenbaert, ILRI

  • Options of water sources like ground water must be seen rain being the major one
  • Discussion was made on policy, end users, practices, combination of practices, goals and trade offs
  • Conflict resolution was also raised as an issue
  • The concept would work on water scarce areas

Group II: Presenter: Josephine Tucker, ODI

  • Strategic usefulness of rainwater management was discussed
  • Importance of simple but meaningful synergy of the highland and lowland
  • Question was raised if there would be enough water for irrigation and also if the market intended is natural resource based. Also if the livelihood and demand linkage is well developed
  • Lessons from previous projects that have failed perhaps because they were not based on local demand must be noted
  • The upstream-downstream linkage is well appreciated
  • How to use strategies into models and the importance of catchment areas was discussed
  • Ways of implementation and scaling up need to be addressed
  • Issues of capacity building, innovation platforms and discussion with partners was looked at
  • The necessity to put down the elements on paper was seen as modeling can be complicated

Group III Presenter Mathew McCartney

  • Assessment might be needed on areas where rainwater management and interventions are implemented, how it would be possible to know and judge the impact
  • Extent of farmers’ involvement in strategy designing, setting tradeoffs, identifying exclusions and practices must be looked at as water is the main issue for them
  • Discussion was made on ways of taking the strategy forward and implementing by involving farmers more

Group IV Presenter Lisa Rebello

  • Issues of high rainfall variability and land degradation were noted
  • Discussion was made on where the concept would not work, less interms of basin location and more interms of strategies
  • Need for the strategies to encompass all the three sites was stressed
  • Emphasis was given to tradeoffs; not only tradeoffs between practices but also between the three different sites particularly for cases like ensuring that the increase in production in the upland does not result in decrease in existing ecosystem services in the lowland
  • Challenges such as lack of enabling environment like water users’ association, water conflicts, financial capability and stakeholder adoption of the process

Group V Presenter Deborah Bossio

  • Essence of integration of the strategies was pointed out. Nevertheless fully integrated strategies could be difficult to model
  • Clear questions need to be stated to outline what needs to be modeled since it is impossible to expect the models to capture all the complexity of the strategies even though the strategies are desired to have the complexity to evaluate at a local level
  • Types of materials gathered (lessons, practices, strategies) was also noted as they will serve as a toolbox to communicate and inform farmers
  • How to avail this information and to whom was also looked at
  • More work is said to be expected on integration issues like methodologies of land classification to take the simple landscape to the next sophisticated level and have more value chain perspective

Group VI Presenter Tilahun Amede

  • Question of Legitimacy was raised: whose strategy is this strategy (where it emerged from) and how fluid it is for adoption
  • If the strategy is applicable, how can it be used, reaching end users
  • Issues on how to separate strategies from the process was raised
  • How to get things done, the process, is what is going to be replicable
  • Role of the validity of the strategy from end-users’ perspective (how to involve farmers in the solving of such a huge problem when they have many individual problems to solve)

Group VII Presenter Alan Duncan

  • The question of ownership of strategies with stakeholders was raised given that the situation is to address them with readymade strategies
  • Is it the community or the strategy that comes first?
  • How to link end product of the modeling with community conversation
  • Define community: is it to refer to farmers or representative of farmers and also representatives of high level stakeholders in the landscape

Group VIII Presenter Amare H/Selassie

  • Discussed the list of practices and challenges from crop and livestock for a specific site as RMSs are site specific. The conclusion driven is that the integration is very essential.

Hard Seat: RMS in India: Dr. Alan Duncan, Livestock Scientist, ILRI with Dr. Bharat Sharma, Principal Researcher, IWMI

Alan Duncan interviewed Bharat Sharma about research on integrated watershed management in India and its relevance for Ethiopia and the Nile BDC.

The questions in general were: What does integrated watershed management mean? What are some of the successes, and the key factors leading to them? Can any of these be transferred to other countries? How relevant are they for Ethiopia?

Bharat briefed that the concept of integrated watershed management was initially about soil and water conservation. Later practices scaled up largely and reached a stage where many benefits of water can be practice. He cited the Sukkoma Project that was first started by IWMI as one of the oldest and most successful projects on the area. The project foot printed many lessons on involving communities, institutionalization, ecosystem and etc. Bharat emphasized the essence of transparency and involvement of all stakeholders (community, Government, etc) in the initiatives. In addition innovation of the civil society who critically faces the problem is a big asset for the success of the projects. Other factors like authorities’ accountability, bringing the voice of the rural community, institutionalization, and system sustainability were also noted.

In responding to if practices and models from India can be replicated to Ethiopia, Bharat said that it is possible to do so as the two counties have many common factors like similar concerns, community type, livelihood and the like. The fact that he is leading one component of NBDC will help share experiences. He however marked some contextual differences like the demand force of the civil society which is strong in India and also demonstration of innovation.

Theme 2: Process

Dr. Alan Duncan, Livestock Scientist, ILRI

The session was initiated through five short overview presentations covering the themes of:

(1) Planning;

(2) Innovative Platforms;

(3) Linking innovative platforms with action;

(4) Contributing to evidence based policy and

(5) Engagement with partners.

The presentations made were:

1. Planning, implementation and innovation related to rainwater management - what we've learned so far - an update from the baselining exercise by Josie Tucker
2. Innovation platforms - what we envisage for national and local platforms, what we've done to develop these already and how they will link by Dr. Kees Swaans
3. Linking innovation platforms with action to improve rainwater management - what mechanisms do we foresee? by Dr. Alan Duncan
4. Policy - what could we be doing to understand policy environment and how could we go about influencing policy by Dr. Ranjitha Puskur
5. Engagement with partners by Dr. Tilahun Amede

Each of the presentations concluded with a series of questions that were to be addressed in the following group discussion. See Annexes VI, VII, VIII, IX and X respectively.

Results of group discussions were captured as below.

Group I:Supporting local planning and innovation in the Nile BDC

Presenter: Josephine Tucker

Deliberation Questions:

  • How can NBDC support more flexible and participatory implementation of RWM, and support innovation, given that the planning process seems to be top-down and rigid?
  • How can CPWF take account of the rapidly changing situation in some woredas in its models?
  • How will CPWF deal with pressing local issues which may be outside the remit of RWM but which are likely to constrain adoption or benefits of RWM?

Findings

  • It is essential to create synergy with the existing system and work in it plus learn from others’ experience not to repeat the same mistake
  • Investigation must be done to find out where decision is made and how planning is done, working more strongly with Regional Government
  • Consider different scenarios in strategy development
  • Involve people through the who could predict upcoming changes change process
  • Accept, deal and capitalize on the unpredictable changes

Group II:Developing national and local innovation platforms in the NIle BDC

Presenter: Dr. Kees Swaans

Deliberation Questions

  • Who should facilitate such platforms?
  • Where will resources for any proposed actions come from?
  • Should we set out to establish IP’s around different themes e.g. “markets”, “NRM” etc
  • Or should we look at strategies to make the link between NRM and markets at the local innovation platform?
  • How do you manage difference in power between different actors?

Findings

Linkage

  • Platforms should be participatory and should extend down in the community division hierarchy to enable catch experience of all levels including grass root ones
  • Institutionalization is critically important; it will also make communication/feeding to the national level possible
  • Finding out opportunities and processes involving community members like extension workers may enhance facilitation of the platforms
  • More work is needed to improve communication
  • Balance between the different actors in the platforms is essential
  • Involvement of civil society association will be crucial

Role of NBDC

  • Provide guides and tools
  • Facilitation between local and national platforms
  • Identify research ideas and design how to use research outputs, provide input to local/national platforms (at what stage and in what form)
  • Design strategic plan in a manner that links research finding with platform processes

Sustainability

  • Provide market incentives to make farmers more committed
  • Sort on short term and long term benefits for farmers
  • Institutional structure where communication is considered as one part
  • Plan for finding resources, research to plan beyond the project

Group III: Building effective partnerships in the NBDC

Presenter: Dr. Tilahun Amede

Deliberation Questions

  • What lessons have we learned so far about partnership building? What went well? What didn’t go well? What do partners want out of collaboration with NBDC? When to engage?
  • How should we identify partners? Based on trust? Competency? Power balance? Resources? Recognition for delivery? Who is joining who?
  • How do we organize our Nile projects in communicating with partners? Individual Ns? Demand-based? Through N5?
  • How do we best communicate with partners? What are the best channels for interacting with wider actors?

Findings

Briefing on Partnership

  • Different partners are essential to meet different objectives
  • Partners can be divided as:
  • Immediate that are easier to influence,
  • Out boundary that are more difficult to influence, but working in the same area
  • Potential: about whom the project does not know much. They could be reached over time.

Lessons