Analysis of rainfall trend and variability for agricultural water management in Awash River Basin, Ethiopia

The national economy and food security of many sub-Saharan countries relies on rain-fed agriculture, hence the impact of rainfall variability is highly significant. The intent of this study is to characterize rainfall variability and trend in Awash River Basin for agricultural water management using standard rainfall statistical descriptors. Long-term climate data of 12 stations were analyzed. Onset and cessation dates, length of growing period (LGP) and probability of dry spell occurrences were analysed using INSTAT Plus software. The Mann–Kendall test and the Sen's slope method were used to assess the statistical significance of the trend. The results show high variability of rainfall (38–73%), LGP (30–38 days) and high probability of dry spell occurrence (up to 100%) during the Belg season (the short rainy season from March to May) compared with the Kiremt season (the main rainy season from June to September) in all stations. Belg season showed a non-significant decline trend in most of the stations, whereas the Kiremt season indicated the contrary. The finding also revealed that supplementary irrigation is vital, especially in the Belg season to cover up to 40% of the crop water requirement deficit.

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Application of ANN-Based Streamflow Forecasting Model for Agricultural Water Management in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia

Water Resources Management ◽

10.1007/s11269-010-9773-y ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 1759-1773 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Desalegn Chemeda Edossa ◽

Mukand Singh Babel

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

River Basin ◽

Forecasting Model ◽

Streamflow Forecasting ◽

Agricultural Water ◽

Agricultural Water Management ◽

Awash River Basin

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DOES ADOPTION OF MULTIPLE CLIMATE-SMART PRACTICES IMPROVE FARMERS’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE NILE BASIN OF ETHIOPIA

Climate Change Economics ◽

10.1142/s2010007817500014 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 08 (01) ◽

pp. 1750001 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

HAILEMARIAM TEKLEWOLD ◽

ALEMU MEKONNEN ◽

GUNNAR KOHLIN ◽

SALVATORE DI FALCO

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Rainfall Variability ◽

Farm Income ◽

Switching Regression ◽

Agricultural Water ◽

Nile Basin ◽

Agricultural Water Management ◽

Agricultural Income ◽

Climate Resilience ◽

The Impact

There is a paucity of information on conditioning factors that hinder or promote adoption of multiple climate-smart practices and on the synergies among such practices in increasing household resilience by improving agricultural income. This study analyzes how heat, rainfall, and rainfall variability affect farmers’ choices of a portfolio of potential climate smart practices — agricultural water management, improved crop seeds, and fertilizer — and the impact of these practices on farm income in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia. We apply a multinomial endogenous switching regression approach by modeling combinations of practices and net farm income for each combination as depending on household and farm characteristics and on a set of climatic variables based on geo-referenced historical precipitation and temperature data. A primary result of this study is that farmers are less likely to adopt fertilizer (either alone or in combination with improved varieties) in areas of greater rainfall variability. However, even when there is high variability in rainfall, farmers are more likely to adopt these two yield-increasing inputs when they choose to (and are able to) include the third part of the portfolio: agricultural water management. Net farm income responds positively to agricultural water management, improved crop variety or fertilizer when they are adopted in isolation as well as in combination. But this effect is greater when these practices are combined. Simulation results suggest that a warming temperature and decreased precipitation in future decades will make it less likely that farmers will adopt practices in isolation but more likely that they will adopt a combination of practices. Hence, a package approach rather than a piecemeal approach is needed to maximize the synergies implicit in various climate smart practices.

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