Learning Brief: Multiple use of check dams

LEARNING BRIEF: ENHANCING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND DISASTER RESILIENCE October 2018

BEST PRACTICE: Multiple use of Check Dams

1. Summary CAFOD, SCIAF and Trócaire (CST) are the Catholic development and humanitarian organisations from England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively. All three organisations have worked in Ethiopia with partners since the mid-1970s and together in a joint country programme since 2009. CST works with national NGOs under its Women’s Empowerment and Resilient Communities programmes.

CST has been implementing a three year DFID UK Aid Match (UKAM) funded resilience project entitled ‘Enhancing Climate Change and Adaptation and Disaster Resilience in Rural Communities of Northern Ethiopia’ since November 2015. The project focuses on the most pressing poverty concerns and longer term climate change challenges in Tigray.

rates (31.8%) and food poverty rates at 37.1%i.

Increasing temperature and declining rainfall has exacerbated Tigray’s vulnerability to drought, land degradation, overgrazing and deforestation, and water pollution. The calamities of increased climate variability and change have had adverse impacts on the local communities’ livelihoods. Environmental problems such as loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services are already taking place. Food insecurity, outbreaks of water borne and respiratory diseases associated with droughts indicate the exceptional vulnerability of the region to drought.

As such, the programme aims to increase production and productivity, diversify production and income opportunities, improve year round access to safe and clean water, improve sanitation and hygiene practices, and protect and rehabilitate natural The Northern regional state of Tigray resources. exhibits one of the highest overall poverty Adigrat Dioceses Catholic Secretariat IMPROVED AGRONOMIC PRACTICESE USE

The project is implemented through a consortium of three Ethiopian local non-governmental organizations, namely Adigrat Dioceses Catholic Secretariat- Adigrat Branch (ECC-SADCO Ad), Adigrat Dioceses Catholic Secretariat-Meklle Branch (ECCSADCO, ADCS-M) and Relief Society of Tigray (REST) are implemented in sixteen ‘Tabias’ (sub-districts) in five ‘Weredas’ (districts), the projects aim to benefit 17,078 households, of which, 4430 are female headed households with land, 2307 female headed landless households and 2755 male headed landless households. The programme will also have 45297 indirect beneficiaries of which 21653 are female headed households.

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One of the major strategies employed by the project to build resilience of the communities, was to construct check dams and create cash-for work opportunities. These techniques have enabled vulnerable communities to increase and diversify their productions, productivity and consequentially, their income.

Project Context and Background

This learning brief presents the results of check dams construction to enhance climate change adaptation and disaster resilience. The project was implemented by CST and the Ethiopian Catholic Project Implementation Cite Secretariat- Social and Development Commission Adigrat Diocese Catholic Secretariat-Adigrat Branch 3. Key Activities (ECC-SDCO, ADCS-Adigrat).

Various activities have been undertaken in Erob and The calamities of increased climate variability and Gulomekeda tabias to vulnerable household’s food change in Northern Ethiopia have made adverse and income security, and strengthen their resilience impacts particularly on households’ livelihood and adaptation to climate extremes. and living conditions. Food insecurity, outbreaks of water borne and respiratory diseases associated A. Check Dam Construction with droughts have resulted in malnutrition. Men The project has successfully managed to build series and women in Tigray region exhibit the lowest mean of 38 check dams using cement and dry masonry. body mass index at 19.0 and 19.8 respectively in As a result, 2.5 hectares and 8 hectares of arable Ethiopiaii. land have been created in between constructed In order to overcome the aforementioned check dams, and on riversides respectively. This vulnerabilities and calamities, ECC-SDCO, ADSCS- intervention has enabled previously landless youth Adigrat is implementing this project in two drought to access farm lands and water sources. prone districts –Erob and Gulomekeda- located in The newly created productive lands have enabled Eastern Tigray. 1856 poor and vulnerable households project participants to plant vegetables, perennial in seven ‘Tabias’ (sub-districts)- Agerelokma, Alitena, seeds and indigenous grass for forage.

Haraze and Endamosa, Sebeya, Feredashum and Hayelom- are expected to benefit from this project which seeks to increase and diversify productivity and income .

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• Participatory and Needs Based Intervention: Consultations were held with seven project peasant associations which included 140 household heads, local government, and influential people to identify their strategic needs.

• Inclusivity: the project ensured that often marginalized groups of society are included in its programs. Hence, household heads living with HIV/AIDS were included.

• Transparent Selection of Beneficiaries: A bottom up and integrated selection approach was devised to ensure transparency.

Furthermore, the project set clear selection parameters.

Pic: Constructed Check dam

• Complaint Handling Mechanism: Although no complaints have been lodged during the project implementation, complaint handling mechanisms were established at the local administration office of each village, who are bestowed with the mandate to handle complaints, resolve disputes and respond to discontented project participants.

Pic: Arable land created by Check dam construction The following project implementation approaches are being applied.

• Integrated response mechanism: Although the primary implementing local partner is ADSC-Adigrat, local government administration, community based associations and micro-finance institutions were involved in the project design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and takeover of completed project activities.

Berhan Meles, a 35-year-old father of two from Agerelokma peasant association describes how he gained access to productive land.

‘Like most, I used to wait for the rainy season to plant cereal crops. My harvest was very low.

I struggled to feed my children. A year ago, I participated in the cash-for work component of the check dam construction. I was able to support my family. Once the check dams held enough amount of rain water, I bought a water pump, and begun to irrigate my farm land. I planted vegetables in two rounds.’

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how best they can utilize their existing resources-technical and intellectual-to improve their access to productive land, water and thereby increase their yields.

Due to the small number of participants included in each round of training, and the convenience of the training timing and venue for farmers, participants actively engaged, and exchanged ideas.

ii. Other capacity building trainings Trainings which focused climate change adaptation and mitigation mechanisms, improved livestock feed management, irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation and management, soil and water conservation techniques and early warning systems were also given to project participants.

C. Rehabilitation of Natural Resources

Pic: Vegetables planted on irrigated land farms using water from check dams B. Capacity Building Trainings

i. Improved Agronomic practices Trainings on integrated watershed management and area closure were provided to 596 farmers. The theoretical and practical trainings focused on the principles, process, and benefits of area closure, and management of watersheds.

Efforts aimed at mitigating long term climate change challenges require conservation and rehabilitation of check dams, and watersheds. Hence, project participants actively engaged in upper catchment treatment, soil and water conservation activities.

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A. Increasing Income and Household Food Security Check dams construction have significantly increased incomes garnered by project participants. During the construction of 38 check dams, 1506 households (568 Female headed households) participated under the cash for work program. A total of 2,205,746.04 ETB was earned by participants.

Moreover, income from vegetables produces yield from irrigation practices using rainwater collected in check dams is estimated to be 82,710ETB.

The trainings were tailored to the local contexts of the households and hence enabled participants to deliberate on

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Impact and Achievements

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The incomes generated through the aforementioned activities have enabled farmers to increase their food security, and afford their other household needs. As a result, the community’s resilience to climate change, and disaster shocks have greatly enhanced.

Mulu Gebretsadik, a single mother of four who was abandoned by her husband describes how the project enabled her earn her livelihood.

Pic: Mulu working on her farm “I was desperate when my husband abandoned me and my girls. I had no job, and no money for food or anything else. When the project begun, hope emerged. I took part in the cash for work job opportunity availed by the check dam construction. The money I earned helped me meet my family’s need for around six months. In due time, the rain water collected in between the dams got full. I began to use irrigation techniques. My wheat and barley produced have doubled now. I can now produce both during the dry and rainy season was able to sell my harvest for 6300 ETB. Now things have changed, I’ve started a new life. I am able to buy food items for my family. I can pay my children’s school fees and also buy other things we need in our household’.

B. Income Diversification Access to productive lands have also allowed farmers to plant indigenous grass which will be used as fodder for animals. The cut and carry system has enabled participants to engage in livestock rearing.

Dairy products such as milk production have also increased as a result of year round availability of fodder.

C. Increasing Access to Land Rehabilitation of dry lands has enabled 175 landless youth headed households (52 FMH) to gain access to arable land. Consequently, they’ve gained a source of livelihood, and their living standard has improved.

D. Behavioural Change The capacity building trainings have significantly enhanced participants’ knowledge and skills on adopting improved farming techniques. Their success is motivating other members of the community to engage in similar projects. Participants also state that they have adopted improved their food consumption patterns. Increased dairy production has enabled them to consume more milk. In addition, 25% of the vegetables produced under this project are consumed by the households participating in the project.

E. Environmental Rehabilitation and Conservation The construction of check dams has increased soil mass and soil fertility in the areas where the dams are constructed. Moreover, soil and water conservation activities have enabled the community to minimize flooding and runoff, and thereby reclaim 133.8 hectares of arable land. Rehabilitation of upper catchments has enhanced water percolation and generated year round water supply from hand dug wells.

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F. Engendering sustainability through local management Establishment of local watershed, and early warning committees which include women have fostered local ownership, participation and management of resources. The committee has enacted bylaws which regulate utilization of available resources.

5. Challenges • Gender Inequality: Albeit women participate in the community association and committees, their representation is still not at the desired level. Deeply entrenched patriarchic socio-cultural norms and practices hinder their representation and substantive participation.

• Increased social ownership of the programme: Ensuring integrated development and humanitarian intervention whereby all stakeholders are consulted in project design and implementation has fostered communal ownership of the project. This contributes to sustainability of the project.

• Gender Mainstreaming: The project outcomes indicate that increased attention should be given to gender analysis of project development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation as social and cultural norms hinder effective women’s participation and representation.

• Water scarcity: low rainfall levels still affect the amount of water collected in the check dams. Such challenges are more pressing due to the increased communal need for water, and interest in engaging in the project.

• Increased societal awareness: The improvements in participants’ livelihood and living standard have positive externalities whereby non-participants of the project are interested to adopt such techniques.

Such motivations provide conducive social context to expand such resilience building interventions either by CST or other stakeholders.

• Underutilization: farmers’ effective utilization of the land remains low despite 2.5 hectares of new farm lands being generated in between constructed check dams.

6. Learning

• Reduces vulnerability to migrant smuggling and human trafficking: Increased and diversified source of income amongst previously landless households will attribute to withstand the economic expediency of outmigration, and reduce vulnerability of human trafficking.

• Building Local Capacity to enhance resilience: The various trainings given to project participants have increased participants’ skills and knowledges of improved farming practices, gain improved agricultural yield, enhance productivity, and assess mechanisms through which they can diversify their risk mitigation strategies. The subsequent increase in production, productivity and income diversification have brought Adigrat Dioceses Catholic Secretariat IMPROVED AGRONOMIC PRACTICESE USE

positive livelihood transformations.

These have significantly increase climate change adaptation and disaster resilience amongst Erob and Gulumekda communities.

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7. Sustainability The enactment of rules and regulations that administer common resource utilization and management ensure strategic mechanisms of ensuring sustainability of the project with minimal external support/supervision.

Trócaire. (2014). ‘Feeling the heat: How climate change is driving extreme weather to the developing world’.

Ireland: Trócaire. i

FDRE Central Statistics Agency. (2017). Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2016, pg. 213 ii

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