Modeling Water Availability and Use
The Horn of Africa Regional Environmental Centre and Network and Scientist Stéphanie Horion are working together to develop a socially equitable water allocation plan for the Ziway Catchment (located in the Central Rift Valley of Oromia National Regional State). With the use of land cover/ land use data, Horion hopes to develop a hydrological model that will inform local water policy by the end of July 2016.
Description
The Challenge
Human impact together with changing climate is significantly affecting natural resources – especially water – in the Ziway Catchment. Being a closed basin, Ziway is highly sensitive to natural and human impacts. Yet, there is a high level of unregulated water abstraction by smallholder farmers and big investments (such as flower farms) that significantly threaten ecosystems and biodiversity of the area. It is therefore important to understand mechanisms and processes that can mediate between uncontrolled resources use, such as unlimited water abstraction, and activities dealing with investment and poverty reduction at macro as well as micro levels.
Clearly understanding the situation in the area, this project aims to develop and pilot a water allocation plan for the Ziway Catchment. Design and implementation of this water allocation plan will solve the fundamental lack of understanding of water resource allocation between sectors as well as competing uses and users within the basin. An understanding of available water resources that anticipate future increase in demand and limitations impacted by climate change is also vital for sustainable development of the Catchment and for better water resource use that can avoid future conflicts.
The Horn of Africa Regional Environmental Centre and Network (HoA-REC&N) has enlisted the help of scientist Stéphanie Horion to develop land use/land cover maps for the Ziway Catchment of Ethiopia. In collaboration with a HoA-REC&N consultant, Stephanie will use these inputs to create a hydrological model designed to contribute to the sustainable use of water resources in that region. This model may then be used to develop manuals for improving water allocation mechanisms at the local system level. The goal of this project is that access to and management of agricultural water resources will improve the livelihoods of stakeholders (smallholder farmers and investors, women and womens’ groups, and other vulnerable populations).
After completion, the project will develop a socially equitable water allocation plan that will be put forward to relevant government offices and the wider community to consider accepting and implementing which will also address ecosystem water flow requirements.
Project Updates
Mapping in the Ziway basin
TEX scientist Dr. Stéphanie Horion is working to identify a series of optimal maps and spatial data layers related to land use/land cover change and soil characteristics for HoAREC&N. In collaboration with a HoAREC&N consultant who specializes in modeling and statistical analysis, they intend to use these spatial layers to help inform water challenges in the Ziway basin. There are multiple products that will go into this final output, including a hydrological model. Based on Horion’s suggestions, the CCI land cover products is currently being tested as an input to the hydrological model. The consultant supplemented that with an additional land cover data set, that once being integrated to the CCI dataset will improve retracing the history of land cover changes over the study area.
The goal of this project is to report the project’s findings to the local government at the end of July 2016. Haile Brook has communicated that he anticipates that this model will convince the government to implement a water allocation plan for the Ziway catchment. He noted that, although implementation may meet some resistance, the project will be a success if they are able to share solutions with other developing nations facing similar issues.
Project Team
The Community Lead
Haileyesus Brook has worked as a project coordinator at the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre & Network since 2009. Much of his work focuses on improving environmental governance in Ethiopia through building the capacity of stakeholders. Haileyesus has experience working with government and civil society counterparts, and supports multi-stakeholder platforms to work and plan together to address challenges on the ground and at policy level. Recently he leads a project that aims to develop a water allocation plan for Ziway catchment in the CRV.
The Scientific Liaison
Dr. Stéphanie Horion is a postdoc in Earth Observation and global environmental change at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen (Denmark). Her research interests focus on remote sensing of vegetation, land-atmosphere interactions, drought monitoring and impact assessment, human and climate induced land degradation.
Status:
Complete,
Location:
Ethiopia,
Horn of Africa,
Managing Organizations:
Thriving Earth Exchange,
Project Categories:
Climate Change,
Natural Resources,
Project Tags:
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