Insights from the TropiLakes conference
“It is great to see Tropilakes bringing together scientists to not only talk about the sediment and water quality issues of Lake Tana, but also to discuss and evaluate these issues at an ecosystem level in Ethiopia and the region,” said Dr. Petra Schmitter of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), East Africa office.
Many other scientists attending the TropiLakes conference, which took place in Ethiopia on September 23–29, 2015, echoed Schmitter’s observation: Addressing the root causes of sediment problems and soil erosion around Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile and largest lake in Ethiopia, is paramount for the conservation of natural resources and ecosystem services.
The focus on preserving and capitalizing on ecosystem services is central to the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE), which, together with IWMI, co-sponsored the TropiLakes conference. Participants’ discussions on how to address sedimentation, land degradation, soil erosion and poor management of ecosystem services, and in turn strengthen water quality and agricultural yields, reflected some of WLE’s and IWMI’s work on solutions for improving water management for food, livelihood and nature.
Science voices
How can the TropiLakes conference contribute to WLE’s and IWMI’s work in the region?
“TropiLakes becomes special in providing the whole picture on sediment issues, which helps improve water resources planning and management in the Lake Tana Basin,” said Dr. Seifu Tilahun, head of the School of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, Bahir Dar University.
According to Dr. Seifu, the conference was all about land degradation and soil loss, which has implications on crop productivity. What’s needed is water harvesting, water availability and maybe using groundwater by improving the recharge in the landscape. These insights directly echo IWMI’s work, which aims to help farmers improve agricultural productivity, natural resource management and tackle challenges such as high level of degradation, serious erosion and loss of soil fertility in the region.
What is the value of the TropiLakes conference?
“Soil sediments that enter into rivers, lakes and other hydrological systems could potentially contaminate Lake Tana and spoil all the life in the water. Therefore, knowing the source of the sediment would help everyone concerned, including IWMI, to know how to intervene and conserve soil and water to improve soil fertility. That leads to better agricultural yields,” said Professor Seppe Deckers, soil scientist from KU Leuven, Belgium.
Decker added: “The aim of the conference and stakeholders engaged is to turn the problems of sedimentation into an opportunity, and for farm fields to move toward greater fertility.
How could soil erosion and sediment production affect Lake Tana?
“Decreasing soil quality, floods and pollution of water bodies are devastating effects of soil erosion and sediments around Lake Tana and are leading to lower agricultural production and productivity,” said Professor Jean Poesen from KU Leuven, Belgium. Moreover, the sediment particles that are transported from land contain sediment fixed with pollutant nutrients can have adverse impact on aquatic life in the lake.
What are crucial gaps in ecosystem services management and possible solutions to build resilience?
Dr. Sil Lanckriet, of UGent in Belgium, highlighted that wetlands near the rivers and Lake Tana region are being converted to agricultural lands because the ecosystem services of wetlands (sediment and nutrient buffering) are not fully acknowledged. Accounting for the services of wetlands and forests would be a first step that could encourage proper management of wetlands and forests.
It is also possible to more efficiently use ecosystem services provided by forests and wetlands for people's livelihoods – such as for papyrus production, non-timber forest products such as honey production, frankincense production, eco-tourism, and sustainable fisheries.
The potential of ecosystem services is large and could also boost small-scale local businesses. Therefore, implementing proper management (via a bottom-up approach) of wetlands and forests could lead to greater ecosystem resilience.
An opportunity for exchanging research and ideas
The TropiLakes conference featured a number of presentations, poster gatherings, cases on water-smart agriculture and other IWMI research outputs. Its more than 80 participants (scientists and other stakeholders involved in natural resources management and ecosystem services) from 14 countries used the occasion to analyze the processes of sediment dislodgements, sediment transport and buffering of sediment in different ecological systems. Understanding the source of sediments and the processes that cause sediments to put pressure on the environment and natural resources were mentioned as binding constraints and opportunities for further research.
Ahead of the conference, IWMI had organized field visits to project sites related to the LIVES project in Koga and the ILSSI project in Robit in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. Here, IWMI is working to improve farmers’ livelihoods by increasing food production, augmenting nutrition and accelerating economic development within a sustainable environmental context.
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