Innovative Water Resource Use and Management for Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Anthology

Water Resources Use and Management for Poverty Alleviation in Gerado Irrigation Scheme, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Water Resources Use and Management for Poverty Alleviation in Gerado Irrigation Scheme, South Wollo, Ethiopia Hassen Beshir Abstract: The objective of the study was to examine dimensions of poverty and determinants of the use of water resources for poverty alleviation, in Gerado Irrigation Scheme, South Wollo. Qualitative and quantitative data were used and analyzed, using various descriptive and econometric techniques (Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke model and Heckman model). The proportion of poor people was 47.2 per cent and 42.98 per cent, for non-irrigators and irrigators, respectively. Poverty profiles indicated that farming households that practiced small-scale irrigation were not as poor as households without irrigation. The findings showed that farm household asset formation, and provision of extension and credit services, were the main determinants in irrigation development and expansion. Key words: Ethiopia, FGT, Gerado, Heckman, Irrigation, Poverty 1. Introduction Agriculture is the mainstay of the Ethiopian economy. It provides employment for more than 85 per cent of the working population, accounts for 90 per cent of total exports, 42 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and is a major source of raw materials for the industrial sector (Ministry of Finance and Economic Development 2012). Ethiopia is characterized by diverse and complex farming systems. The diversity and complexity of farming systems is especially high in the northern part of the country where the Amhara National Regional State is situated. Amhara National Regional State is home to 17.2 million people (CSA 2008). The region consists of 11 administrative zones, of which South Wollo is one. Poverty is persistent across Ethiopia. Poverty reduction is the overriding goal of development programmes and the primary challenge facing the development community today. Despite dramatic global poverty reductions recorded in the last three decades, the number of poor people increased in Sub-Saharan African and South Asian regions. Among the Sub-Saharan African countries, Ethiopia has the highest number of food insecure people, and people who survive on less than a dollar a day (Tassew 2004). An estimated 52 per cent of the country’s population is food insecure, with 44 per cent below the poverty line (Dereje et al. 2011). Growth in crop and livestock production is the main way out of alleviating poverty in Ethiopia. 2 Innovative Water Resource Use and Management for … Water, soil, air, and sunshine are the four main determinants for plant growth. Therefore, water is essential to plant growth and crop production (Widtose 2001). Water is a basic need for human beings and animals. It is essential for their metabolic processes. Water is vital for all types of agricultural production. Sources of water for crop production are rainfall and irrigation water (Dupriez and De Leener 2002). Irrigated cultivation is a form of agricultural production using irrigation water, in addition to rainfall. Irrigated crops benefit from man-made watering, with the help of water pipes, canals, reservoirs, and pumps. The source of irrigation water may be surface water or groundwater. Surface water is obtained from ponds, lakes, rivers, and seas whereas groundwater is obtained from underground, in liquid or vapor state. Small-scale irrigation development is a policy priority for rural poverty alleviation and growth in Ethiopia (MoFED 2006) as well as for climate adaptation (GoE 2007). However, only around 5 per cent of Ethiopia’s irrigable land was irrigated in 2006 (World Bank 2006) and less than 5 per cent of total renewable water resources were withdrawn annually (FAO 2005), hence there is considerable scope for expansion. Ethiopia has a long history of traditional irrigation systems. Simple river diversion is still the dominant irrigation system in Ethiopia. The country’s irrigation potential ranges from 1.0 to 3.5 million hectares but various studies indicate that the irrigation potential of the country is higher (Gebremedhin and Peden 2002). Estimates of the irrigation potential of Ethiopia may be as much as 4.3 million hectares (Awulachew et al. 2007). Amhara region has 770,000 hectares of irrigation potential (MOA 2005 and Awulachew et al. 2007). Different development activities have been underway to utilize these resources. Currently, there are 310 irrigation schemes operational in the Amhara region. The irrigation schemes developed cover an irrigated area of 8,469 hectares, with 17,443 beneficiaries; small-scale irrigation schemes account for 5,719 hectares and medium-scale irrigation schemes, 2,751 hectares (Getaneh 2011). Irrigation user households reported an average 20 per cent increase in annual income since adopting irrigation, and in some cases, up to 300 per cent...