Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only]
Using measured runoff and sediment monitoring, the effectiveness of large scale soil and water conservation (SWC) implementations are analyzed from a five year (2010-2014) study, in the 95 ha Debre Mawi watershed and four nested sub-watersheds. Under the large scale government led SWC program, terra...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Conference Paper |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
2015
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75767 |
| _version_ | 1855541574712164352 |
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| author | Dagnew, D. Guzmán, Christian D. Zegeye, Assefa D. Tebebu, Tigist Y. Akal, A. Mekuria, Wolde Ayana, Essayas K. Tilahun, S. Steenhuis, Tammo S. |
| author_browse | Akal, A. Ayana, Essayas K. Dagnew, D. Guzmán, Christian D. Mekuria, Wolde Steenhuis, Tammo S. Tebebu, Tigist Y. Tilahun, S. Zegeye, Assefa D. |
| author_facet | Dagnew, D. Guzmán, Christian D. Zegeye, Assefa D. Tebebu, Tigist Y. Akal, A. Mekuria, Wolde Ayana, Essayas K. Tilahun, S. Steenhuis, Tammo S. |
| author_sort | Dagnew, D. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Using measured runoff and sediment monitoring, the effectiveness of large scale soil and water conservation (SWC) implementations are analyzed from a five year (2010-2014) study, in the 95 ha Debre Mawi watershed and four nested sub-watersheds. Under the large scale government led SWC program, terraces with infiltration furrows were installed in 2012. The results indicate that runoff, sediment loads and sediment yields decreased significantly after the implementation of SWC practices. Sediment loads were reduced mainly because of the reduced runoff. Though sediment concentration decreased in the sub-watersheds, it decreased only marginally for the main watershed because of the entrainment of loose soil from the collapse of unstable banks of gullies. Infiltration furrows were effective in collecting runoff and suspended sediment (from rills) on the hillsides where Nitisols dominate (very deep, well-drained, permeable soils where rain water could infiltrate easily). But, on the saturated flat bottom lands and fields dominated by vertisols (that form wide-deep cracks during the dry season and swell during the rainy season), infiltration was restricted and conservation practices became conduits for carrying excess rainfall. Our continuous observations and photo monitoring of bunds on Nitisols and saturated bottomlands indicate that installing soil bunds on these areas caused the collapse of soil bunds in to the furrows. The soil from the collapsed bund is then easily washed away in a concentrated runoff and further initiated gullies in the Debre Mawi watershed. Large scale soil and water conservation interventions have short term effectiveness of reducing runoff and sediment loads. However, long term benefits can only be sustained with continuous maintenance of uphill infiltration furrows, as most ditches are filled up with sediments within two-three years. In addition, large scale soil and water conservation interventions should give priority to gully treatments, should consider local soil types and saturation dynamics to install bunds in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands. |
| format | Conference Paper |
| id | CGSpace75767 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace757672025-07-23T18:05:32Z Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] Dagnew, D. Guzmán, Christian D. Zegeye, Assefa D. Tebebu, Tigist Y. Akal, A. Mekuria, Wolde Ayana, Essayas K. Tilahun, S. Steenhuis, Tammo S. soil conservation water conservation humid climate watersheds highlands sustainability runoff gully erosion sediment Using measured runoff and sediment monitoring, the effectiveness of large scale soil and water conservation (SWC) implementations are analyzed from a five year (2010-2014) study, in the 95 ha Debre Mawi watershed and four nested sub-watersheds. Under the large scale government led SWC program, terraces with infiltration furrows were installed in 2012. The results indicate that runoff, sediment loads and sediment yields decreased significantly after the implementation of SWC practices. Sediment loads were reduced mainly because of the reduced runoff. Though sediment concentration decreased in the sub-watersheds, it decreased only marginally for the main watershed because of the entrainment of loose soil from the collapse of unstable banks of gullies. Infiltration furrows were effective in collecting runoff and suspended sediment (from rills) on the hillsides where Nitisols dominate (very deep, well-drained, permeable soils where rain water could infiltrate easily). But, on the saturated flat bottom lands and fields dominated by vertisols (that form wide-deep cracks during the dry season and swell during the rainy season), infiltration was restricted and conservation practices became conduits for carrying excess rainfall. Our continuous observations and photo monitoring of bunds on Nitisols and saturated bottomlands indicate that installing soil bunds on these areas caused the collapse of soil bunds in to the furrows. The soil from the collapsed bund is then easily washed away in a concentrated runoff and further initiated gullies in the Debre Mawi watershed. Large scale soil and water conservation interventions have short term effectiveness of reducing runoff and sediment loads. However, long term benefits can only be sustained with continuous maintenance of uphill infiltration furrows, as most ditches are filled up with sediments within two-three years. In addition, large scale soil and water conservation interventions should give priority to gully treatments, should consider local soil types and saturation dynamics to install bunds in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands. 2015 2016-06-20T08:39:40Z 2016-06-20T08:39:40Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75767 en Open Access Dagnew, D.; Guzman, C.; Zegeye, A.; Tebebu, T.; Akal, A.; Mekuria, Wolde; Ayana, E.; Tilahun, S.; Steenhuis, T. 2015. Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] Paper presented at the 10th Alexander von Humboldt Conference 2015 on Water-Food-Energy River and Society in the Tropics. EGU Topical Conference Series, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 18-20 November 2015. 1p. |
| spellingShingle | soil conservation water conservation humid climate watersheds highlands sustainability runoff gully erosion sediment Dagnew, D. Guzmán, Christian D. Zegeye, Assefa D. Tebebu, Tigist Y. Akal, A. Mekuria, Wolde Ayana, Essayas K. Tilahun, S. Steenhuis, Tammo S. Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] |
| title | Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] |
| title_full | Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] |
| title_short | Effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub-humid Ethiopian highlands: evidence from Debre Mawi watershed [Abstract only] |
| title_sort | effectiveness and sustainability of large scale soil and water conservation interventions in the sub humid ethiopian highlands evidence from debre mawi watershed abstract only |
| topic | soil conservation water conservation humid climate watersheds highlands sustainability runoff gully erosion sediment |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75767 |
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