SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF SPATE IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT 1.5

Social benefits In many areas spate flows are the only source of water – so livelihoods depends on the ability to control the floods and store the water

Livelihood impacts and social benefits Social benefits of spate irrigation General: Poverty alleviation Improvement of food security Improvement of local economy Creation of labour opportunities Reduction in seasonal migration Specific: Domestic water for human beings Drinking water for livestock Forest and rangeland Source of building material

]Domestic water Domestic water supply – especially where groundwater is not available or useable (saline): Wells in ephemeral riverbeds

Livelihood impacts : Water supply for livestock

Zizyphus: The Miracle Tree Source of wood Wood for implements, construction, timber, fruits

In several areas part of the spate flows used for irrigating forest or rangeland

Improving social benefits: domestic water supply Improved wells Subsurface dams Sand dams Plastic lined ponds

Improved wells

Subsurface dams Constructing subsurface dam Subsurface dam “at work”

Plastic lined ponds and filters

Source of building material Mud Sand

Environmental impacts Environmental benefits of spate irrigation “Fixes” the area and avoids erosion Maintains large vegetative biodiversity Improved structures may reduce cutting of trees/shrubs for traditional structures

Maintaining the spate system in area prevents excessive gully-ing, erosion, changes in river morphology, wind erosion and the return of the area to desert situation

Alternatively, the destruction of a downstream riverain forest in this area (Yandafero, Ethiopia) caused the river to change to a lower course and cause a massive decline in the river bed levels in this area, making it almost impossible to divert water from the river

The vegative biodiversity in spate irrigation system is often very large, as seeds are transported over a large area by the floods and ‘dumped’ and left to germinate in the moist soil of the spate systems

Traditional brushwood structures put a huge demand on local vegetation in usually fragile environment – replacing them with improved structures reduces deforestation