Flood-based Farming for Food Security and Adaption to Climate Change in Ethiopia: Potential and Challenges

Abstract

Development planners are now beginning to view spate irrigation as a potential method to adapt to climate change, address g roundwater recharge and provide water for agriculture in otherwise rain-fed-dependent areas. However, spate irrigation has been a neglected area o f research. These gaps in kn ow led g e about spate irrigation prevent the further development o f spate systems to support increased food security, reduce poverty and improve livelihoods. The lack o f adequate information on spate systems also hinders effective interventions in spate infrastructure and has resulted in ‘m o d e rn ’ in frastructure that is ill-suited and unsustainable. It is c le a r that much more needs to be known about complex spate systems to effectively manage the floods. We need to determine how much knowledge has been captured already, where the gaps in knowledge remain, and what areas o f spate research should be prioritized to meet dev elo pm en t goals in Ethiopia and the subregion. In addition, decision makers, project implementers and end users need to strengthen their capacity, and collaboration with research institutions is needed to ensure that interventions in spate systems are appropriate, and that they are sustainable and support equitable benefits. As such, the International Water Management Institute in East Africa and Nile Basin, with support from the IWMI-hosted and IFAD-funded network fo r Improved Management o f Agricultural Wate r in East and southern Africa, convened a learning workshop in Adama, Ethiopia, on 30-31 Octo b er 2013. The workshop was attended by 37 participants representing international, national and academic research institutions, as well as donor-supported projects and government departments involved in spate irrigation. The objectives o f the learning event were as follows: 1. Enable k n owledge-sharing based on evidence from spate irrigation research. 2. Share factual case studies on interventions by project implementers. 3. Support ev idenc e-based planning and cooperation for spate use and management. 4. Bu ild c a p a c ity o f re g io n a l an d n a tio n a l s ta k e h o ld e r s to im p ro v e sp a te sy s tem development and management. 5. Provide a forum to identify synergies in current and planned research. 6. Sup p o rt the a lig nmen t o f spate system kn owled g e n eed s o f decision makers with planned research. This documentation o f the workshop proceedings was supported by IMAWESA, through a grant to IWMI from IFAD, towards ensuring that spate irrigation research responds to needs o f spate project designers and implementers. It contributes to ongoing collaboration between IWMI. IMAWESA and the Spate Irrigation Network in the region to promote knowledgesharing and the increased use o f research-based evidence in the design and implementation o f spate irrigation systems.