Evolution of Rainwater Management in Africa: From ‘Incentivized’ to Demand-

driven Rainwater Management Programs in Ethiopia

Douglas J MerreyNatural Resources Policy and Institutions Specialist

Fearrington Village, North Carolina

Presented at 3rd International Forum on Water and FoodTshwane, South AfricaNovember 14-17 2011

What We Did & How

Purpose synthesize existing knowledge, lessons, gaps in RWM as foundation for NBDC projects

Review of policy & project documents, research, etc.

Discussions and interviews with researchers, policy makers

http://nilebdc.wordpress.comSynthesized existing knowledge,

recommendations for implementation, future research, and for the CPWF program

Implications Beyond Ethiopia

RWM, SLM, small water infrastructure investments growing rapidly in SSA Challenges – 3 African CPWF

basins Mixed results to date

Currently major program led by TerrAfrica under CAADP to scale up SLM/RWM investments

Lessons from Ethiopia’s experience of wider value

Implications Beyond Ethiopia

A major recommendation emerging from study: focus on community-oriented empowerment Demand-driven, menus not packages, including indigenous

approaches Partnerships with communities, building local

management capacity Likelihood higher returns, larger productivity & poverty

impacts, sustainability

Link long-term applied research programs to implementation programs

Investments in land Management: “Sustainable Land Management” (SLM)

Highland agriculture is (still) largely low-input low-output rain fed mixed livestock-crop systems

Diagnosis of main cause of famines in 70s-80s – land degradation Large research programs—

mostly biophysical and narrow economic studies until recently

Large SLM investment programs

Continuing perception: soil erosion, nutrient mining, deforestation as dire existential threat

SLM Policies and Implementation Strategies: Coercion during the 1980s into 1990s

Implementation driven from the topCoercion to meet quotas-use of forced laborFood for Work (FfW) programs Thousands of km stone & soil bunds constructed

Food aid saved lives, but much SLM investment questionable Inappropriate technologies, unused structures, destruction Continuing negative perceptions by many rural people

Coercion continued in early years of new government

From Coercion to Consultation

FfW was & remains main implementing strategy Early phases based on standardized technology packages,

top-down, coercive, little systematic planning or local participation in decisions

No community ownership

1987-2002: gradual shift in implementation strategy More community-driven, better targeting, emphasis

shifted from promoting technology to capacity building & income generation (“food for assets”)

More positive evaluations

Current Programs

Applying new implementation guidelines

More community capacity building, income generation through homestead production, expanded packages of interventions

More flexible, experiential learning, gender sensitivity in principle

Situation Today

But: evidence pressures continue locally; use of quotas continues; FfW raises questions on ownership of infrastructure; high staff turnover & frequent institutional re-structuring“Participatory”, but still pushing “best practice” packages, Gap between higher level policy intentions and field reality

Recommendations Made to Ethiopian Policy Makers – Relevant Across Africa

From “participation”/consultation, to community responsibility, empowerment Strengthen partnerships of farmers, extension agents,

researchers, other stakeholders Promote community responsibility and collective action

to solve their own problems Reform performance evaluation of officials from

achievements based on targets to assessments & incentives based on clients’ (farmers”) feedback

Even de-centralized government cannot manage small watersheds or small water structures – it requires strong community-watershed institutional arrangements

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Recommendations (2)

Replace ‘packages’ [“best practices”] with a menu of possible interventions and let clients “mix and match” & adapt according to their needsStrengthen national research system in natural resources management research through an innovation system paradigm

link research to stakeholders, consumers

Recommendations broadly applicable12

Goregutu wereda subwatershed

Thank you!