Effects of Water-Spreading Weirs on Households’ Food Security and the Environment: The Case of Chifra Woreda, Afar Region
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Water stress is the most dominant challenge in drylands which lowers crop production and
yield, and increases their susceptibility to land degradation and climate change. Due to
this, effective techniques of water harvesting, and water development and conservation
techniques are much needed. This study assessed the effects of water-spreading weirs, a
water harvesting technique introduced in Chifra Woreda in 2015. Household survey and
focus group discussions were used to collect data from 188 beneficiary and nonbeneficiary households. The weirs increased water availability, and maize yield 3 times
higher than sampled non-beneficiaries, almost double than that of the regional average,
1.5 times than the national average. Weirs also increased livestock ownership and reduced
number of livestock deaths among beneficiaries as a result of increased water and feed
availability. Weirs also rehabilitated previously severely eroded land which had 4-5 meters
deep gullies. Their contribution toward food security was assessed using a HFIAS, a food
insecurity indicator. It was found that the average beneficiary had a score of 2.58, while
the average non-beneficiary had a score of 15.37 making beneficiaries much less food
insecure. Therefore, water-spreading weirs have significantly improved food security and
contributed to environmental rehabilitation in Chifra Woreda. Scaling up the project
further along the flooding plain and in other woredas affected by flashfloods is
recommended. Trainings on how to best maintain the weirs should also be given to the
local community to ensure their sustainability in the woreda.
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Keywords
Drylands, water stress, water-spreading weirs, environmental rehabilitation, food security