An Assessment of Benefits and Challenges of Household Rainwater Harvesting Ponds in Kilte Awlaelo Woreda, Eastern Tigray
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Agriculture in Tigray is characterized by small scale subsistence rain- fed
fanning with low productivity emanated from poor resource base, high
spatial and temporal variability of rainfall; and severe environmental
degradation that resulted in high level of food insecurity in the region. The
regional government of Tigray has designed an integrated food security
program to improve agricultural productivity and tackle the prevailing food
insecurity. Construction of household rainwater harvesting ponds was one
of the interventions designed to address the problem of low productivity and
enhance household food security.
The paper examines the benefits and challenges of adopting household
rainwater harvesting ponds in Kilte Awolaelo woreda, Eastern Tigray. The
main focus of the study is to assess the contribution of pond water
utilization towards increasing aglicultural productivity, household income
and the potential to reduce household food insecurity. The study also aims
at exploring the mujor issues and challenges related to household ponds.
To attain the objectives of the study, household survey, focus group
discussion, and key infomtant interview were employed to collect data at
household and individual levels. The results reveal that adoption and
utilization of household ponds have a positive impact in improving and
diversification of agricultural production. Ponds also enable farmers to
generate income from the sale of crops grown by using the s tored water as
supplementary irrigation which improves their access to food and hence
reduce household food insecurity.
The results of the study also show that the program has faced problems
related to the design, lacle of training, wrong site selection of ponds, lack of
construction materials, high labour demand and so on. The study concludes
by suggesting measures that may be t en for better implementation of the
technology.
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Keywords
Rainwater Harvesting Ponds, Challenges of Household