Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia

Water management has followed a basin unit paradigm for several decades. This framing often inherits a pre-defined spatial and institutional boundary of analysis, one that largely fails to account for various externalities influencing water security beyond the hydrological unit. Moving away from thi...

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Main Authors: Polaine, X. K., Nicol, Alan, Amezaga, J., Berihun, Mulatu L., Dessalegn, Mengistu, Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Frontiers Media 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126406
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author Polaine, X. K.
Nicol, Alan
Amezaga, J.
Berihun, Mulatu L.
Dessalegn, Mengistu
Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
author_browse Amezaga, J.
Berihun, Mulatu L.
Dessalegn, Mengistu
Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Nicol, Alan
Polaine, X. K.
author_facet Polaine, X. K.
Nicol, Alan
Amezaga, J.
Berihun, Mulatu L.
Dessalegn, Mengistu
Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
author_sort Polaine, X. K.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Water management has followed a basin unit paradigm for several decades. This framing often inherits a pre-defined spatial and institutional boundary of analysis, one that largely fails to account for various externalities influencing water security beyond the hydrological unit. Moving away from this established basin-scale analysis, we present the concept of problemscapes, a systems approach for understanding how multiple physical and social drivers surrounding (and as part of) contextual water systems determine how they work and, ultimately, the outcomes in terms of the water security they provide. By first discussing the concept of boundaries for water paradigms, we argue that problemscapes can help us understand water security as a more dynamic and hybrid system by adapting these boundaries; enabling a clearer understanding of leverage points, interconnections and possible strategic solutions to longer-term water security challenges. We apply the method for establishing and utilizing a problemscape analysis across the Central Rift Valley, Upper Awash, and Abbay basins, as well as the capital city of Addis Ababa. The interactions in this part of Central Ethiopia are notoriously complex, with sets of critical water management issues at national and international scale, hybrid water security challenges across user communities, and contested management at different scales amidst multiple, and sometimes competing, ideologies. We show that problemscaping as an approach could support future planning decisions for long-term water security by enabling a systems perspective to emerge where complexity and connectivity between actors, institutions, and physical and social entities is considered.
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spelling CGSpace1264062025-12-08T10:29:22Z Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia Polaine, X. K. Nicol, Alan Amezaga, J. Berihun, Mulatu L. Dessalegn, Mengistu Haile, Alemseged Tamiru water security water resources water management urbanization agriculture land use change Water management has followed a basin unit paradigm for several decades. This framing often inherits a pre-defined spatial and institutional boundary of analysis, one that largely fails to account for various externalities influencing water security beyond the hydrological unit. Moving away from this established basin-scale analysis, we present the concept of problemscapes, a systems approach for understanding how multiple physical and social drivers surrounding (and as part of) contextual water systems determine how they work and, ultimately, the outcomes in terms of the water security they provide. By first discussing the concept of boundaries for water paradigms, we argue that problemscapes can help us understand water security as a more dynamic and hybrid system by adapting these boundaries; enabling a clearer understanding of leverage points, interconnections and possible strategic solutions to longer-term water security challenges. We apply the method for establishing and utilizing a problemscape analysis across the Central Rift Valley, Upper Awash, and Abbay basins, as well as the capital city of Addis Ababa. The interactions in this part of Central Ethiopia are notoriously complex, with sets of critical water management issues at national and international scale, hybrid water security challenges across user communities, and contested management at different scales amidst multiple, and sometimes competing, ideologies. We show that problemscaping as an approach could support future planning decisions for long-term water security by enabling a systems perspective to emerge where complexity and connectivity between actors, institutions, and physical and social entities is considered. 2022-07-14 2022-12-31T22:27:17Z 2022-12-31T22:27:17Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126406 en Open Access Frontiers Media Polaine, X. K.; Nicol, Alan; Amezaga, J.; Berihun, M.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru. 2022. Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia. Frontiers in Water, 4:800926. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2022.800926]
spellingShingle water security
water resources
water management
urbanization
agriculture
land use change
Polaine, X. K.
Nicol, Alan
Amezaga, J.
Berihun, Mulatu L.
Dessalegn, Mengistu
Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia
title Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia
title_full Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia
title_fullStr Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia
title_short Problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in Central Ethiopia
title_sort problemscapes and hybrid water security systems in central ethiopia
topic water security
water resources
water management
urbanization
agriculture
land use change
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126406
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