Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands
Lack of long-term hydrological monitoring makes it difficult to determine impacts of changing land use on the water dynamics for many catchments in Africa. Here we use local ecological knowledge (LEK) to explore the impacts of rapid expansion of eucalyptus agroforestry on water security in the Ethio...
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Capítulo de libro |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
International Livestock Research Institute
2013
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34239 |
| _version_ | 1855513081424117760 |
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| author | Pagella, Tim Cronin, M. Lamond, G. Sida, T. Sinclair, Fergus L. |
| author_browse | Cronin, M. Lamond, G. Pagella, Tim Sida, T. Sinclair, Fergus L. |
| author_facet | Pagella, Tim Cronin, M. Lamond, G. Sida, T. Sinclair, Fergus L. |
| author_sort | Pagella, Tim |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Lack of long-term hydrological monitoring makes it difficult to determine impacts of changing land use on the water dynamics for many catchments in Africa. Here we use local ecological knowledge (LEK) to explore the impacts of rapid expansion of eucalyptus agroforestry on water security in the Ethiopian highlands. Local knowledge about the impacts of changes in tree cover was collected from farmers (n = 30), extension staff (n = 2) and timber merchants (n = 2) in five kebeles within the Jeldu woreda. Jeldu has undergone significant land use change over the last forty years. The area was heavily deforested 20 years ago and farmers associate this time with a major change in the water dynamics. Recently the development of a new road to Goja, the main town, opened up the area as a source of timber for Addis Ababa. This has resulted in a substantial expansion of eucalyptus plots adjacent to roads on the upper plateau and in riparian areas where growth is accelerated. Poorer farmers have been displaced on to the sloping land (which used to be woodland) where there is now evidence of rapid soil degradation. The key findings were that farmers identified significant trade-offs at the plot scale between eucalyptus and adjacent crop fields. They also identified indicators suggesting the sudden increase in eucalyptus cover had accelerated declines in water availability at landscape scales. The study showed the value of using LEK for exploring immediate landscape scale dynamics in the absence of hydrological monitoring. Whilst there is a degree of uncertainty surrounding the impacts of eucalyptus, this research demonstrated local awareness associated of problems associated with unregulated expansion of eucalyptus woodlots on the water regulating capacity at immediate landscape scales in the Ethiopian highlands. |
| format | Book Chapter |
| id | CGSpace34239 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | International Livestock Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Livestock Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace342392023-09-25T07:40:33Z Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands Pagella, Tim Cronin, M. Lamond, G. Sida, T. Sinclair, Fergus L. water Lack of long-term hydrological monitoring makes it difficult to determine impacts of changing land use on the water dynamics for many catchments in Africa. Here we use local ecological knowledge (LEK) to explore the impacts of rapid expansion of eucalyptus agroforestry on water security in the Ethiopian highlands. Local knowledge about the impacts of changes in tree cover was collected from farmers (n = 30), extension staff (n = 2) and timber merchants (n = 2) in five kebeles within the Jeldu woreda. Jeldu has undergone significant land use change over the last forty years. The area was heavily deforested 20 years ago and farmers associate this time with a major change in the water dynamics. Recently the development of a new road to Goja, the main town, opened up the area as a source of timber for Addis Ababa. This has resulted in a substantial expansion of eucalyptus plots adjacent to roads on the upper plateau and in riparian areas where growth is accelerated. Poorer farmers have been displaced on to the sloping land (which used to be woodland) where there is now evidence of rapid soil degradation. The key findings were that farmers identified significant trade-offs at the plot scale between eucalyptus and adjacent crop fields. They also identified indicators suggesting the sudden increase in eucalyptus cover had accelerated declines in water availability at landscape scales. The study showed the value of using LEK for exploring immediate landscape scale dynamics in the absence of hydrological monitoring. Whilst there is a degree of uncertainty surrounding the impacts of eucalyptus, this research demonstrated local awareness associated of problems associated with unregulated expansion of eucalyptus woodlots on the water regulating capacity at immediate landscape scales in the Ethiopian highlands. 2013-11-01 2013-12-14T14:44:55Z 2013-12-14T14:44:55Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34239 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/33929 Open Access application/pdf International Livestock Research Institute Pagella, T., Cronin, M., Lamond, G., Sida, T. and Sinclair, F.L. 2013. Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands. IN: Wolde, M. (ed). 2013, Rainwater management for resilient livelihoods in Ethiopia: Proceedings of the Nile Basin Development Challenge Science Meeting, Addis Ababa, 9–10 July 2013. NBDC Technical Report 5. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. |
| spellingShingle | water Pagella, Tim Cronin, M. Lamond, G. Sida, T. Sinclair, Fergus L. Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands |
| title | Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands |
| title_full | Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands |
| title_fullStr | Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands |
| title_short | Local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the Ethiopian highlands |
| title_sort | local knowledge of the impacts of eucalyptus expansion on water security in the ethiopian highlands |
| topic | water |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34239 |
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