Deckers, J.

Descheemaeker, K.

Haile, M.

Hailemariam, T.

Moeyersons, J.

Nyssen, J.

Poesen, J.

English

Research Papers in Economics

Promoting global watershed management
towards rural communities: The May
Zeg-zeg initiative
J. Nyssen,
1,2* Mitiku Haile,
1 K. Descheemaeker,
3 J. Deckers,
3 J. Poesen,
2 J. Moeyersons
4
and Trufat Hailemariam
5
1. Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, Mekelle,
Ethiopia
2. Laboratory for Experimental Geomorphology, K.U. Leuven, Redingenstraat 16, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
3. Institute for Land and Water Management, K.U. Leuven, Vital Decosterstraat 102, B-3000 Leuven,
Belgium
4. Royal Museum for Central Africa, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium
5. Department of Applied Geology, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
* Corresponding author
Abstract
To fight land degradation, the regional government of Tigray (which is the northernmost
anddriestregionoftheEthiopianhighlands)hasinitiatedmanyconservationprogrammes,
i.e. massive introduction of stone bunds to reduce runoff, check dams in gullies and cattle
exclosures on steep slopes (Gaspart et al. 1997; Kebrom et al. 1997; Bosshart 1998; Nyssen
1998; Berhanu et al. 1999; Herweg and Ludi 1999; Vagen et al. 1999; Nyssen et al. 2000a;
Nyssen et al. 2000b; Nyssen et al. 2001).
In1998,aresearchprojecton‘Desertificationandanthropogenicerosionprocessesina
tropical mountain catchment: Tigray, Ethiopia’ was initiated in the region to address
fundamentalresearchquestionslinkedtolandandwatermanagement.Inthecourseofthis
project, it became clear that a given conservation technique was successful in some areas,
but failed completely in others. For instance, gully check dams are successful at some sites,
but fail completely in other pedo-topographic conditions. For these reasons, in 2001 an
applied participatory research programme on watershed management (Zala-Daget project)
has been set up in the Dogu’a Tembien District.
A broad scientific base has thus been constituted on problems of watershed
management in this district; local authorities and farmers would like this knowledge to be
used for watershed management in co-operation with the local Agricultural Office and
administration at different levels. The farmers of the district are very active participants in
soil and water conservation activities, and many of them involved in the previous and
current research projects.
Researchers involved in the projects hope to be able to start a new project, called ‘The
integrated May Zeg-zeg watershed management initiative’. This project aims at
192 MoWR/EARO/IWMI/ILRI Workshopdemonstrating and promoting global watershed management towards rural communities
in the highlands of northern Ethiopia.
To achieve this objective two initiatives will be taken:
1. installation of a sustainably managed demonstration catchment of 400 ha and
2. elaboration of a capacity building and awareness raising programme regarding
integrated watershed management.
Even if rainfall conditions in the Ethiopian highlands improved, drought and famine
remain due to the erratic nature of rainfall and the low infiltration capacity of the soil
(Conway2000).Arecentstudyshowsthat54%ofthefarmersinthevillageofHechi,inthe
lowerpartoftheprojectcatchmentconsiderwateravailabilityastheirmainproblem(Figure
1) (Naudts 2002). Another major issue for the farmers, fodder production, will also be
directly addressed by the project, through the agroforestry component.
Although there have been many initiatives for water conservation in Tigray
(implementation of exclosures and stone bunds at a large scale, agroforestry trials), until
now these techniques were never brought together and managed in a complete catchment,
thus demonstrating the advantages brought by integrated watershed management.
Furthermore, another innovative aspect of the project is that it includes an important, but
realistic, change in land use: abandonment of free grazing system and change to no or
controlled grazing.
MoWR/EARO/IWMI/ILRI Workshop 193
Promoting global watershed management towards rural communities
43%
27%
11%
8%
8% 3%
Lack of water for cropping Lack of land for young farmers
Access to drinking water for humans andcattle Lack of cattle fodder
Decreased soil productivity Financial problems
Source: After Naudts (2002).
Figure1. Answers to the question ‘Which is the main problem for the farmers in your village?’, in Hechi (n = 37).TakingintoaccountthebroadscientificknowledgeonwhichtheMayZeg-zeginitiative
is based, and the longstanding co-operation between the community and the different
partners, we feel sure that this initiative will be successful with the installation of a
sustainablymanageddemonstrationcatchment,whichwillserveforacapacitybuildingand
awareness raising programme regarding integrated watershed management.
Acknowledgements
Thispaperbenefitedalotfrominputbynumerousfarmersofthestudyarea,fromBerhanu
G/Medhin (Research Assistant at the International Livestock Research Institute, ILRI),
local authorities of Mikael Awhi, Ayni Birkekn, Hagere Selam tabias and Dogu’a Tembien
woreda, staff of Dogu’a Tembien Agricultural and REST (Relief Society of Tigray) offices,
and from fellow researchers (Jef Naudts, Helga Vandenreyken, Nigussie Haregeweyn and
Desta Gebremichael).
References
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MoWR/EARO/IWMI/ILRI Workshop 195
Promoting global watershed management towards rural communities: The May Zeg-zeg initiative

Catchment discharge and suspended sediment transport as indicators of the performance of physical soil and water conservation in Ethiopian highlands.

Effects of stone terraces on crop yields and farm profitability: Results of on-farm research in Tigray, northern Ethiopia.

Effects of stone terracing on available phosphorus and yields on highly eroded slopes in Tigray,

Les Hautes Terres de Tembien, Tigré, Ethiopie; Dislocation et persistance d’une ancienne civilisation agraire; Conséquences sur la dégradation des terres. Mémoire présenté en vuedel’obtentionduDiplômed’AgronomieTropicale.CNEARC,Montpellier,France.147pp.

Removal of rock fragments anditseffectonsoillossandcropyield,Tigray,Ethiopia.SoilUseandManagement17:179–187.

Soil and water conservation under changing socio-economic conditions

The performance of selected soil and water conservation measures—Case studies from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Catena 36(1–2):99–114.

Vegetation on hillslopes in southern Wello, Ethiopia: Degradation and regeneration.

Promoting global watershed management towards rural communities: the May Zeg-zeg initiativeLength: pp.192-195

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Promoting global watershed management towards rural communities: the May Zeg-zeg initiativeLength: pp.192-195

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