| 1. |
- Alavaisha, Edmond, 1988-
(författare)
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Agricultural expansion impacts on wetland ecosystem services from Kilombero Valley, Tanzania
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Land use change has major impact on the world’s wetland ecosystems and biodiversity. The motivation behind this change has been to increase agricultural production, often resulting in negative effects on water quality and soil fertility. Tanzania has carried out a large expansion and intensification of agriculture under the Kilimo kwanza (First agriculture) initiative which has triggered the need for better knowledge on land use change effects and associated ecosystem functioning. This thesis considers small-scale irrigation schemes to understand the effects of agriculture expansion and farming practices on nutrients, water quality and ecosystem services (ES) in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. The study approach is multidisciplinary involving interviews, remote sensing, geographical information system techniques, and in-field soil and water ecological sampling. The major land use change in the valley during the last three decades was transformation from forest, bushland and grassland into cultivated land. The rate of change was faster adjacent to irrigation schemes and most changes occurred downstream irrigation canals, close to the floodplain. Irrigation and fertilization contributed to soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation in crop fields, which both declined in concentration with depth into the soil. However, such management practices and agricultural land expansion had impacts on several ES – especially water quality in streams. Streams surrounded mainly by cultivated land, as well as downstream areas, had lower water quality compared to streams with less settlement, more natural vegetation and upstream areas. Furthermore, when evaluated, macroinvertebrates indices were found to be a good indicator of water quality and a complement to chemical and physical water analysis. Irrigation farming produced more food compared to rainfed farming, and also other ES such as flood regulation, erosion control and several cultural services, depending on the river discharge. The thesis shows the importance to use irrigation/fertilization management to enhance soil fertility and preserve soil structure, but also the need for proper irrigation management to prevent flooding and erosion, conserve natural vegetation, and protect water quality. To enhance nature conservation, preserve biodiversity and secure future supply of ES in the valley, investment in irrigation infrastructures should be done at small-scale to mitigate the large-scale exploitation of Kilombero wetland.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Berken plow and intercropping with pigeon pea ameliorate degraded soils with a hardpan in the Ethiopian highlands
- 2022
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Ingår i: Geoderma. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 407
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Closing the yield gap and enhancing efficiency in rainfed maize production systems in Ethiopia requires urgent action in increasing the productivity of degraded agricultural land. The degradation of land through continuous compaction and decline in the organic matter has resulted in a wide-spread formation of a hardpan that restricts deep percolation, prevents plant root development, and, ultimately can lead to increased erosion. Studies exploring practical low-cost solutions to break the hardpan are limited in Ethiopia. The main objective was to evaluate soil mechanical (i.e. modified plow or Berken plow) or biological intervention (i.e. intercropping with pigeon pea) effectiveness to enhance soil water management and crop yield of rainfed maize systems whilst reducing soil erosion and runoff. Five farm fields, each including four plots with different tillage treatments, were monitored during two rainy seasons in 2016 and 2017. The treatments were: (i) farmers practice under conventional (CT) tillage; plots tilled three times using an oxen driven local plow Maresha, (ii) no-till (NT), (iii) Berken tillage (BT), plots tilled three times using an oxen pulled Berken plow, and (iv) biological (CT + Bio), taprooted pigeon pea intercropped with maize on plots conventionally tilled. Results showed that mean tillage depth was significantly deeper in the BT (28 cm) treatment compared to CT and CT + Bio (18 cm) treatments. Measured soil penetration resistance significantly decreased up to 40 cm depth under BT and maize roots reached 1.5 times deeper compared to roots measured in the CT treatment. Under BT, the estimated water storage in the root zone was estimated at 556 mm, 1.86 times higher compared to CT, 3.11 times higher compared to NT and 0.89 times higher compared to CT + Bio. The positive effects on increased water storage and root development resulted in an average increase in maize grain (i.e. 15%, 0.95 t ha- 1) and residual above ground biomass (0.3%, 6.4 t ha- 1) leading to a positive net benefit of 138 USD ha- 1 for the BT treatment compared to the CT treatment. The negative net benefit obtained under CT and CT+Bio was mainly related to the high labor cost related to plowing, weeding, planting, and fertilizer application whilst in the NT this was related to the significantly lower maize yields. The positive effects in the BT treatment, and to some extent the CT+Bio treatment show great potential for smallholder rainfed maize systems where degraded soils with hardpans and high variability in rainfall prevail.
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| 5. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Building climate resilience in degraded agricultural landscapes through water management: A case study of Bundelkhand region, Central India
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694 .- 1879-2707. ; 591
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rainfall variability and water scarcity continue to hamper the food and income security of smallholder farming systems in poverty-affected regions. Innovations in soil and water management, especially in the drylands, are critical for meeting food security and water productivity targets of Agenda 2030. This study analyzes how rainfed agriculture can be intensified with marginal impact on the landscape water balance. The impact of rainwater harvesting structures on landscape hydrology and associated agricultural services was analyzed in the semi-arid Jhansi district of Bundelkhand region in central India. The Parasai-Sindh pilot watershed was subjected to a 5-year (2012-2016) monitoring of rainfed system improvements in water availability and crop intensification due to surface water storage (haveli system), check dams, and field infiltration structures. Hydrological processes were monitored intensively to analyze the landscape's water balance components. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures altered the landscape's hydrology, limiting average surface runoff from 250 mm/year to 150 mm/year over the study period. Groundwater levels increased by 2-5 m (m), alleviating water scarcity issues of the communities in recurring dry years. Nearly 20% of fallow lands were brought under cultivation. Crop yields increased by 10-70% and average household income increased from US$ 960/year to US $ 2700/year compared to that in the non-intervention landscape. The combined soil-water-vegetation efforts strengthened water resilience and environmental systems in agricultural landscape.
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| 6. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Building climate resilience in rainfed landscapes needs more than good will
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Climate. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2624-9553. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rainfed smallholder farming is particularly vulnerable to climate change, which can greatly exacerbate existing poverty and livelihood challenges. Understanding the complexity of the systems that connect the environment, society and people can help us to reduce this vulnerability and increase the resilience of communities and households to climate perturbations. In recent years, resilience theory has proven a useful approach for exploring the complexity of development challenges. As a result, there has been an increase in the development of tools and frameworks for assessing resilience. Despite this increased focus, there is no consistent use of the resilience concept in development practice and little evidence as to the benefits of using the tools. This paper aims to bridge theory and practice by coupling research on resilience with its application in the international development field. The specific hypothesis we explore is if and how rural livelihoods build resilience toward increased climatic variability in already degraded agro-ecological landscapes? We present a resilience framework with indicators to assess the extent of community resilience to climate change through improved local agricultural production and natural resources management. Primary and secondary landscape and community data, together with development of participatory watershed action plans were used to populate 16 indicators in a resilience framework baseline for the two rainfed dominated watersheds in Ethiopia and Ghana respectively. Given community awareness of the challenges related to the watershed natural resources, local agriculture and extreme weather, the communities were very willing to develop action plans to improve their management of natural resources and build climate resilience. Nevertheless, our analysis of the watershed action plans revealed that strengthening resilience through local action alone, would likely not be sufficient to meet all climate -livelihood challenges identified. To address severity and recurrence of climate change related disturbances, such as droughts, floods and disease in poverty-affected rural communities, the capacity to improve resilience will depend on external factors, in addition to inherent action. New knowledge, infrastructure and social security mechanisms, including insurance and emergency assistance need to added to build resilience for poverty-affected communities in degraded watersheds. We conclude there are also challenges in the use of resilience framework for development and climate-action related to rural poverty affected and degraded livelihood systems. Populating complex social–environmental systems will also need further development, to understand progress in resilience building under changing climate. Special attention to systemic indicators that describe the coupling and interdependencies of social-ecosystem factors will be critical to take action.
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| 7. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Business model scenarios and suitability: smallholder solar pump-based irrigation in Ethiopia. Agricultural Water Management – Making a Business Case for Smallholders.
- 2018
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Rapport (refereegranskat)abstract
- This report outlines a business model approach to assessing the feasibility and for encouraging investment in smallholder solar pump irrigation. It also proposes a new methodology for mapping the suitability of solar energy-based irrigation pumps. The proposed business model framework and the methodology for suitability mapping are applied to Ethiopia as a case study, based on data from existing case studies and reports. A brief analysis outlines the regulatory and institutional context for investment in solar pump irrigation, and the ways in which it both constrains and attempts to support investment. The report identifies and outlines three business model scenarios that present opportunities for investing in smallholder solar pump-based irrigation, which would contribute towards sustainable intensification for food and nutrition security. The business model scenarios are based on the value proposition of supplying water to smallholder farmers for irrigated agricultural production. Analysis of potential gains and benefits suggests that direct purchase of solar pumps by farmers is feasible, and that out-grower schemes and pump supplier options with bundled financing offer promising solutions. The potential constraints that different investors may face in up-scaling the business models are also discussed, particularly within institutional, regulatory and financial contexts. The report provides development actors and investors with evidence-based information on the suitability and sustainability of solar pump irrigation in Ethiopia, as well as suggestions for helping to enable smallholders to invest in individually-owned, smallholder photovoltaic (PV) solar pumps.
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| 8. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Challenges in reanalysis products to assess extreme weather impacts on agriculture: Study case in southern Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: PLOS climate. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 2767-3200. ; 1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The incidence of dry or wet day sequences has a great influence on crops management and development. The lack of spatialized observed data with appropriate temporal resolution to investigate the changes that has occurred during the last century regarding the length and frequencies of those sequences has led to reliance on reanalysis products. However, the question can be raised about the suitability of those products when evaluating such climate indices and their impacts on crop production. Different products are here investigated to evaluate how the succession of dry and wet days are depicted in Sweden. Results show that reanalysis product tends to overestimate the number of wet days and wet periods and underestimate dry periods. We also showed clearly that the frequency and intensity of dry and wet spells returned can differ widely between products. For instance, number of dry spell events can range from 1 to 11 over the same decade for two different products. This paper does not aim to classify the RPs regarding their goodness or efficiency but try to highlights the divergence between them in representation of spells which could generate substantial differences in climate impact analysis in agricultural modeling.
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| 9. |
- Barron, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
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Coping with Rainfall Variability : Dry Spell Mitigation and Implication on Landscape Water Balances in Small-scale Farming Systems in Semi-arid Niger
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Water Resources Development. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0790-0627 .- 1360-0648. ; 26:4, s. 543-559
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rainfall variability and inherent dry spells are a reality with severe implications for smallholder agro-ecosystems in semi-arid Sahel. To increase both on- and off-farm biomass production and productivity is challenging with these climate-induced temporal and spatial variations of water. This paper tests the idea that increased vegetation through tree cover may impact water balance in a water-stressed landscape: South-east Niger. Local rainfall data, farming systems data and a landscape water-modelling tool (ArcSWAT) are used. Four production domains (conventional or fertilized combined with millet crop or millet crop plus trees) were assessed for long-term yield and landscape water balance impacts. The dry-spell analysis shows a frequency of dry spells less than 14 days is in the order of one to two dry-spell events per season in 7 years out of 10 years. The occurrence has increased between 1960 and 2004, despite a slight recovery of total annual rainfall amounts since the severe droughts of the 1980s. Results of modelled millet yields and landscape water balances suggest that options exist to enhance landscape productivity. With marginal inputs of fertilizer, millet yields increased fivefold to 2.0-2.4tha-1, and water productivity improved from 6,000 to 12,000m3 actual evapotranspiration (ETa) t-1 grain, to an improved 1,700-3,000m3 ETa t-1 grain. In addition, 10% tree cover in combination with fertilized millet increased yield with marginal or no impact on water partitioning and flows in the landscape. The policy opportunities are complex and urgently needed in view of increased rainfall variability due to expected climate change. To develop sustainable pathways in these landscapes dominated by poor smallholder framers requires water managers to be more innovative and go beyond water resources alone.
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| 10. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Deep Tillage Improves Degraded Soils in the (Sub) Humid Ethiopian Highlands
- 2019
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Ingår i: Land. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-445X. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intensification of rainfed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands has resulted in soil degradation and hardpan formation, which has reduced rooting depth, decreased deep percolation, and increased direct runoff and sediment transport. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential impact of subsoiling on surface runoff, sediment loss, soil water content, infiltration rate, and maize yield. Three tillage treatments were replicated at five locations: (i) no tillage (zero tillage), (ii) conventional tillage (ox-driven Maresha plow, up to a depth of 15 cm), and (iii) manual deep ripping of the soil's restrictive layers down to a depth of 60 cm (deep till). Results show that the posttreatment bulk density and penetration resistance of deep tillage was significantly less than in the traditional tillage and zero-tillage systems. In addition, the posttreatment infiltration rate for deep tillage was significantly greater, which resulted in significantly smaller runoff and sedimentation rates compared to conventional tillage and zero tillage. Maize yields were improved by 6% under deep tillage compared to conventional tillage and by 29% compared to no tillage. Overall, our findings show that deep tillage can be effective in overcoming some of the detrimental effects of hardpans in degraded soils.
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| 11. |
- Barron, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
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Drivers and Challenges for Food Security
- 2013
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Ingår i: Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. - Wallingford : CABI Publishing. - 9781780640884 ; , s. 7-28
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- At the global scale, humanity is increasingly facing rapid changes, and sometimes shocks, that are affecting the security of our food systems and the agroecosystems that are the ultimate sources of food. To plan and prepare for resilient food production and food security in a sustainable and efficient way, we are challenged to better understand the conditions and likely responses of these diverse agroecosystems under various drivers of change and scenarios of future trends. Among the many direct drivers and indirect pressures that exist or are emerging, the discussion in this chapter focuses on the main themes of drivers of demographic changes, globalization of economic and governance systems (including markets), and climate change. The current state of health of water and land resources, and of ecosystems and their services, are considered alongside these drivers, as these are critical determinants of the pathways with sufficient potential to move food-producing systems towards more sustainable production. Hence, addressing the opportunities, synergies and constraints of multiple drivers will be critical for policy advice to build resilient food systems in the future.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Barron, Jennie, 1968-
(författare)
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Dry spell mitigation to upgrade semi-arid rainfed agriculture : Water harvesting and soil nutrient management for smallholder maize cultivation in Machakos, Kenya
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Improvements in on-farm water and soil fertility management through water harvesting may prove key to up-grade smallholder farming systems in dry sub-humid and semi-arid sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). The currently experienced yield levels are usually less than 1 t ha-1, i.e., 3-5 times lower than potential levels obtained by commercial farmers and researchers for similar agro-hydrological conditions. The low yield levels are ascribed to the poor crop water availability due to variable rainfall, losses in on-farm water balance and inherently low soil nutrient levels. To meet an increased food demand with less use of water and land in the region, requires farming systems that provide more yields per water unit and/or land area in the future. This thesis presents the results of a project on water harvesting system aiming to upgrade currently practised water management for maize (Zea mays, L.) in semi-arid SSA. The objectives were to a) quantify dry spell occurrence and potential impact in currently practised small-holder grain production systems, b) test agro-hydrological viability and compare maize yields in an on-farm experiment using combinations supplemental irrigation (SI) and fertilizers for maize, and c) estimate long-term changes in water balance and grain yields of a system with SI compared to farmers currently practised in-situ water harvesting. Water balance changes and crop growth were simulated in a 20-year perspective with models MAIZE1&2. Dry spell analyses showed that potentially yield-limiting dry spells occur at least 75% of seasons for 2 locations in semi-arid East Africa during a 20-year period. Dry spell occurrence was more frequent for crop cultivated on soil with low water-holding capacity than on high water-holding capacity. The analysis indicated large on-farm water losses as deep percolation and run-off during seasons despite seasonal crop water deficits. An on-farm experiment was set up during 1998-2001 in Machakos district, semi-arid Kenya. Surface run-off was collected and stored in a 300m3 earth dam. Gravity-fed supplemental irrigation was carried out to a maize field downstream of the dam. Combinations of no irrigation (NI), SI and 3 levels of N fertilizers (0, 30, 80 kg N ha-1) were applied. Over 5 seasons with rainfall ranging from 200 to 550 mm, the crop with SI and low nitrogen fertilizer gave 40% higher yields (**) than the farmers’ conventional in-situ water harvesting system. Adding only SI or only low nitrogen did not result in significantly different yields. Accounting for actual ability of a storage system and SI to mitigate dry spells, it was estimated that a farmer would make economic returns (after deduction of household consumption) between year 2-7 after investment in dam construction depending on dam sealant and labour cost used. Simulating maize growth and site water balance in a system of maize with SI increased annual grain yield with 35 % as a result of timely applications of SI. Field water balance changes in actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and deep percolation were insignificant with SI, although the absolute amount of ETa increased with 30 mm y-1 for crop with SI compared to NI. The dam water balance showed 30% productive outtake as SI of harvested water. Large losses due to seepage and spill-flow occurred from the dam. Water productivity (WP, of ETa) for maize with SI was on average 1 796 m3 per ton grain, and for maize without SI 2 254 m3 per ton grain, i.e, a decerase of WP with 25%. The water harvesting system for supplemental irrigation of maize was shown to be both biophysically and economically viable. However, adoption by farmers will depend on other factors, including investment capacity, know-how and legislative possibilities. Viability of increased water harvesting implementation in a catchment scale needs to be assessed so that other down-stream uses of water remains uncompromised.
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| 14. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Effectiveness of agricultural water management technologies on rainfed cereals crop yield and runoff in semi-arid catchment: a meta-analysis
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1473-5903 .- 1747-762X. ; 16, s. 418-441
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multiple agricultural water management (AWM) technologies are being promoted worldwide in rainfed agro-ecological production systems, such as the Limpopo River Basin, to close the yield gap, enhance food security and reduce poverty, but evidences on yield gains and environmental impacts are varied. This paper conducts a review of the performance of AWM technologies against conventional farmer practices to produce adequate evidence on cereal yield and field runoff changes. With the interrogation of literature from 1980 to 2013 using seven AWM groupings, enough evidence was found that AWM technologies can deliver substantial benefits of increased crop yield and water productivity with reduced environmental impacts. Using random effects model, the standardized mean difference (SMD) of yield between AWM and control was 0.27, while SMD of water productivity was 0.46, indicating the effectiveness of the technologies (SMD>0). Subgroup analyses showed greatest yield responses on silty-clay-loam, clay-loam and sandy soils compared to clay and loam-sandy soils, and higher yield increase under low rainfall regime (200-500 mm) than under high rainfall regime (500-800 mm). Large yield change variations for different AWM technologies present a huge opportunity for meeting the existing yield gaps and enhancing coping capacity in dry years and under climate change.
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| 15. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Establishing irrigation potential of a hillside aquifer in the African highlands
- 2020
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Ingår i: Hydrological Processes. - : Wiley. - 0885-6087 .- 1099-1085. ; 34, s. 1741-1753
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Feeding 9 billion people in 2050 will require sustainable development of all water resources, both surface and subsurface. Yet, little is known about the irrigation potential of hillside shallow aquifers in many highland settings in sub-Saharan Africa that are being considered for providing irrigation water during the dry monsoon phase for smallholder farmers. Information on the shallow groundwater being available in space and time on sloping lands might aid in increasing food production in the dry monsoon phase. Therefore, the research objective of this work is to estimate potential groundwater storage as a potential source of irrigation water for hillside aquifers where lateral subsurface flow is dominant. The research was carried out in the Robit Bata experimental watershed in the Lake Tana basin which is typical of many undulating watersheds in the Ethiopian highlands. Farmers have excavated more than 300 hand dug wells for irrigation. We used 42 of these wells to monitor water table fluctuation from April 16, 2014 to December 2015. Precipitation and runoff data were recorded for the same period. The temporal groundwater storage was estimated using two methods: one based on the water balance with rainfall as input and baseflow and evaporative losses leaving the watershed as outputs; the second based on the observed rise and fall of water levels in wells. We found that maximum groundwater storage was at the end of the rain phase in September after which it decreased linearly until the middle of December due to short groundwater retention times. In the remaining part of the dry season period, only wells located close to faults contained water. Thus, without additional water sources, sloping lands can only be used for significant irrigation inputs during the first 3 months out of the 8 months long dry season.
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| 16. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Gender dimensions of community-based groundwater governance in ethiopia: Using citizen science as an entry point
- 2018
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Understanding the gender dimensions of community-based groundwater governance is important because men and women differ in (i) their needs, level of access to and benefits from having access to groundwater; (ii) their participation in groundwater management and development; and (iii) their willingness to participate in groundwater monitoring. Women play a leading role in obtaining and safeguarding water. However, this role is not usually reflected in the institutional arrangements for water management. Addressing the gender inequality in groundwater governance could lead to equal participation of men and women in groundwater monitoring, women’s empowerment and the sustainability of groundwater management. Participation by men and women in groundwater management would also give them the opportunity to explore, learn and share information about groundwater, which is critical for sustainability. This paper explores gender aspects of community-based groundwater governance in Dangeshta and Farawocha kebeles in Dangila and Boloso Bombe woredas, respectively, in Ethiopia. Data and information were collected through a literature review, in-depth discussions with key informants at the woreda level, separate household interviews with spouses, and focus group discussions with men’s and women’s groups in the communities. The findings suggest that women place a high value on groundwater and could be motivated to play a greater role in governance of the resource. However, the constraints that women face in participating in groundwater development and management, particularly exclusion from decision-making, suggest that their effective participation and leadership could be significantly curtailed without specific interventions. Indeed, this is reflected in women’s willingness to participate in groundwater monitoring, as well as men’s reluctance to allow their wives to participate. This is in contrast to a high number of men willing to participate. Citizen science as an entry point for community-based groundwater governance relies on (i) the active involvement of myriad actors (including men and women citizens) whose actions interact with the hydrological processes; and (ii) volunteer interest (i.e., willingness to participate). A gender-sensitive approach to programs, gender awareness training, and partnerships with organizations working for women’s empowerment, natural resource management and adult literacy are recommended to support a citizen science approach to groundwater monitoring.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Impact of best management practices on sustainable crop production and climate resilience in smallholder farming systems of South Asia
- 2021
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Ingår i: Agricultural Systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-521X .- 1873-2267. ; 194
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- CONTEXT: A host of best water and soil management practices (BMPs) hold promise in addressing water scarcity and land degradation to enable sustainable crop intensification in smallholder farming systems.OBJECTIVE This study quantifies the effect of BMPs on crop productivity, income, water saving and water balance components and identifies gaps for future research.METHODS: This paper synthesizes the performance of BMPs and the existing data gap by reviewing 108 published studies from the Indian subcontinent which capture a diverse range of rainfall and cropping systems.RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In situ conservation measures helped enhance crop yields by 200-1000 kg/ha, reduced cost of cultivation and enhanced incomes by US$ 10-200/ha/year. The BMPs were helpful in enabling annual water saving in the range of 50 mm to 300 mm by either conserving residual soil moisture or saving irrigation water resulting in enhanced water productivity. Interventions such as direct seeded rice and laser land leveling were found most effective in terms of water saving and in reducing cost of cultivation. On the other hand, ex situ rainwater harvesting interventions helped enhance groundwater recharge by harvesting an additional 50-150 mm of surface runoff which helped increase crop yields, led to sustainable crop intensification and strengthened the number of ecosystem services. Most of the published literature on in situ conservation measures are studies that were carried out at research stations, which show promise of sustainable intensification. However, greater efforts are needed to document learnings from farmer/community scale interventions for effective scaling up. There is also a gap in data availability that hampers a clear understanding of the impact of ex situ rainwater harvesting interventions and ecosystem trade-offs; moreover the data available covers short pe- riods and only covers an area of up to 10 km(2). We recommend the monitoring of long-term system-level impact indicators to realize the potential of ex situ rainwater harvesting interventions in a systems perspective and better grasp the ecosystem trade-offs.SIGNIFICANCE: More importantly, the review revealed the ample scope of integrating in situ and ex situ in- terventions to build system-level resilience in smallholder farming systems in order to accelerate progress to- wards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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| 19. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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Kretslopp och förvaltning för hållbar vattenförsörjning : en rapport i IVAs projekt Hållbar vattenförsörjning – tillgång till rent vatten i ett föränderligt klimat
- 2021
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Vatten är en gemensam resurs med flera användningsområden. Det spelar en central roll i många samhällsfunktioner, ekonomin och miljön.Vattenbalanser, vattenflöden och vattenanvändningen förändras kontinuerligt. I framtiden drivs utvecklingen på av klimatförändringar, förändringar inom jordbruk och industri samt urbaniseringen.För att hantera utvecklingen måste kunskapen om olika aspekter av vattenförsörjning förbättras. Tillgången till data för ytvatten är relativt bra, men den är betydligt sämre för grundvatten till följd av färre mätpunkter. För grundvatten och ytvatten behövs en förbättrad kartläggning av resurser i både jordlager och berggrund, med kontinuerlig uppdatering, samt information om värdet av olika grundvattenresurser som vattentäkter.Sverige har god total tillgång på sötvatten. Trots detta behöver vattnet användas mer resurseffektivt. Eftersom det är stor variation av tillgången i olika delar av landet blir det ännu viktigare med resurseffektivt användande i områden med torka. Där bör om möjligt vattnet användas många gånger innan det återförs till recipienten.Effekter av klimatförändringar förstärker detta behov. SMHI har haft ett regeringsuppdrag att kartlägga vattenuttag. SMHI påpekar att det i dagsläget finns viss information om vattenuttag, men informationen är långt ifrån heltäckande. Det finns heller inget samlat system för insamlingen av mätdata.Vatten är en grundläggande förutsättning för de flesta verksamheter i samhället. Diskussionen om vattnets värde måste breddas från att det bara ses som en produkt för en viss användare till att betraktas som en resurs även för andra grupper som är direkt eller indirekt beroende av vattenresurserna. Det behövs även en bredare diskussion om ekonomiska och finansiella beräkningsgrunder när vattentillgången förändras till följd av ökat befolkningstryck, ändrade levnadsvanor och klimatförändringar.Betydande insatser och investeringar har gjorts för att få ned kväve- och fosforutsläpp i vattenförekomster. Men finns det fortfarande vattendrag, sjöar och grundvatten som är övergödda och har kvalitetsförändringar. Önskvärt är att farliga kemikalier inte kommer in i kretsloppet. Det är dock svårt att hantera de många kemikalierna som alla är individuellt godkända av Kemikalieinspektionen. Därigenom finns inget producentansvar om föroreningars påverkan på miljö och människa.Sverige har en lång tradition av arbete med vattenförsörjning och avloppshantering. Initialt låg fokus på att hantera avloppsvatten, men har under åren utvecklats genom förfinad rening och breddats till att innefatta vattnets kretslopp. En kombination av stark miljölagstiftning, offentlig styrning och regelverk samt ett innovativt näringsliv ledde till att svensk vattenhantering ansågs världsledande på 1950–60 talen.Näringslivet har en viktig roll för att genom innovativa lösningar säkra en god tillgång på vatten i framtiden. Förutsättningarna på marknaden för produkter, system och tjänster inom vattensektorn styrs av lager, regler och efterfrågan från många offentliga aktörer. En bättre samverkan behövs mellan näringslivet och det offentliga inom forskning, utveckling och utbildning.Vattenförvaltningen i Sverige är splittrad. Inom Regeringskansliet ligger den på olika departement. En rad myndigheter har ansvar för olika frågor kring vattenförvaltningen. Arbetsgruppen anser därför att det långsiktigt är önskvärt med ett departement som är sammanhållande för nationell vattenpolitik och en myndighet som har huvudansvar för vattenförvaltningen.Utöver det långsiktiga samordningsansvaret behöver mer akuta problem hanteras. Vid extrema vattensituationer finns behov av en myndighet som har rätt att genomföra prioriteringar av vattenfrågan. ”Dynamiska” vattendomar som skulle kunna tillämpas på prov i någon region kan vara en väg framåt.Vattensektorn står inför en rad utmaningar de kommande tio åren. Därför krävs ökad forskning tillsammans med satsningar på grund- och vidareutbildning för att säkra kompetens i både privat och offentlig sektor. Samtidigt finns det innovativa lösningar i form av produkter och tjänster som behöver spridas bättre både inom Sverige och genom export. Eftersom tillgång till rent vatten är en förutsättning för hela samhället behöver forsknings- och innovationsarbetet breddas och integreras bättre med andra discipliner.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
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One Hundred Priority Questions for the Development of Sustainable Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Land. - 2073-445X. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an expected doubling of human population and tripling of food demand over the next quarter century, posing a range of severe environmental, political, and socio-economic challenges. In some cases, key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in direct conflict, raising difficult policy and funding decisions, particularly in relation to trade-offs between food production, social inequality, and ecosystem health. In this study, we used a horizon-scanning approach to identify 100 practical or research-focused questions that, if answered, would have the greatest positive impact on addressing these trade-offs and ensuring future productivity and resilience of food-production systems across sub-Saharan Africa. Through direct canvassing of opinions, we obtained 1339 questions from 331 experts based in 55 countries. We then used online voting and participatory workshops to produce a final list of 100 questions divided into 12 thematic sections spanning topics from gender inequality to technological adoption and climate change. Using data on the background of respondents, we show that perspectives and priorities can vary, but they are largely consistent across different professional and geographical contexts. We hope these questions provide a template for establishing new research directions and prioritising funding decisions in sub-Saharan Africa.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Barron, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
-
Risk analysis and economic viability of water harvesting for supplemental irrigation in the Semi-arids
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Agricultural Systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-521X .- 1873-2267. ; 83:3, s. 231-250
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Food insecurity affects a large portion of the population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). To meet future food requirements current rainfed farming systems need to upgrade yield output. One way is to improve water and fertiliser management in crop production. But adaptation among farmers will depend on perceived risk reduction of harvest failure as well as economic benefit for the household. Here, we present risk analysis and economical benefit estimates of a water harvesting (WH) system for supplemental irrigation (SI). Focus of the analysis is on reducing investment risk to improve self-sufficiency in staple food production. The analysis is based on data from two on-farm experimental sites with SI for cereals in currently practised smallholder farming system in semi-arid Burkina Faso and Kenya, respectively. The WH system enables for both SI of staple crop (sorghum and maize) and a fully irrigated off-season cash crop (tomatoes). Different investment scenarios are presented in a matrix of four reservoir sealants combined with three labour opportunity costs. It is shown that the WH system is labour intensive but risk-reducing investment at the two locations. The current cultivation practices do not attain food self-sufficiency in farm households. WH with SI resulted in a net profit of 151–626 USD year−1 ha−1 for the Burkina case and 109–477 USD year−1 ha−1 for the Kenya case depending on labour opportunity cost, compared to −83 to 15 USD year−1 ha−1 for the Burkina case and 40–130 USD year−1 ha−1 for the Kenyan case for current farming practices. Opportunity cost represents 0–66% of the investment cost in an SI system depending on type of sealant. The most economical strategy under local labour conditions was obtained using thin plastic sheeting as reservoir sealant. This resulted in a net profit of 390 and 73 USD year−1 ha−1 for the Burkina Faso and Kenyan respective site after household consumption was deducted. The analysis suggests a strong mutual dependence between investment in WH for SI and input of fertiliser. The WH system is only economically viable if combined with improved soil fertility management, but the investment in fertiliser inputs may only be viable in the long term when combined with SI.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Barron, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
-
Run-off water harvesting for dry spell mitigation in maize (Zea mays L.) : results from on-farm research in semi-arid Kenya
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Agricultural Water Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3774 .- 1873-2283. ; 74:1, s. 1-21
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Maize (Zea mays L.) yields obtained by small-holder farmers in semi-arid zones in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) are often less than half of potential yields. Water deficit during critical crop growth stages together with low nutrient input interacts to reduce yields. Collection of surface run-off, which could be used as supplemental irrigation may prove beneficial in improving current small-holder farming system in SSA. This paper presents the results of an on-farm study of the effects of supplemental irrigation (SI) on maize yield in semi-arid Kenya. Surface run-off from a catchment of 2.7 ha was harvested in a hand-dug earth dam of 300 m2. The water was supplied by gravity to mitigate dry spells in fertilized (SI30, SI80 kg N ha−1) and non-fertilized (SI0 kg N ha−1) maize. Treatments of SI were compared to non-irrigated treatments (NI80, NI30, NI0 kg N ha−1). Rainfall varied, during the five seasons of study, from 196 to 564 mm. The volume of water harvested in the dam ranged between 1% and 4% of seasonal rainfall. The outtake for supplemental irrigation varied between 20 and 240 mm per season. Seepage losses accounted for 11 to 74% of harvested dam water. Lowest maize yields were in NI0, representing farmers’ current practise. SI with fertilizer increased yields compared to non-irrigated and fertilised treatments (NI30, NI80) for low rainfall seasons (<300 mm). High rainfall seasons (>300 mm) resulted in no yield increase for SI compared to NI. Mean seasonal grain yield for SI and fertilizer (30 or 80 kg N ha−1) of 1796 kg ha−1 was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than NI0 kg N ha−1 of 1319 kg ha−1, and higher than SI0 kg N ha−1 and NI30 kg N ha−1 (P < 0.01). Lowest average rain and irrigation water use efficiency (RUE, kg grain mm−1 ha−1) was for NI0 with RUE = 2.1, and highest for SI30 with RUE = 4.1. Water harvesting of surface run-off added as SI resulted in improved maize yields as a result of dry spell mitigation, but only in combination with N fertilizer. To upgrade on-farm water management in semi-arid SSA, the results suggest that supplemental irrigation combined with fertilizer may reduce the currently existing yield gap in small-holder farming systems.
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| 28. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Science-Policy Engagement to Achieve "Water for Society-Including All"
- 2021
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Ingår i: Water. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4441. ; 13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- After more than three years of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2019 World Water Week in Stockholm chose to focus on inclusiveness with the theme “Water for society—Including all” [...]
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| 29. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
The role of water in transforming food systems
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Global Food Security. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-9124. ; 33
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The United Nations Food Systems Summit aimed to chart a path toward transforming food systems toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the essentiality of water for food systems, however, the Summit has not sufficiently considered the role of water for food systems transformation. This focus is even more important due to rapidly worsening climate change and its pervasive impacts on food systems that are mediated through water. To avoid that water "breaks" food systems, key food systems actors should 1) Strengthen efforts to retain water-dependent ecosystems, their functions and services; 2) Improve agricultural water management; 3) Reduce water and food losses beyond the farmgate; 4) Coordinate water with nutrition and health interventions; 5) Increase the environmental sustainability of food systems; 6) Explicitly address social inequities; and 7) Improve data quality and monitoring for water-food system linkages.
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| 30. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
The Significance of Small Reservoirs in Sustaining Agricultural Landscapes in Dry Areas of West Africa: A Review
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Water. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4441. ; 14
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Water scarcity is a growing challenge in semi-arid and sub-humid areas. There are over 2000 small reservoirs (SRs) with storage capacities of up to 1 x 10(6) m(3) across West Africa's dry areas. Based on a comprehensive literature review, we found strong evidence that SRs enable improved food security, livelihoods, and income diversification through fishing and livestock production. However, their productivity is far below their potential. Evidence on water quantity and quality is scattered, making deriving conclusions difficult. Review findings suggest that, unlike large dams, SRs have minimal impact on water balance and rainfall-runoff. There is, therefore, considerable potential to develop more SRs. However, high rates of sedimentation substantially reduce reservoir storage capacity. Poor irrigation management and agronomic practices also contribute to low productivity. Water quality is not systematically monitored, so SRs can increase health risks such as malaria and schistosomiasis. With the intensification of settlements, livestock, and agriculture around the reservoirs, it is critical to improve water quality and quantity monitoring. We conclude that SRs are important nature-based solutions, but need more investment to support the climate-proofing of agriculture and livelihoods. We recommend governments develop long-term small reservoir support programs to strengthen local capacities to manage the reservoirs and their watersheds sustainably.
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| 31. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Towards a relational understanding of the water-energy-food nexus: an analysis of embeddedness and governance in the Upper Blue Nile region of Ethiopia
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1462-9011 .- 1873-6416. ; 90, s. 173-182
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given the need for transformative changes towards more sustainable, integrated management of water, energy and food systems, the water-energy-food nexus concept seems highly relevant. However, while intuitively compelling, the nexus has also been criticized for abstracting and thereby dis-embedding the collaboration processes through which further integration could be achieved. There is a lack of empirical analysis and context-sensitive understanding, of the opportunities and constraints of, collaboration and cross-sector coordination, as faced by actors governing interconnected water, energy and food systems. In this paper we analyse how actors involved in the governance of water, energy and food systems are embedded in social networks, and discuss how that embeddedness shapes collaboration and coordination processes that are relevant for addressing interconnected sustainability challenges. Drawing on the notion of problernsheds, we delineate an analytical space that captures the interactions between water, energy and food systems and the actors influencing them in the Upper Blue Nile of Ethiopia. Our empirical data suggest that the claim that actors from different sectors are disconnected from each other is overly simplistic. The ways in which actors are embedded in hierarchical structures may help to explain why coordination challenges persist, despite the presence of cross-sectoral linkages among them.
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| 32. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Towards environmentally sound intensification pathways for dairy development in the Tanga region of Tanzania
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Regional Environmental Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1436-3798 .- 1436-378X. ; 20
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The gap between milk demand and domestic supply in Tanzania is large and projected to widen. Meeting such demand through local production of affordable milk presents an opportunity to improve the welfare of producers and market agents through the income and employment generated along the value chain (VC). Efforts to maximize milk yields, production and profitability need to be balanced with long-term sustainability. We combined environmental and economic ex-ante impact assessments of four intervention scenarios for two production systems in the Tanzanian dairy VC using the CLEANED model and an economic feasibility analysis. Intervention scenarios propose increases in milk production through (i) animal genetic improvement, (ii) improved feed, (iii) improved animal health and (iv) a package combining all interventions. Results show that economically feasible farm-level productivity increases of up to 140% go hand-in-hand with increased resource-use efficiency and up to 50% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensities. Absolute increases in water, land and nitrogen requirements in mixed crop-livestock systems call for careful management of stocks and quality of these resources. An overall rise in GHG emissions is expected, with a maximum of 53% increase associated with an 89% increase in milk supply at VC level. The CLEANED tool proved effective to evaluate livestock interventions that improve incomes and food security with minimal environmental footprint. Here, our simulations suggest that due to current low productivity, the greatest efficiency gains in combination with relatively low increases in total GHG emissions can be made in the extensive agro-pastoral dairy systems, which represent the majority of herds.
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| 33. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Traditional Rainwater Management (Haveli cultivation) for Building System Level Resilience in a Fragile Ecosystem of Bundelkhand Region, Central India
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in sustainable food systems. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2571-581X. ; 6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article presents the evidence on how the traditional rainwater management system (haveli system) has contributed toward rehabilitating degraded landscapes and changing them into a productive form in Bundelkhand region of Central India. The haveli system was the lifeline of the region for water security for the last 300 years. Farmers (~1-5%) situated at the upstream of the landscape were harvesting surface runoff in their fields during monsoon by constructing earthen embankments along with provision to drain out water after receding of the monsoon. Farmers traditionally cultivated only during the post-monsoon period, using residual soil moisture along with supplemental irrigation from shallow dug wells. However, this system became defunct due to apathy and poor maintenance. The traditional design of the havelis were also often malfunctioning due to new rainfall patterns and storm events. Farmers are facing new need for haveli rejuvenation and the traditional design and knowledge calls for new innovations, particularly from research and external expertise. In this context, ICRISAT and consortium partners have introduced an innovative approach for haveli rejuvenation by constructing masonry core wall along with outlet at a suitable location. Totally 40 haveli structures were constructed between 2010 and 2021 across seven districts of Bundelkhand region. One of the pilot sites (i.e., Parasai-Sindh) was intensively monitored in order to capture the landscape hydrology, change in land use, cropping intensity and crop productivity, between 2011 and 2017. Out of 750 mm rainfall received during July and September, generated surface runoff is about 135 mm (18% of rainfall) on average. However, rainfall below 450 mm (dry years) rarely generates surplus water as most of the rainfall received in such years are absorbed within the vadose zone, whereas, wet years with over 900 mm rainfall, generate runoff of about 250-300 mm (~30-35%). Rejuvenation of the haveli system created an opportunity to harvest surface runoff within farmers' fields which helped to improve groundwater levels in shallow dug wells (additionally by 2-5 m hydraulic head) which remained available during the following years. This has increased cropping intensity-by converting about 20% of permanent fallow lands into productive agriculture lands-and ensured irrigation availability especially during the critical crop growth stage. This enhanced land and water use efficiency of the system and increased household net income by two to three folds as compared to the baseline status. This article further establishes the link between landscape rejuvenation through haveli system, groundwater resource availability, production system and household income in the fragile ecosystem of Central India. The results are helpful for various stakeholders so that they can take informed decisions on sustainable natural resource management.
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| 34. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Understanding Complexity in Freshwater Management: Practitioners' Perspectives in The Netherlands
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Water. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4441. ; 12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ecosystems have been stabilized by human interventions to optimize delivery of certain ecosystem services, while at the same time awareness has grown that these systems are inherently dynamic rather than steady state. Applied research fields have emerged that try to increase adaptive capacity in these ecosystems, using concepts deriving from the theory of complex adaptive systems. How are these concepts of complexity interpreted and applied by practitioners? This study applies a mixed-methods approach to analyze the case of freshwater management in The Netherlands, where a management paradigm promoting nature-fixating interventions is recently being replaced with a new paradigm of nature-based solutions. We find that practitioners have widely varying interpretations of concepts and of how the ecosystems they work in have evolved over time when described with complex system attributes. This study allows for the emergence of key complexity-related considerations among practitioners that are not often discussed in literature: (i) the need for physical and institutional space for self-organization of nature; (ii) the importance of dependency and demand management; and (iii) trade-offs between robustness and flexibility. This study, furthermore, stresses the importance of using practitioners' views to guide applied research and practice in this field.
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| 35. |
- Barron, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
-
Valuing soft components in agricultural water management interventions in meso-scale watersheds : a review and synthesis
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Water Alternatives. - 1965-0175. ; 4:2, s. 145-155
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Meso-scale watershed management (1-10,000 km2) is receiving growing attention as the spatial scale where policy in integrated water resource management (IWRM) goes into operational mode. This is also where aggregated field-level agricultural water management (AWM) interventions may result in externalities. But there is little synthesised 'lessons learned' on the costs and benefits of interventions at this scale. Here we synthesise selected cases and meta-analyses on the investment cost in 'soft components' accompanying AWM interventions. The focus is on meso-scale watersheds in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. We found very few cases with benefit-to-cost evaluation at full project level, or separate costing of hard and soft components. The synthesis suggests higher development success rates in communities with an initial level of social capital, where projects were implemented with cost- and knowledge-sharing between involved stakeholders, and where one or more 'agents of change' were present to facilitate leadership and communications. There is a need to monitor and evaluate both the external and the internal gains and losses in a more systematic manner to help development agents and other investors to ensure wiser and more effective investments in AWM interventions and watershed management.
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| 36. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Viewpoint - Sustainable and Equitable Growth in Farmer-led Irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What Will it Take?
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Water Alternatives. - 1965-0175. ; 12, s. 156-168
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rapid development of farmer-led irrigation is increasing agricultural productivity, incomes, employment and nutrition, but it might well not achieve its full potential. Small-scale irrigators tend to be younger, male and better-off. Women and resource-poor farmers - the majority of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa - are disadvantaged and often excluded from the numerous benefits to be gained from irrigation. Equity in access to water management technologies and practices is constrained by numerous factors, including high investment costs, absence of financial services, poor market integration, inadequate information services, and labour constraints. Lack of institutions for collective management of natural resources, such as water, further restricts access for resource-poor farmers, increasing inequity. In the absence of sustainable natural resources management approaches to agricultural intensification, this situation may become more acute as natural resources become increasingly valuable, and therefore contested. Realising the full potential of farmer-led irrigation requires contextualised policies, institutions and practices to improve equity, markets and sustainability and help ensure that sector growth is inclusive and beneficial.
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| 37. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Water and nutrition : harmonizing actions for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition and the united nations Water Action decade
- 2020
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Progress for both SDG 2 and SDG 6 has been unsatisfactory, with several indicators worsening over time, including an increase in the number of undernourished, overweight and obese people, as well as rapid increases in the number of people at risk of severe water shortages. This lack of progress is exacerbated by climate change and growing regional and global inequities in food and water security, including access to good quality diets, leading to increased violation of the human rights to water and food. Reversing these trends will require a much greater effort on the part of water, food security, and nutrition communities, including stronger performances by the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition and the United Nations International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development. To date, increased collaboration by these two landmark initiatives is lacking, as neither work program has systematically explored linkages or possibilities for joint interventions. Collaboration is especially imperative given the fundamental challenges that characterize the promotion of one priority over another. Without coordination across the water, food security, and nutrition communities, actions toward achieving SDG2 on zero hunger may contribute to further degradation of the world’s water resources and as such, further derail achievement of the UN Decade of Action on Water and SDG 6 on water and sanitation. Conversely, actions to enhance SDG 6 may well reduce progress on the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition and SDG 2. This paper reviews these challenges as part of a broader analysis of the complex web of pathways that link water, food security and nutrition outcomes. Climate change and the growing demand for water resources are also considered, given their central role in shaping future water and nutrition security. The main conclusions are presented as three recommendations focused on potential avenues to deal with the complexity of the water-nutrition nexus, and to optimize outcomes, as follows: • Implement nutrition-sensitive agricultural water management. Nutrition and health experts need to join forces with water managers at the farm household level, at the community level and at the government level to strengthen positive transmission pathways between both rainfed and irrigated agriculture, and food and nutrition security. • Increase the environmental sustainability of diets. More work is urgently needed on the impact of current dietary trends on environmental resources, and vice-versa. Not only in terms of documenting harm done under the current status-quo, but also with respect to practical recommendations for regional and national stakeholders on policy reform and investments that counter-act the heavy environmental and health tolls that are being exacted by current diet trends. • Explicitly address social inequities in water-nutrition linkages. Proactively include vulnerable demographics in the development of water services, including incorporating their needs and constraints into initial infrastructure design. The analysis and recommendations in this report are geared toward both United Nations actors and other stakeholders with access to entry points to accelerate progress. Expanding collaboration and evidence generation is particularly important outside the WASH sector where some linkages have already been developed. This will be imperative for reducing trade-offs, and for strengthening momentum.
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| 38. |
- Barron, Jennie
(författare)
-
Water for Food Systems and Nutrition
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Science and innovations for food systems transformation and summit actions. ; , s. 251-259
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Barron,, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
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Watershed management through a resilience lens
- 2011
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Ingår i: Integrated Watershed Management in Rainfed Agriculture. - London : CRC Press. - 9780415882774
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 41. |
- Boelee, Eline, et al.
(författare)
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Management of Water and Agroecosystems in Landscapes for Sustainable Food Security
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. - Wallingford : CABI Publishing. - 9781780640884 ; , s. 156-170
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Various food and financial crises have increased the pressure on natural resources while expanding on alternative ways of considering agroecosystems as potential long-term providers of ecosystem services if managed in a sustainable and equitable way. Through the study of interrelations between ecosystems, water and food security, this book has aimed to increase the understanding and knowledge of these interactions for better planning and decision making processes at various levels. This chapter concludes Managing Water and Agroecosystems for Food Security. It discusses the main findings of the preceding chapters, from analyses of drivers of sustainable food security, via agroecosystems with their ecosystem services and challenges for water use and scarcity, to specific challenges for environments such as drylands and wetlands. Using a comprehensive landscape approach, recommendations on water productivity, agroecosystem services and integrated water management are brought together succinctly. In addition, knowledge gaps and issues for further research have been identified that may support further implementation of the agroecological approach in many landscapes around the world.
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| 42. |
- Coates, David, et al.
(författare)
-
Water-related Ecosystem Services and Food Security
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Managing water and agroecosystems for food security. - Wallingford : CABI Publishing. - 9781780640884 ; , s. 29-41
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ecosystem setting of both agriculture and water provides a conceptual framework for managing the needs of agriculture for water and the impacts of water upon agriculture. Water underpins all benefits (ecosystem services) that ecosystems provide, including all agricultural production. The availability of water, in terms of both its quantity and quality, is also influenced heavily by ecosystem functioning. Understanding this relationship of water, ecosystems and their services with agriculture is at the heart of understanding, and therefore managing, water and food security. There are opportunities to move beyond seeing the agriculture-ecosystem-water interface as one of conflict and trade-offs, towards simultaneously achieving both increases in sustainable food production and improvements in the delivery of other ecosystem benefits by agriculture through more widespread adoption of ecosystem-based solutions. These concepts and approaches are explained briefly here as an introduction to understanding the interlinkages between ecosystem services, water and food security in subsequent chapters of the book.
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| 43. |
- Enfors, Elin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
-
Dryspell frequency and trends over time in semi-arid and dry sub-humid sub-Saharan Africa : Implictions for smallholder farmers
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Small-scale farmers in semi-arid and dry sub-humid sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are vulnerable to dryspells, a primary reason for agricultural droughts. We used large-scale publicly available datasets to analyze frequency and trends over time in dryspells of critical length for farmers. 54 rainfall stations across the croplands of semi-arid and dry sub-humid SSA were included. Results show that stations with long-term seasonal rainfall averages below 600 mm experience critical dryspells in more than 60% of their seasons, whereas the corresponding figure for stations with averages above 600 mm is 40% or less. Almost every season is affected by dryspells for stations below 400 mm. Further, dryspell seasons are often affected by multiple dryspells. Most stations do not show any trends of changing dryspell frequency. Among the 21 stations that do exhibit changes over time, 19 have been subjected to an increasing trend, and only 2 to a decreasing trend. For six stations the increase is statistically significant. We conclude that frequent dryspell seasons with multiple dryspells, is a reality of rainfed farming systems, especially in semi-arid SSA. Efforts to increase productivity in these systems must include strategies to manage dryspells to be effective. The publicly available data contains large gaps that restrict the analysis. This is highly problematic, particularly given the fundamental importance of rainfall dynamics for livelihoods in the poorest regions of the world.
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| 44. |
- Enfors, Elin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Yield and soil system changes from conservation tillage in dryland farming : A case study from North Eastern Tanzania
- 2011
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Ingår i: Agricultural Water Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3774 .- 1873-2283. ; 98:11, s. 1687-1695
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Yield levels in smallholder farming systems in semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa are generally low. Water shortage in the root zone during critical crop development stages is a fundamental constraining factor. While there is ample evidence to show that conservation tillage can promote soil health, it has recently been suggested that the main benefit in semi-arid farming systems may in fact be an in situ water harvesting effect. In this paper we present the result from an on-farm conservation tillage experiment (combining ripping with mulch and manure application) that was carried out in northeastern Tanzania from 2005 to 2008, testing this hypothesis. Special attention was given to the effects on the water retention properties of the soil. The tested conservation treatment only had a clear yield increasing effect during one of the six experimental seasons (maize grain yields increased by 41%, and biomass by 65%), and this was a season that received exceptional amounts of rainfall (549 mm). While the other seasons provided mixed results, there seemed to be an increasing yield gap between the conservation tillage treatment and the control towards the end of the experiment. Regarding soil system changes, small but significant effects on chemical and microbiological properties, but not on physical properties, were observed. This raises questions about the suggested water harvesting effect and its potential to contribute to stabilized yield levels under semi-arid conditions. We conclude that, at least in a shorter time perspective, the tested type of conservation tillage seems to boost productivity during already good seasons, rather than stabilize harvests during poor rainfall seasons. Highlighting the challenges involved in upgrading these farming systems, we discuss the potential contribution of conservation tillage towards improved water availability in the crop root zone in a longer-term perspective.
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| 45. |
- Ezzati, Golnaz, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term water quality monitoring in agricultural catchments in Sweden: Impact of climatic drivers on diffuse nutrient loads
- 2023
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 864
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Water quality related to non-point source pollution continues to pose challenges in agricultural landscapes, despite two completed cycles of Water Framework Directive actions by farmers and landowners. Future climate projections will cause new challenges in landscape hydrology and subsequently, the potential responses in water quality. Investigating the nutrient trends in surface waters and studying the efficiency of mitigation measures revealed that loads and mea-sures are highly variable both spatially and temporally in catchments with different agro-climatic and environmental conditions. In Sweden, nitrogen and phosphorus loads in eight agricultural catchments (470-3300 ha) have been in-tensively monitored for >20 years. This study investigated the relationship between precipitation, air temperature, and discharge patterns in relation to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads at catchment outlets. The time series data anal-ysis was carried out by integrating Mann-Kendall test, Pettitt break-points, and Generalized Additive Model. The re-sults showed that the nutrient loads highly depend on water discharge, which had large variation in annual average (158-441 mm yr-1). The annual average loads were also considerably different among the catchments with total N (TN) loads ranging from 6.76 to 35.73 kg ha-1, and total P (TP) loads ranging from 0.11 to 1.04 kg ha-1. The climatic drivers were highly significant indicators of nutrient loads but with varying degree of significance. Precipitation (28-962 mm yr-1) was a significant indicator of TN loads in five catchments (loamy sand/sandy loam) while annual average temperature (6.5-8.7 degrees C yr-1) was a significant driver of TN loads in six out of eight catchments. TP loads were associated with precipitation in two catchments and significantly correlated to water discharge in six catchments. Con-sidering the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events, it is necessary to tailor N and P mitigation measures to future climate-change features of precipitation, temperature, and discharge.
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| 46. |
- Garg, Kaushal K., et al.
(författare)
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Assessing impacts of agricultural water interventions in the Kothapally watershed, Southern India
- 2012
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Ingår i: Hydrological Processes. - : Wiley. - 0885-6087 .- 1099-1085. ; 26:3, s. 387-404
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The paper describes a hydrological model for agricultural water intervention in a community watershed at Kothapally in India, developed through integrated management and a consortium approach. The impacts of various soil and water management interventions in the watershed are compared to no‐intervention during a 30‐year simulation period by application of the calibrated and validated ARCSWAT 2005 (Version 2.1.4a) modelling tool. Kothapally receives, on average, 800 mm rainfall in the monsoon period. 72% of total rainfall is converted as evaporation and transpiration (ET), 20% is stored by groundwater aquifer, and 8% exported as outflow from the watershed boundary in current water interventions. ET, groundwater recharge and outflow under no‐intervention conditions are found to be 64, 9, and 19%, respectively. Check dams helped in storing water for groundwater recharge, which can be used for irrigation, as well minimising soil loss. In situ water management practices improved the infiltration capacity and water holding capacity of the soil, which resulted in increased water availability by 10–30% and better crop yields compared to no‐intervention. Water outflows from the developed watershed were more than halved compared to no‐intervention, indicating potentially large negative downstream impacts if these systems were to be implemented on a larger scale. On the other hand, in the watershed development program, sediment loads to the streams were less than one‐tenth. It can be concluded that the hydrological impacts of large‐scale implementation of agricultural water interventions are significant. They result in improved rain‐fed agriculture and improved productivity and livelihood of farmers in upland areas while also addressing the issues of poverty, equity, and gender in watersheds. There is a need for case‐specific studies of such hydrological impacts along with other impacts in terms of equity, gender, sustainability, and development at the mesoscale.
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| 47. |
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| 48. |
- Garg, Kaushal K., et al.
(författare)
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Up-scaling potential impacts on water flows from agricultural water interventions : opportunities and trade-offs in the Osman Sagar catchment, Musi sub-basin, India
- 2013
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Ingår i: Hydrological Processes. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0885-6087 .- 1099-1085. ; 27:26, s. 3905-3921
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agricultural water management (AWM) has been shown to improve and secure yields in the tropics and has been suggested as an important way to combat poverty in the region. In this paper, we describe potential impacts on upstream and downstream flows of extensive AWM interventions, using the watershed development programme of the Osman Sagar catchment of Musi sub-basin, Andhra Pradesh semi-arid India, as an example. Various AWM interventions are compared with a non-intervention state and the current state of the study area, using 31 years of data by application of the calibrated and validated ARCSWAT 2005 (Version 2.1.4a) modelling tool. Different AWM interventions contribute to improved livelihoods of upstream smallholder farmers by increasing soil moisture availability and groundwater recharge, which can subsequently be used for irrigation. The result is higher crop production and hence larger incomes. Moreover, lower flow intensities and sediment losses reduced by 30-50%, reducing the risk of flooding and sediment accumulation in the Osman Sagar drinking water reservoir. On the other hand, AWM interventions are predicted to result in reduced total water inflows to the Osman Sagar reservoir from 11% of the total annual rainfall (754mm) recorded at present, to 8% if AWM interventions were implemented at large scale throughout the catchment. A cost-benefit analysis of AWM interventions showed that the highest net economic returns were achieved at intermediate intervention levels (only in-situ AWM).
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Karlberg, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Impacts of agricultural water interventions on farm income : An example from the Kothapally watershed, India
- 2015
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Ingår i: Agricultural Systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-521X .- 1873-2267. ; 136, s. 30-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agricultural water interventions (AWI), e.g. in-situ soil and water conservation strategies, irrigation, and damming of rivers to increase groundwater recharge, have been suggested as important strategies to improve yields in tropical agriculture. Although the biophysical implications of AWIs have been well investigated, the coupling between the biophysical changes and the economic implications thereof is less well understood. In this study we translate the results from a hydrological model, SWAT, on crop yields for different cropping systems with and without agricultural water interventions, to hypothetical farm incomes for a watershed, Kothapally, located in Andhra Pradesh, India. It was found that on average, AWI significantly improved farm incomes by enabling the cultivation of a high value crop during the monsoon season (cotton), supplementary irrigated to bridge dry spells and replacing a traditional crop (sorghum), and also by enhancing the capacity to produce dry season, fully irrigated vegetable crops, in this case exemplified by onion. AWI combined with cotton resulted in more than a doubling of farm incomes compared to traditional sorghum-based systems without AWI during normal and wet years (i.e. for 75% of the years). Interestingly, we observed that the difference between the AWI system and the no intervention system was larger during years of high average rainfall compared to dry years. It was also found that access to irrigation was more important for farm income than crop choice and AWI per se, and thus farms with access irrigation benefitted more from AWI compared to farmers lacking access to irrigation. In conclusion, we suggest that in order to assess equity aspects in terms of farm income generation following the implementation of an AWI project, there is a need for income analyses at the farm level, since income estimates at the watershed level may mask important differences in economic benefits between farms.
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