The semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa do not immediately seem like sites of great opportunity. The Gash Die in Sudan, where the Gash River meets the desert in an inland delta, is a difficult place to secure water, not only because the resource is scarce, but also because agricultural schemes of the past have fallen into disrepair and new demands for water have emerged. In the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, the wet seasons bring floodwaters, but little is done to retain them for use during the dry months. Managing these scarce, seasonal floodwater resources more effectively for agriculture could help to improve local livelihoods and economies, while also benefiting the environment.

Scientists from the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) are looking at how specific investments in infrastructure for flood based farming systems impact livelihoods and interact with the rest of the ecosystem. The goal has been to make the best use of floods for agriculture and nature in very specific biophysical and socio-economic landscapes. An important component of the project is working with local partners in order to collect data to show the economic value of floods, and how floods can be better managed to meet new demands. This data will then be used to analyze investment scenarios for the upper and lower basins to show how the various scenarios impact the ecosystem services and livelihoods of local communities.

Researchers monitor the canal flow in the Gash irrigation scheme. Kassala State, Sudan.

Abby Waldorf/WLE.

In Sudan, the project has been researching how to make use of the vast fertile land in the Gash Die and looking at how to rejuvenate past water management initiatives that were able to re-route upstream flood water into the area. Part of this process is filling a financial and governance void by proposing revenue generation methods to fund the agricultural system while strengthening water user associations in the region. So far, the Gash Water User Associations, the Gash agricultural directorate and the state ministry of agriculture have endorsed the model and methodology proposed by the project.

In Ethiopia, the project has worked to pilot how different types of floodwater storage – for instance, shallow tube wells versus dug wells – work in different areas. Knowing the efficacy and impact of specific technologies provides options to local decision makers and stakeholders.

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This project is part of WLE's work in its Nile and East Africa focal region. Established in 2015, the research for development projects in the focal regions are designed to address local challenges to sustainable intensification of agriculture. The projects are led and carried out by local partners.