Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The role of small scale sand dams in securing water supply under climate change in Ethiopia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Community-based water storage in semi arid areas can help to adapt to climate change and mitigate household water shortages. Since little is known on the downstream effects of local water storage, this study employs a water balance model to perform a catchment scale assessment of upscaling local scale water storage in sand dams. The impacts of increasing water storage is evaluated under current climate conditions and future climate change scenarios. Survey information is used to estimate current and future water demand and assess the benefits derived from current sand dams in the Ethiopian study area. Using an indicator of the environmental flow concept, downstream hydrological impacts are simulated for different scenarios. Storage by 613 dams, supplying water to 555,000 people, has no impact on environmental flow downstream of the sand dams. Storage by 2190 dams leads to a modest increase in the number of months with low flow (4 to 9 %). Projected climate change leads to a larger increase in the number of low flow months of 0 to 29 %. Joint climate change and maximum storage scenarios cause an increase in low flow months from 4 to 50 %. Under the most extreme climate change projection 4.5 % of the wet season discharge is stored in sand dams. Because of the local benefits of improved water supply and the acceptable range of downstream impacts, sand dams appear to be a viable way for supplying drinking water in this catchment as well as in other semi-arid regions with similar conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. © Crown copyright 2005, Data provided by the Met Office Hadley Centre.

  2. We acknowledge the international modelling groups for providing their data for analysis, the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI) for collecting and archiving the model data, the JSC/CLIVAR Working Group on Coupled Modelling (WGCM) and their Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) and Climate Simulation Panel for organising the model data analysis activity, and the IPCC WG1 TSU for technical support. This work, including access to the data and technical assistance, is provided by the Model and Data Group (M&D) at the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, with funding from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research and by the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ).

References

  • Abaya SW, Mandere NM, Winqvist N (2011) Health officials’ perceptions of and preparedness for the impacts of climate variability on human health in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 16:585–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adimo AO, Njoroge JB, Claessens L, Wamocho LS (2012) Land use and climate change adaptation strategies in Kenya. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 17:153–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Aerts JCJH, Kriek M, Schepel M (1999) STREAM (Spatial Tools for River Basins and Environment and Analysis of Management Options):‘set up requirements’. Phys Chem Earth B Hydrol Oceans Atmos 24(6):591–595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aerts JCJH, Renssen H, Ward P, de Moel H, Odada E, Goose H (2006) Sensitivity of global river discharges to long term climate change and future climate variability. Geophys Res Lett 33, L19401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aerts JCJH, Lasage R, Mutisu M, Mutisu S, Odada E, de Vries A (2007) Groundwater adaptation to climate change Sand dams in Kitui, Kenya. Vadose Zone J 6:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alemayehu F, Taha N, Nyssen J, Girma A, Zenebe A, Behailu M, Deckers S, Poesen J (2009) The impacts of watershed management on land use and land cover dynamics in Eastern Tigray (Ethiopia). Resour Conserv Recycl 53:192–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amsalu A, Adem A (2009) Assessment of climate change-induced hazards, impacts and responses in the southern lowlands of Ethiopia. FSS Research Report No 4, Addis Ababa ISBN 13:978-99944-50-29-9

  • Angassa A, Oba G (2008) Herder perceptions on impacts of range enclosures, crop farming, fire ban and bush encroachment on the rangelands of Borana, Southern Ethiopia. Hum Ecol 36:201–215. doi:10.1007/s10745-007-9156-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baguma D, Loiskandl W (2010) Rainwater harvesting technologies and practises in rural Uganda: a case study. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 15:355–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balana BB, Muys B, Haregeweyn N, Descheemaeker K, Deckers J, Poesen J, Nyssen J, Mathijs E (2012) Cost-benefit analysis of soil and water conservation measure: the case of exclosures in northern Ethiopia. For Policy Econ 15:27–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baye S, Kloos H, Mulat W, Assayie A, Gullis G, Kumie A, Yirsaw B (2012) Assessment on the approaches used for water and sanitation programs in Southern Ethiopia. Water Resour Manag 26:4295–4309. doi:10.1007/s11269-012-0145-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borana zone water resources office (2009) Borana zone water resources office strategic planning. Yabello, 74pp

  • Bouma JA, Biggs TW, Bouwer LM (2011) The downstream externalities of harvesting rainwater in semi-arid watersheds: an Indian case study. Agric Water Manag 98:1162–1170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouwer LM, Aerts JCJH, Coterlet GM, van de Giesen N, van de Gieske A, Mannaerts C (2004) Evaluating downscaling methods for preparing Global Circulation Model (GCM) data for hydrological impact modelling. In: Aerts JCJH, Droogers P (eds) Climate change in contrasting river basins adaptation strategies for water, food and environment. CABI Publishing, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouwer LM, Aerts JCJH, Droogers P, Dolman AJ (2006) Detecting the long-term impacts from climate variability and increasing water consumption on run-off in the Krishna river basin (India). Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 3(4):1249–1280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BZDPPD, Borana Zone Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Desk (2003) Population census 2003. Yabello, Ethiopia

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai X, Wang D, Zhu T, Ringler C (2009) Assessing the regional variability of GCM simulations. Geophys Res Lett 36, L02706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Census (2008) Summary and statistical report of the 2007 population and housing census—population size by age and sex. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia population census commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 113p

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheung WH, Senayb GB, Singh A (2008) Trends and spatial distribution of annual and seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia. Int J Climatol 28:1723–1734. doi:10.1002/joc.1623

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi W, Rasmussen PF, Moore AR, Kim SJ (2009) Simulating streamflow response to climate scenarios in central Canada using a simple statistical downscaling method. Clim Res 40:89–102. doi:10.3354/cr00826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cossins NJ, Upton M (1988) Options for improvement of the Borana pastoral system. Agric Syst 27:251–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Fraiture C (2007) Integrated water and food analysis at the global and basin level. An application of WATERSIM. Water Resour Manag 21:185–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deursen WPA van, Kwadijk JCJ (1994) the impacts of climate change on the water balance of the Ganges_Brahmaputra and Yangtze basin. Resource Analysis report (RA/94-160), 62pp

  • Diaz-Nieto J, Wilby RL (2005) A comparison of statistical downscaling and climate change factor methods: impacts on lowflows in the river Thames, United Kingdom. Clim Chang 69:245–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon RK, Smith J, Guill S (2003) Life on the edge:vulnerability and adaptation of African ecosystems to global climate change. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 8:93–113, 2003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doorenbos J, Pruitt WO (1975) Guidelines for predicting crop water requirements. Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 24. FAO, Rome, Italy.

  • Ertsen M, Hut MW (2009) Two waterfalls do not hear each other. Sand-storage dams, science and sustainable development in Kenya. Phys Chem Earth 34:14–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falkenmark M, Fox P, Persson G, Rockström J (2001) Water harvesting for upgrading of rainfed agriculture problem analysis and research needs. Stockholm International Water Institute

  • Forzierie G, Gardenti M, Caparrini F, Castelli F (2008) A methodology for the pre-selection of suitable sites for surface and underground small dams in arid areas:A case study in the region of Kidal, Mali. Phys Chem Earth 33:74–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garg KK, Karlberg L, Barron J, Wani SP, Rockstrom J (2012) Assessing impacts of agricultural water interventions in the Kothapally watershed, Southern India. Hydrol Process. doi:10.1002/hyp.8138

    Google Scholar 

  • Glendenning CJ, van Ogtrop FF, Mishra AK, Vervoort RW (2012) Balancing watershed and local scale impacts of rain water harvesting in India—A review. Agric Water Manag 107:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatibu N, Mutabazi N, Senkondo EM, Msangi ASK (2006) Economics of rainwater harvesting for crop enterprises in semi-arid areas of East Africa. Agric Water Manag 80:74–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi A, Akimoto K, Tomoda T, Kii M (2012) Global evaluation of the effects of agriculture and water management adaptations on the water-stressed population. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 18:591–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hellwig DHR (1973a) Evaporation of water from sand:1. Experimental set-up and climatic influences. J Hydrol 18:93–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hellwig DHR (1973b) Evaporation of water from sand:3. The loss of water into the atmosphere from a sandy river bed under arid climatic conditions. J Hydrol 18:305–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homann S, Rischkowsky B, Steinbach J (2008) The effect of development interventions on the use of indigenous range management strategies in the Borana lowlands in Ethiopia. Land Degrad Dev 19:368–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hut R, Ertsen MW, Joeman N, Vergeer N, Winsemius H, van de Giesen NC (2008) Effects of sand storage dams on ground water levels with examples from Kenya. Phys Chem Earth 33:56–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (2009) Flexiblewater storage options: For adaptation to climate change. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, (IWMI Water Policy Brief 31), 5p

  • IPCC (2007a) Climate change 2007: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2007b) Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York USA

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2012) IPCC special report on managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation. http://www.ipcc-wg2gov/SREX/

  • IPCC SRES, Nakićenović N, Swart R (eds) (2000) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios:A special report of Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-80081-1 978-052180081-5

  • Katsi L, Siwadi J, Guzha E, Makoni FS, Smits S (2007) Assessment of factors which affect multiple uses of water sources at household level in rural Zimbabwe – A case study of Marondera, Murehwa and Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe districts. Phys Chem Earth 32:1157–1166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KNBS Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (2009) Kenya 2009 Population and housing census. https://www.opendatagoke/Population/2009-Census-Vol-1-Table-3-Rural-and-Urban-Populati/e7c7-w67t

  • Knox J, Hess T, Daccache A, Wheeler T (2012) Climate change impacts on crop productivity in Africa and South Asia. Environ Res Lett 7:034032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunze D (2000) Economic assessment of water harvesting techniques: a demonstration of various methods. Q J Int Agric 39(1):69–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasage R, Verburg PH (in press) Evaluation of small scale water harvesting techniques for semi-arid environments. Submitted to: Agricultural Water Management.

  • Lasage R, Aerts JCJH, Mutiso G-CM, de Vries AC (2008) Potential for community-based adaptations to droughts: Sand dams in Kitui Kenya. Phys Chem Earth 33:67–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lasage R, Seifu A, Hoogland M, Vries de AC (2010) Report on the General Characteristics of the Borana zone Ethiopia. IVM report (R-10/03) Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) VU University Amsterdam 36pp

  • Loon A van, Gorski N, Bonte M (2011) 3R Sand Dam Infiltration Tool users’ Manual. KWR Water cycle Research Institute Nieuwegein

  • McGuffie K, Henderson-Sellers A (1997) A climate modelling primer, 2nd edn. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Middelkoop H, Daamen K, Gellens D, Grabs W, Kwadijk JCJ, Lang H, Parmet BWAH, Schadler B, Schulla J, Wilke K (2001) Impact of climate change on hydrological regimes and water resources management in the Rhine basin. Clim Chang 49:105–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moriasi DN, Arnold JG, Van Liew MW, Bingner RL, Harmel RD, Veith TL (2007) Model evaluation guidelines for systematic quantification of accuracy in watershed simulations. Trans ASABE 50(3):885–900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MoWR (2005) Universal Access Plan (2005–2012). Ministry of Water Resources Addis Ababa Ethiopia

  • MoWR (2009) Review of Rural Water Supply UAP Implementation and Formulation of Plans and Strategies for Accelerated Implementation. Ministry of Water Resources Addis Ababa Ethiopia

  • MoWR (2011) Climate Change Adaptation Draft Report. (submitted to EPA) Ministry of Water Resources Addis Ababa Ethiopia

  • Nash JE, Sutcliffe JV (1970) River fl ow forecasting through conceptual models: Part I. A discussion of principles. J Hydrol 10:282–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ngigi SN, Savenije HHG, Gichuki FN (2008) Hydrological impacts of flood storage and management on irrigation water abstraction in upper Ewaso Ng’iro river basin, Kenya. Water Resour Manag 22:1859–1879

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nissen-Peterson E (2006) Water from Dry Riverbeds. Technical handbook for DANIDA. 60pp

  • Nyssen J, Clymans W, Descheemaeker K, Poesen J, Vandecasteele I, Vanmaercke M, Zenebe A, van Camp M, Haile M, Haregeweyn N, Moeyersons J, Martens K, Gebreyohannes T, Deckers J, Walraevens K (2010) Impact of soil and water conservation measures on catchment hydrological response—a case in north Ethiopia. Hydrol Process 24:1880–1895

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pachpute JS, Tumbo SD, Sally H, Mul ML (2009) Sustainability of rainwater harvesting systems in rural catchment of Sub-Saharan Africa. Water Resour Manag 23:2815–2839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quilis RO, Hoogmoed M, Ertsen M, Foppen JW, Hut R, de Vries A (2009) Measuring and modeling hydrological processes of sand-storage dams on different spatial scales. Phys Chem Earth 34:289–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riché B, Hachileka E, Awuor CB, Hammill A (2009) Climate related vulnerability and adaptive capacity in Ethiopia’s Borana and Somali communities. IISD report

  • Rockstrom J, Barron J, Fox P (2002) Rainwater management for increased productivity among small-holder farmers in drought prone environments. Phys Chem Earth 27:949–959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstrom JM, Lannerstad M, Falkenmarkt M (2007) Assessing the water challenge of a new green revolution in developing countries. PNAS 104(15):6253–6260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstrom J, Falkenmark M, Karlberg L, Hoff H, Rost S, Gerten D (2009) Future water availability for global food production: the potential of green water for increasing resilience to global change. Water Resour Res 45:W00A12. doi:10.1029/2007WR006767

    Google Scholar 

  • Rockstrom J, Karlberg L, Wani SP, Barron J, Hatibu N, Oweis T, Bruggeman A, Farahani J, Qiang Z (2010) Managing water in rainfed agriculture—The need for a paradigm shift. Agric Water Manag 97:543–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefli B, Gupta HV (2007) Do Nash values have value? Hydrol Process 21:2075–2080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schreider SY, Jakeman AJ, Letcher RA, Nathan RJ, Neal BP, Beavis S (2002) Detecting changes in streamflow response to changes in non climatic catchment conditions: farm dam development in the Murray-Darling basin Australia. J Hydrol 262:84–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smakhtin V, Weragala N (2005) An assessment of hydrology and environmental flows in the Walawe river basin Sri Lanka. Working Paper 103 Colombo Sri Lanka:International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

  • Solomon SD, Qin M, Manning Z, Chen M, Marquis KB, Averyt M, Tignor Miller (eds) (2007) Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press Cambridge United Kingdom and New York NY USA

  • Tache B, Oba G (2010) Is poverty driving Borana Herders in Southern Ethiopia to crop cultivation? Hum Ecol 38:639–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornthwaite CW (1948) An approach toward a rational classification of climate. Geogr Rev 38:55–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornthwaite CW, Mather JR (1957) Instructions and tables for computing potential evapotranspiration and the water balance. Publ Climatol 10:183–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuinhof A, Steenbergen F van, Vos P, Tolk L (2012) Profit from Storage The costs and benefits of water buffering. Wageningen The Netherlands:3R Water Secretariat 115pp isbn:978-90-79658-05-3

  • van der Zaag P, Gupta J (2008) Scale issues in the governance of water storage projects. Water Resour Res 44, W10417

    Google Scholar 

  • Verdin J, Funk C, Senay G, Choularton R (2005) Climate science and famine early warning. Phil Trans R Soc B. doi:10.1098/rstb.2005.1754 360

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward PJ, Van Pelt S, De Keizer A, Aerts JCJH, Beersma J, Van den Hurk B, Te Linde A (in press) Including climate change projections in Probabilistic Flood Risk Assessment. J Flood Risk Manag. doi:10.1111/jfr3.12029

  • WHO (2007) Economic and health effects of increasing coverage of low cost household drinking water supply and sanitation interventions.WHO/SDE/WSH/07/05

  • Winsemius HC, Savenije HHG, Gerrits AM, Zapreeva EA, Klees R (2006) Comparison of two model approaches in the Zambezi river basin with regard to model reliability and identifiability. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 10:339–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wisser D, Frolking S, Douglas EM, Fekete BM, Schumann AH, Vörösmarty CJ (2010) The significance of local water resources captured in small reservoirs for crop production—A global-scale analysis. J Hydrol 384:264–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2006) Managing Water Resources to Maximize Sustainable Growth: A Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy for Ethiopia. World Bank report no 36000-ET Washington USA 91pp

  • World Bank (2010) World Development report 2010: Development and climate change. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank Washington USA 399pp

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research would not have been possible without the help in the field of A. Kleene, M. Plug, J.P. van den Ham, N. Gorski, V. de Jong, Getabalew Demissie, and partners of Action for Development in Ethiopia. P. Ward, N. Andela. M. Los, and M. van Putten are acknowledged for their work on climate change and the hydrological model, and J. Vermaat for help on the statistical analysis. Special thanks goes to H. de Moel for his suggestions and assistance. We would like to acknowledge the support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs (ADAPTS – contract 14376/DMW0106407) and the European Commission (WHaTeR – contract 266360).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Ralph Lasage, Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts & Peter H. Verburg

  2. Amsterdam Global Change Institute, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Ralph Lasage, Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts & Peter H. Verburg

  3. Action for Development (AfD), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Alemu Seifu Sileshi

Authors
  1. Ralph Lasage
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter H. Verburg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alemu Seifu Sileshi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ralph Lasage.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary materials A

Script for calculating potential evapo-transpiration in STREAM (DOCX 13 kb)

Supplementary materials B

Results for Melka Guba for HadCM3 and ECHAM5 model showing mean monthly measured discharge and mean monthly modelled discharges for the period 1972–2006 (JPEG 111 kb)

Supplementary materials C

Average yearly precipitation projections for Yabello, located in the Dawa Catchment, for three climate change scenarios and historic precipitation based on 20C3M dataset for the ECHAM5 model. The area between dotted lines is 90 % of the distribution (q0.05, q0.95) (JPEG 68 kb)

High resolution image

(TIFF 109 kb)

Supplementary materials D

Average yearly temperature projections for Yabello for three climate change scenarios and historic temperatures based on the 20C3M data set for the ECHAM5 model (JPEG 68 kb)

High resolution image

(TIFF 109 kb)

Supplementary material E

Water levels in gauge behind the “Ougelle” sand dam, located in the Dawa catchment on left axis and represented by the solid line on top, and bar graphs of daily precipitation at Yabello station (April 2011 to April 2012) on right axis and represented by bars (JPEG 289 kb)

High resolution image

(TIFF 2772 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lasage, R., Aerts, J.C.J.H., Verburg, P.H. et al. The role of small scale sand dams in securing water supply under climate change in Ethiopia. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 20, 317–339 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-013-9493-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-013-9493-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation