Management of Flood-Based Farming in Guguf, Northern Ethiopia

A Girmay

doi:10.7176/jaas/61-02

Abstract

Spate irrigation is the source of moisture for crop production in the semi-arid lowlands of Raya Valley. Despite its higher potential to suport rainfed agriculture, management of flood based farming has received less emphasis. Thus, the study attempted to examine the management of floods across the Guguf irrigation schemes. Survey data were collected from 78 households selected using systematic sampling in 2018. Data were analyzed using desriptive statistics, Chi- square and one-way ANOVA. Results showed that the participation of every farmer in the operation and maintenance activities is mandatory to receive flood. The rule of water distribution based on individual farmer‘s contribution helps to mobilize the minimum labor required to run the spate system. Frequent operation and maintenance activities carried out in upstream canals due to erosive flashy floods. The effect of scheme location was significant overall, F (2, 75) = 24.42, p = 0.000, η 2 = .48. Maize planted in Kusra, the lower scheme, has failed during its early growth stage more clarify the situation. Despite the location based flood water distribution among primary canals, distribution within the canal starts first by drawing lottery among the head, middle and tail users. In using the flood, users gradually developed different traditional water rights and distribution rules including the rule for operation and maintenance of the spate system. Instead of the present location based flood distribution that favors to farmers at the head of the spate system, even a small flood can be sufficient if allocated based on crop type and growth stage. Keywords: Guguf, management, flood-based farming, allocation, Northern Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/61-02 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Highlights

Water is the most dependable natural resource (Abrha, 2006; Wani et al, 2003)
2.2 Materials and Methods Survey design was employed to investigate the management of the spate system
Spate irrigation is the diversion of spate floods running off from mountainous catchments, diverted by hydraulic structures and applied to low-lying irrigable fields in arid and semi-arid areas to improve farmers’ livelihood

Summary

Introduction

Water is the most dependable natural resource (Abrha, 2006; Wani et al, 2003). Most notably, access to safe and sufficient water is a basic human right. In arid and semi-arid areas, water is scarce. Allocation of this scarce resource is a major challenge for people living in these areas (Abraham Mehari, 2007). According to David and Ploeger (2014) approximately 2.8 billion people live in river basins affected by physical water scarcity. Spate irrigation is a direct way for farmers to cope with water stress (Ajani, 2013; FDRE, 2002). In many environmentally marginal areas ranging from arid to semi-arid areas of mainly Africa and Asia where spate irrigation flourish (Briggs 2005; Mehari et al 2005), there are often insufficient scientific answers available to overcome local problems with the resources available (Morgan et al, 2012). Feasibility studies suggest that spate irrigation can support many farmers in many irrigable areas (Ham, 2008; Negash et al, 2019)

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion