by identifying potential trade-offs and exploring
synergies in the presence of climate change
challenges (FAO 2014). The link between the
WEF nexus approach, its resources-focused
complement, the water–soil–waste nexus
approach (Hülsmann and Ardakanian 2018) and
SDGs is well recognized as the majority of the
goals are directly related to the sustainable use of
resources such as land, soil, water, food, and
energy. Integrated watershed management as the
judicious use of resources such as land, water,
biodiversity, and farm inputs to obtain optimum
production with minimum disturbance to the
environment can support the WEF security nexus
(FAO 2014), and thereby the SDGs. The implication is that the nexus approach is a pillar and an
enabler for achieving sustainable resource and
economic development (FAO 2014; SEI 2014).
For the purpose of this study, we aim to highlight
resources and in particular food. Therefore, when
talking about the nexus approach we refer to the
water–soil–waste–food security nexus if not
specified otherwise.
The success of watershed projects is determined by improving community livelihoods and
the environmental services offered to the people,
such as reducing on-site and off-site effects of
erosion (Kerr 2002; Verhoeven 2013), which is
in line with the goals of the nexus approach. In
northern Ethiopia, examples of unsuccessful
negative off-site effects or indicators of erosion
include siltation of micro-dams and irrigation
channels (Behailu 2002; Tamene 2005; Fantaw
2007; Wang et al. 2014), and flooding of
downstream agricultural fields (Fantaw 2007).
Such off-site impacts could be associated with
the inappropriateness of management options
and implementation strategy. In general, considerable information has been developed pertaining
to watershed management interventions from the
view of the nexus approach in northern Ethiopia
(e.g., Verhoeven 2013; Karlberg et al. 2014,
2015; Johnson and Karlberg 2017) However,
there has been limited uptake and implementation at a larger scale of the recommended
approaches, management options, and technologies by local people at the watershed scale. To
achieve sustainable development through the
implementation of ecologically friendly and
locally acceptable technologies, there is a need to
address nexus problems within a watershed by
developing, testing, selecting, and disseminating
relevant technologies to the local community
(Karlberg et al. 2014, 2015; Johnson and
Karlberg 2017).
Indicators of successful achievement of the
implemented watershed management practices of
a nexus approach in Ethiopia include reclaimed
degraded land, improved soil fertility, water
resource development, increased agricultural
production, and thereby improved community
and environmental wellbeing (Mekonen and
Tesfahunegn 2011; Alemu and Kidane 2014;
Gebregziabher et al. 2016). However, there are
many challenges to implementing and adopting
sustainable watershed management practices
from the perspective of the nexus approach in
northern Ethiopia. Hence, understanding the
opportunities and challenges for the adoption of
sustainable watershed management interventions
that can positively impact the nexus approach
based on the existing experiences in Ethiopia is
crucial for designing, introducing, and disseminating an alternative research strategy.
This paper aims to assess the impacts of
introduced nexus-oriented watershed management practices and understand the opportunities
and challenges to the adoption of sustainable
watershed management practices in northern
Ethiopia. The paper further explores a research
strategy that can enhance the adoption of the best
watershed management technologies to achieve
the nexus approach in Ethiopia, which has been
identified as a priority area for the SDGs.
2 Materials and Methods
This paper examines the experience of watershed
management practices in view of the nexus
approach in the Tigray region, northern Ethiopia
(Fig. 1). In this region, elevation varies between
1800 and 2650 m above sea level. The main
rainy season extends from June to the first week
Opportunities and Challenges to Adopting Sustainable …
167
synergies in the presence of climate change
challenges (FAO 2014). The link between the
WEF nexus approach, its resources-focused
complement, the water–soil–waste nexus
approach (Hülsmann and Ardakanian 2018) and
SDGs is well recognized as the majority of the
goals are directly related to the sustainable use of
resources such as land, soil, water, food, and
energy. Integrated watershed management as the
judicious use of resources such as land, water,
biodiversity, and farm inputs to obtain optimum
production with minimum disturbance to the
environment can support the WEF security nexus
(FAO 2014), and thereby the SDGs. The implication is that the nexus approach is a pillar and an
enabler for achieving sustainable resource and
economic development (FAO 2014; SEI 2014).
For the purpose of this study, we aim to highlight
resources and in particular food. Therefore, when
talking about the nexus approach we refer to the
water–soil–waste–food security nexus if not
specified otherwise.
The success of watershed projects is determined by improving community livelihoods and
the environmental services offered to the people,
such as reducing on-site and off-site effects of
erosion (Kerr 2002; Verhoeven 2013), which is
in line with the goals of the nexus approach. In
northern Ethiopia, examples of unsuccessful
negative off-site effects or indicators of erosion
include siltation of micro-dams and irrigation
channels (Behailu 2002; Tamene 2005; Fantaw
2007; Wang et al. 2014), and flooding of
downstream agricultural fields (Fantaw 2007).
Such off-site impacts could be associated with
the inappropriateness of management options
and implementation strategy. In general, considerable information has been developed pertaining
to watershed management interventions from the
view of the nexus approach in northern Ethiopia
(e.g., Verhoeven 2013; Karlberg et al. 2014,
2015; Johnson and Karlberg 2017) However,
there has been limited uptake and implementation at a larger scale of the recommended
approaches, management options, and technologies by local people at the watershed scale. To
achieve sustainable development through the
implementation of ecologically friendly and
locally acceptable technologies, there is a need to
address nexus problems within a watershed by
developing, testing, selecting, and disseminating
relevant technologies to the local community
(Karlberg et al. 2014, 2015; Johnson and
Karlberg 2017).
Indicators of successful achievement of the
implemented watershed management practices of
a nexus approach in Ethiopia include reclaimed
degraded land, improved soil fertility, water
resource development, increased agricultural
production, and thereby improved community
and environmental wellbeing (Mekonen and
Tesfahunegn 2011; Alemu and Kidane 2014;
Gebregziabher et al. 2016). However, there are
many challenges to implementing and adopting
sustainable watershed management practices
from the perspective of the nexus approach in
northern Ethiopia. Hence, understanding the
opportunities and challenges for the adoption of
sustainable watershed management interventions
that can positively impact the nexus approach
based on the existing experiences in Ethiopia is
crucial for designing, introducing, and disseminating an alternative research strategy.
This paper aims to assess the impacts of
introduced nexus-oriented watershed management practices and understand the opportunities
and challenges to the adoption of sustainable
watershed management practices in northern
Ethiopia. The paper further explores a research
strategy that can enhance the adoption of the best
watershed management technologies to achieve
the nexus approach in Ethiopia, which has been
identified as a priority area for the SDGs.
2 Materials and Methods
This paper examines the experience of watershed
management practices in view of the nexus
approach in the Tigray region, northern Ethiopia
(Fig. 1). In this region, elevation varies between
1800 and 2650 m above sea level. The main
rainy season extends from June to the first week
Opportunities and Challenges to Adopting Sustainable …
167