Using every drop of water
Water is a precious resource that is essential to the life and health of farmers, animals and crops - and it is becoming steadily scarcer. Many see a global water crisis looming on the horizon, and as competition increases for water from households, industries etc., the huge proportion of water used for agriculture, although essential for food production, is increasingly challenged.
This issue of LEISA focuses on small-scale solutions for harvesting, conserving, storing and using water at the local level. What can be done to manage the local ecosystem to conserve water, for example land preparation and ground cover for moisture retention? How can rainwater be harvested on a small scale? What is the best way to catch and store water? And how can it be efficiently applied to crops?
Table of contents:
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4 - 5written by ILEIA editorial teamWater is an essential resource - it forms the basis for life on earth. Water is also important for production, not only in agriculture but also in many industrial processes. But as water is increasingly needed for so many different purposes, the huge proportion of water required for agricultural production is increasingly challenged. In this edition of the LEISA Magazine we focus on techniques and basic ideas that can be of help to the individual farmer.
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6 - 7written by Jose Benites , Antonio CastellanosIrregular or insufficient rainfall can be a serious limitation to agricultural production, causing low yields and even crop failure. This is particularly true in drylands, where productivity levels are generally very low. In most cases, a great deal can be done to improve the efficiency of rainwater use. Conservation Agriculture is one way of improving soil moisture managenent. Its four basic principles work together to create a soil that has a greater capacity to absorb rainwater.
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8 - 10written by Mwalley Joseph Peter , Johan RockströmIn the dry sub-humid savannas of Sub- Saharan Africa, it is surprising to realise that despite the frequent occurrence of water scarcity, in most years there is more than enough water to potentially produce a good crop. The problem is that large volumes of water are lost through surface runoff, soil evaporation and deep percolation, because of a combination of land mismanagement and the intensity of tropical rainfall. In hot and dry tropical climates conventional ploughing, where the soil is turned, contributes strongly to the rapid loss of organic matter, compaction of soil and soil crust formation. Conservation agriculture may offer an opportunity to reverse this development.
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11 - 13written by Roland Bunch , Gabino LopezThis article looks back on seven years of action-research by COSECHA, Honduras, with small farmers. The aim of the research was to develop simple, economical water management technologies that could be adopted by individual families. The technologies described are not necessarily in their final form, but they are already very popular with farmers.
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14 - 16written by Qiang Zhu , Yuanhong LiThe semi-arid Gansu Province is one of the poorest and driest areas in China. Droughts and dry spells are extremely common in this mountainous area, where people depend on rainfed subsistence agriculture. Since the late 1980s, a project for supplying water for domestic use and irrigation has been developed in the area. A simple and affordable rainwater harvesting system, combined with an integrated approach to improving agricultural production, has improved the lives of Gansu farmers.
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17 - 17written by Gedion ShoneThe Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA) in Eastern Africa has been promoting shperical water tanks for harvesting rainwater from roofs and other surfaces. Three types of spherical tanks have now been tried out in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and most recently Tanzania. The size and shape of these tanks can be adapted to local needs.
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18 - 20written by Mona DhamankarToday, many villages in India are facing severe water scarcity. Erratic rainfall and poor soil and water management, including relentless ground water extraction has led to cycles of drought and water scarcity. As a result, there is renewed interest in rehabilitating the small, traditional water harvesting and irrigation systems that have existed in India for centuries. This article describes the efforts of a community and their government to take ´rehabilitation´ beyond technical interventions, to include farmer participation and coordination of the efforts of different institutions.
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21 - 21written by Michiel VerweijMany initiatives have contributed to developing farm pond technology in Bolivia. Over time, different stakeholders have come together to scale up this technology. So ponds are not new, although in the past they were associated with the large scale ranches in the lowlands of Santa Cruz. But now they are also being promoted elsewhere, followinf successful experiences. And as ponds and pond farming become more widely known, they become better accepted.
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22 - 23Alex Ole-Pere\'s farm is often described as an oasis in the desert. He is one of the farmers identified as an innovator in the \"Promoting Farmer Innovation in Farmer Field Schools\" (PFI-FFS) programme in Kenya. His simple yet ingeneous idea of a water reservoir to capture run-off water from the surrounding mountains has been spread to other farmers in the area. In addition, his plot now serves as a water reserve for surrounding farmers and pastoralists in the dry season.
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24 - 25written by Ivan YaholnitskyIn Lesotho, agriculture consists of subsistence farming and involves extensive mono-cropping with very few external inputs. Livestock graze freely over communal pastures and barren or harvested fields. As a result, much of Lesotho sufferes from chronic land degradation and soil collapse. The Berthel Business and Community Development Centre, BBCDC, decided to use ecology to restore the environment and started to systematically develop its campus.
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26 - 28written by Theib Y. Oweis , Ahmed Y. HachumThe drier environments of western Asia and North Africa are caracterised by extreme water scarcity, degraded lands and declining livelihoods. These areas have a fragile natural resource base, with bery low rainfall and poor vegetation cover. Without appropriate interventions, the environment will continue to deteriorate. This article presents three cases of intervention that have successfully improved living conditions in this extreme environment in Jordan, Egypt and Syria.
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29 - 29written by K.F. Andrew LoTaiwan is a mountainous island country, often confronted with floods and draught. Torrential typhoons result in massive soil movement, and efforts to control these floods have focused on controlling the water flow at the bottom of the watershed. In the Wudu watershed area, a different approach has been tried, installing small-scale water harvesting structures in the upper reaches of the watershed in order to reduce the runoff.
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30 - 31written by Donald E. Van Cooten , Andrew K. BorrellRice farmers in eastern Indonesia are facing an uncertain future. The area is characterised by a monsoon rainfall pattern, but the wet season is often short and unreliable. Permanent raised beds are a potential alternative to present rice growing systems. By using water more efficiently, the risk of crop failure may be reduced. In addition, other crops can be grown on the same plots in rotation with the rice, creating a more diverse and secure system.
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