Seasonal surface drainage of sloping farmland : a review of its hydrogeomorphic impacts

The combination of runoff-generating areas (saturated soils) and overland flow concentration in features such as drainage ditches makes sloping farmland vulnerable to soil erosion. The establishment of drainage ditches aims at draining the excess of water from the farmland, particularly in areas where soils are saturated in the rainy season. The hydrogeomorphic impacts on the farmland itself and on downstream areas need however also to be studied. Off site, downstream problems comprise higher peak discharges, leading to gully initiation, an increase in sediment load, and flooding problems. On-site problems such as the development of the drainage ditches into (ephemeral) gullies are less documented, although they may be important, as illustrated in the Lake Tana Basin (Ethiopia). The similarities and interactions between ephemeral gully channels and drainage ditches have to be considered to better understand all effects of drainage. Drainage ditches are a potential source of conflict between farmers with different interests and power, as well as between upstream and downstream users. A case study on drainage ditches on sloping farmlands in the Lake Tana Basin showed that nine out of ten catchments had drainage densities by ditches ranging from 53 to 510 m ha−1. Drainage ditches were constructed with an average top width of 27 (±9) cm. A significant correlation was found between stone bund density (physical conservation structures) and ditch drainage density (R = −0·72), in line with the Ethiopian government's ban on drainage ditches in farmlands where stone bunds have been constructed

Best practice framework and principles for monitoring the effect of coastal development on marine mammals

As the worlds human population increases along the coastal zone with major alteration of coastal embayments increased on-water activities and a plethora of other intrusions into the coastal zone there is a simultaneous increase in pressures on marine mammals. Growing evidence indicates that many marine mammals are highly susceptible to declines resulting from direct and indirect impacts arising from diverse human activities. Too frequently assessment of the impact from coastal developments on marine mammals has been inadequate or completely lacking. At worst this has led to catastrophic decline in some populations. Without rigorous ecological assessments along with adaptive management frameworks prior to the initiation of developments the number of marine mammal populations likely to be adversely impacted will continue to rise. To address these shortcomings we present a globally applicable best practice framework by; (i) describing guiding principles and; (ii) reviewing appropriate procedures for assessment and monitoring of impacts of coastal developments on marine mammals. The approach outlined is embedded in Environmental Impact Assessment processes as a means by which decision makers and stakeholders can be informed. Recommendations presented are designed to encourage the application of robust scientific evaluation that applies appropriate survey design with sufficient statistical power to detect changes before trigger thresholds are reached. We emphasize that there is an urgent need to ensure assessments are comprehensive effective and integrated with monitoring and adaptive management actions in order to minimize or effectively mitigate the impacts of human activities on marine mammal population

An ecological appraisal of agriculture with particular reference to southern Alberta

Bibliography: p. 130-139

The role of participant learning in community conservation in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya

While the community conservation approach has gained broad acceptance, questions regarding its effectiveness persist. Many of the changes that community conservation projects seek to impart among participants correspond with their values and attitudes. This paper proposes the use of transformative learning as one of the measures of the success of a community conservation project in terms of promoting learning that leads to significant changes in a participant′s values and attitudes. Using the ASSETS programme in coastal Kenya as a case study, we focused on participant learning and the extent to which such learning resulted in a more positive attitude towards conservation of the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Participation in ASSETS resulted in instrumental learning and communicative learning, as described in the transformative learning theory. Findings show that participation in ASSETS led to a variety of learning outcomes, such as learning new information about the forest, and learning to question local cultural norms and speak out for conservation

Traditional pastoralist decision-making processes: lessons for reforms to water resources management in Kenya

The purpose of this paper is to consider the vision for public participation in water resources management embedded in Kenya's 2002 Water Act, as it relates to pastoralists. The Act envisions that responsibility for management of water resources at the local level will be devolved to community-level bodies. Our approach was qualitative and included interviews with government officials and Gabra pastoralists, observation of and participation in traditional Gabra korra meetings and focus group discussions. We conclude that the 'institutional model' of participation being pursued through the creation of Water Resource User Associations is particularly problematic for mobile pastoralists such as the Gabra, and we suggest an alternative strategy that would focus on the fostering of deliberation processes.Kenya, community-based water resources management, deliberation, participation, pastoralists,

BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING PARTICIPATION AND LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY: LESSONS FROM COMMUNITY-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN KENYA AND TANZANIA

This paper establishes best practices for community-based environmental assessment (CBEA) in Kenya and Tanzania and examines what participants in community-centered approaches to environmental assessment have learned. Three CBEA cases involving water supply projects were studied using interview methods and action research. Findings show that best practices for encouraging meaningful community involvement include providing access and adequate notice to participants, fairer cost sharing, broader representation of women and youth, participant understanding of the CBEA facilitator and culturally appropriate sharing of findings. Learning outcomes attributable to the CBEA process included technical skills for erosion control, new information about environmental assessment (EA) regulations and shared values of environmental sustainability and community unity. An application of selected best practice approaches in a test case, in order to encourage greater participation and learning, had mixed success. For example, attempts at providing early notice still resulted in it being far too late for most participants and only about one-third of the participants were women. However, a pictograph functioned as an effective tool for reporting CBEA results to the community and demonstrating learning outcomes.Environmental assessment, participation, learning, Kenya, Tanzania

Traditional pastoralist decision-making processes : lessons for reforms to water resources management in Kenya

This is an author-formatted copy. Page numbering in this document does not correspond to the original publication.Traditional approaches to collective decision-making among Gabra pastoralists of north central Kenya represent an egalitarian, inclusive and deliberative model that stands in contrast to some aspects of conventional approaches to participation, including those most evident in Kenya’s water sector reforms. The management of water resources is the focus of this paper. Whereas the "institutional model" of participation being pursued through the creation of Water Resource User Associations is particularly problematic for mobile pastoralists such as the Gabra, the paper suggests that an alternative strategy would focus on fostering deliberation processes. Around eighteen percent of Kenya's population are pastoralists

Participatory rural appraisal approaches for public participation in EIA: lessons from South Africa

Public participation in environmental impact assessment (EIA) often falls short of the requirements of best practice in the move towards sustainable development, particularly for disadvantaged and marginalized communities. This paper explores the value of a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach for improved public participation in a sample of EIA’s for photovoltaic projects in South Africa. PRA was conducted post facto making use of selected PRA tools. Findings show that a great deal more information was obtained by the PRA approach, confirming the perceived weakness of traditional PP for vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. It is concluded that a PRA approach has considerable potential for improving meaningful public participation, which should improve EIA, build capacity in those communities, and enhance livelihoods and sustainable resource us