Rainwater management Systems NBDC Project N2:

1. Rainwater management Systems NBDC Project N2: technologies, institutions and policies Where are we, where are we going? a personal view Partners: (international) ILRI, ICRAF, ODI and IWMI; (national) ARARI, OMARI and BSGARI

2. Project Background- Research Questions (1) • What RMS work best for which and in which parts of the Ethiopian highlands, given soil, topography and rainfall levels? (with Nile Project 3) • In terms of rainwater productivity, what are the most suitable land use systems for the basin in terms of sustainability and income generation? • What additional soil and water conservation systems are needed in the study sites to maximize water productivity? • What are the economic, livelihood and agricultural productivity potential of integrated water, nutrient, fertility and seed technology management?

3. Project Background- Research Questions (2) • What sort of RMS would work best for the Ethiopian Highlands, and what kinds of institutions are needed to support them? • What social, institutional and political factors contribute to the development, implementation and maintenance of rainwater management systems? • What kind of administrative and policy support do rainwater harvesting agricultural systems need in order to improve adoption potential? • How can the positive benefits of improved RMS be successfully scaled up? (with Nile Project 3)

4. Project Background- Expected Outputs (1) • Rainwater management strategies appropriate for well-defined areas of the Ethiopian highlands which maximize water productivity, economic and livelihood benefits, and ecosystem services. • An analysis of local and formal (government, NGO or international development agencies) institutions to contribute to the development of RMS, and to collaborate in their implementation

5. Project Background- Expected Outputs (2) • Systems for integrating livestock into broader RMS, and demonstrating how these can improve water productivity across high, intermediate and low rainfall landscapes in the Ethiopian Highlands. • Economic analyses of a variety of economically useful soil and water conserving tree species to complement livestock systems in dryland areas of the Ethiopian Highlands

6. Location and Key approaches Location • Landscape based approach • Three area focus- Fogera, Jeldu and Diga Approach • Emphasis on generation of primary data: biophysical, social and economic • Evolved to include novel approaches- e.g. Innovation platforms, participatory video

7. Major outputs in 2011 Papers/Reports • 3 peer review, 3 book chapters, 4 reports, 2 briefs Meetings • multiple presentations @2 international, 3 national meetings plus less formal workshops Capacity building • 6 Msc students plus local catchment assistants

8. Evidence • Biophysical- spatial surveys and time series (soil, land use, trees, meteorology, groundwater, river flow) data form baseline • Socio-economic -surveys and participatory video- farming systems, livelihoods, NRM issues • Innovation platforms- opportunities and constraints for NRM at landscape scale. Issues to be tackled: Fodder all sites, Fogera- grazing, Diga & Jeldu soil erosion

9. Gaps / Challenges • Pursue participatory learning and involvement without inducing stakeholder fatigue • Be seen to get research into action • Better two way engagement with national partners and implementation agencies • Improve cross basin learning

10. Priorities /Adjustments to 2013 • Consolidate and prioritise what is novel that will have a large impact regionally, nationally and internationally, for both R & D • Engage with wider range of implementation partners –NGO’s, GIZ/SLM, (ATA) ? • Establish inter basin secondments • Simplify NBDC/N2 around outcomes and match to CRP5 basins SRP