John Gowing

• Newcastle University

The hydrological impact of many expensive investments on watershed interventions remains unquantified due to lack of time series data. In this study, remote sensing imagery is utilized to quantify and detect vegetation cover change in Magera micro-watershed, Ethiopia, where sustainable land management interventions have been implemented. Normalized...

https://doi.org/10.5337/2020.207

Low-input agriculture is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa but it cannot deliver future food security. Soil nutrients are being mined by small-scale farmers who continue to remove large quantities of nutrients from their soils without using sufficient manure or fertilizer inputs to maintain soil fertility. Declining soil fertility must be addressed i...

Soil quality (SQ) is the ability of soil to provide ecosystem functions and services. Implementation of a certain agricultural system can affect SQ and therefore play an essential role in achieving sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to explore how agricultural systems (conventional vs. organic), grazing regime (non‐grazed vs. grazed...

Understanding recharge processes is fundamental to improve sustainable groundwater resource management. Shallow groundwater (SGW) is being developed for multiple purposes in Ethiopia without consideration of monitoring. We established a citizen science-based hydro-meteorological monitoring network, with a focus on SGW recharge estimation, in Eshito...

Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farms, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in a completely randomized design with five soil-water conservation (SWC) treatments: Contour bunds (CT); Infiltration pits (IP); Mulched plots (ML); Tied ridges (TR); and the Conventional practice (CP), which served as the control. Four (4) lev...

We present an evidence-based approach to identify how best to support development of groundwater for small-scale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We argue that it is important to focus this effort on shallow groundwater resources. We demonstrate and test this proposal at a case study site: Dangila woreda in the north-western highlands of Eth...

This guideline is the second part of a two-part series concerning citizen science hydroclimate monitoring. The two guidelines were designed to be simultaneously consulted though the first is focused particularly on Ethiopia. The documents have been developed following citizen science research in Ethiopia since 2014 and in India since 2016 where mul...

Rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa commonly rely on shallow hand-dug wells and springs; consequently, shallow aquifers are an extremely important water source. Increased utilisation of shallow groundwater could help towards achieving multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs) by positively impacting poverty, hunger, and health. However, the...

This document provides the first guideline to inform community-based monitoring (CBM) implementation in Ethiopia. It has been developed following citizen science research in Ethiopia since March 2014, where multiple study sites have had CBM implemented using an iterative process leading to continual improvement of the methodology. In addition, the...

The rainwater harvesting technique under consideration here is an example of intermediate-scale external catchment runoff harvesting. The focus for discussion is on the ‘majaluba’ system which is found in Tanzania and comprises a network of roughly level basins each surrounded by an earth bund. Basins are arranged in the landscape in order to colle...

Study region: Molototsi sand river, Limpopo, South Africa. Study focus: Ephemeral sand rivers are common throughout the world's dryland regions, often providing a water source where more conventional sources are unavailable. However, these alluvial aquifers are poorly represented in the literature. Extensive field investigations allowed estimation...

Although most recharge estimation studies apply multiple methods to identify the possible range in recharge values, many do not distinguish clearly enough between inherent uncertainty of the methods and other factors affecting the results. We investigated the additional value that can be gained from multi‐method recharge studies through insights in...

Continued efforts are required to reduce the risk and vulnerability of small-scale farmers in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa in the face of increasing rainfall variability and long term climate trends. The adoption of water harvesting (WH) is examined as one possible strategy to better conserve agricultural resources and increase production. A...

This study shows how community-based hydrometeorological monitoring programmes can provide reliable high-quality measurements comparable to formal observations. Time series of daily rainfall, river stage and groundwater levels obtained by a local community in Dangila woreda, northwest Ethiopia, have passed accepted quality control standards and hav...

There is a need for an evidence-based approach to identify how best to support development of groundwater for small scale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We argue that it is important to focus this effort on shallow groundwater resources which are most likely to be used by poor rural communities in SSA. However, it is important to consider...

Globally, access to improved water sources is lower in rural areas compared to urban areas. Furthermore, in rural areas many people use water from individual systems they have developed with their investments, often without external support. This phenomenon has been called Self-supply. Self-supply ranges from simple to complex systems and different...

In rural catchments of developing countries water-related diseases, due to land use patterns (agriculture and livestock), microbial pollution, inadequate sanitation systems, access to water of poor quality, and lack of institutional support are common problems which disproportionally affect poor and vulnerable people. This research aims at developi...

Africa is seen by many as the continent with the greatest potential for agricultural growth, but land degradation and environmental change threaten the African soil resource more severely than in many other regions of the planet. Achieving future food security will depend mainly on increasing production from rainfed agriculture. The challenge of de...

Sustainability of irrigation in a country facing water scarcity depends upon adoption of best management practices to deliver 'more crop per drop' together with use of recycled waste-water from urban sewage systems. Saudi Arabia is a country facing extreme water scarcity and in this paper we report on research conducted at an extensive irrigation s...

Effects of fertigation with different pre-mixed fertilizers on growth, yield, leaf chlorophyll content and photosynthesis of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivar 'California Wonder' plants grown hydroponically in stonewool were investigated. Three different pre-mixed fertilizer formulations (Scotts Peters Professional water soluble fertilizer)...

This study paper provides a general overview of the survey-based part of a study concerning wastewater reuse. This study was carried out in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which is an arid region with limited freshwater resources. There is an urgent need to utilise non-conventional water resources (i.e. desalination and wastewater). A survey was...

Shallow saline groundwater can meet part of a crop’s water requirement by capillary rise (i.e. sub-irrigation) when supplemented by surface irrigation with water of better quality. Proper management of deficit irrigation under these conditions requires better understanding of direct water use by crops from the shallow saline groundwater. This in tu...

Shallow saline groundwater can meet part of a crop’s water requirement by capillary rise (i.e. sub-irrigation) when supplemented by surface irrigation with water of better quality. Proper management of deficit irrigation under these conditions requires better understanding of direct water use by crops from the shallow saline groundwater. This in tu...

Cowpea yields obtained by smallholder farmers in the savannah belt of Nigeria are often less than the maximum obtainable yields because water deficit during critical growth stages is a common occurrence. Runoff harvesting to supplement direct rainfall may prove beneficial in improving current smallholder farming systems in this region. We study the...

In spite of several studies at different scales conducted in the Mediterranean region of Libya, the extent and nature of the damage inflicted on soils by water erosion has not been experimentally well quantified. It is therefore important to obtain quantitative or semi-quantitative estimates of damage under prevailing land use practices. The object...

Abstract Tidal effect and salinity intrusion are two defining characteristics of inland coastal zones, causing, respectively, complex variations in water levels and flows in river and canal networks, and serious problems for agriculture and freshwater fishery, but bringing significant benefits for brackish water aquaculture. To evaluate these confl...

Saline groundwater is often found at shallow depth in irrigated areas of arid and semi-arid regions and is associated with problems of soil salinisation and land degradation. The conventional solution is to maintain a deeper water-table through provision of engineered drainage disposal systems, but the sustainability of such systems is disputed. Th...

The importance of nonirrigation uses of irrigation water to the livelihoods of the rural poor living close to irrigation systems has generally been ignored both in planning and operating these systems. An improved understanding of competition and complementarity of irrigation and nonirrigation uses is essential for increased productivity of irrigat...

In order to tackle poverty and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) there is a strong case for a focus of effort on improving rainfed agricultural systems. The challenge is to deliver a transformation of agricultural productivity in such systems without adverse impacts on environmental goods and services. We examine the growing advocacy of ‘conservat...

Abstract Agricultural improvement is seen as essential for economic growth, poverty reduction and food security in Africa. However, with new and priority demands for water agricultural allocations have come under closer scrutiny, particularly under water scarcity. In post-apartheid South Africa equitable water allocation has become an emblematic,po...

Ca Mau Peninsula, which lies at the extreme southern tip of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, has experi-enced rapid environmental and socio-economic change, particularly since the 1990s when the doi moi (renovation) policy introduced an agenda of agriculture-led growth. The peninsula lies entirely within the zone of saline intrusion, which previously e...

The coastal environment has undergone rapid change in recent times. Change in the state of the environ-ment is multifaceted, but a key concern is the way that natural habitats – principally mangrove forests and salt marshes – have been extensively cleared and converted to shrimp farming and other uses. The expansion of shrimp farming has also encro...

This book focuses on the challenges people face in managing agricultural crops, aquaculture, fisheries and related ecosystems in areas of coastal zones in the tropics of Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. Challenges arise from conflicts in the use of natural resources among different stakeholders. Through many case studies, the book discuss...

Evaporation from bare soil in arid and semi-arid regions is characterised by vapour transport in the upper part and liquid transport in the lower part of the soil profile. Under such conditions, both phases must be taken into account to describe the movement of water in and the evaporation from soil above a watertable. This requires location of the...

Estimates of the global extent of irrigation-induced soil salinity vary, but there is widespread agreement that the twin menaces of waterlogging and salinisation represent serious threats to the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in many arid and semi-arid regions. In certain circumstances, the conventional drainage solution may be questionabl...

This book contains 22 selected papers presented at the title conference. These papers focus on the challenges people face in managing crops, aquaculture, fisheries and related ecosystems in inland areas of coastal zones in the tropics. A priority issue that emerges from the case studies presented in this book is the impact of change on poor people...

Many large-scale irrigation systems, originally planned only for irrigation supply, are de facto multiple-use systems, which deliver water also for bathing, laundry, livestock watering, fisheries and other environmental functions. The importance of non-irrigation uses to the livelihoods of the rural poor has generally been ignored both in planning...

Tanks are small reservoirs, which are widely distributed in South India and Sri Lanka, where they represent an important water resource for people, crops, livestock and fish. Considerable efforts have been made to rehabilitate tank irrigation systems in recent decades, but there have been few studies carried out to improve understanding of their hy...

When the evaporative demand is greater than the ability of the soil to conduct water in the liquid phase, the soil profile above a watertable exhibits a liquid−vapour discontinuity, known as the evaporation front, that affects the depth of salinisation and the rate of evaporation. We conducted experiments on a sandy loam with shallow saline waterta...

The role of the hydrological cycle in contributing to the livelihoods of rural communities is often said to be important, but clear evidence of this is rarely offered. Furthermore, where such aspects are considered, they are largely focussed on the use of water from rivers, boreholes or some form of storage (blue water).In this study, the hydrologi...

Large-scale canal irrigation projects are commonly seen as profligate users of water. Their low water productivity has been attributed by many authors to deficiencies in management or to actions by farmers to circumvent management control over water distribution. Inadequate design has sometimes been cited as a contributing factor, but the relations...

The last decade has seen a reappraisal of the process of agricultural innovation and a convergence on participatory approaches to development planning and research. Recognising that practitioners face scarcity of information on how to operationalise the new paradigm, the project reported here aimed to develop a methodology for integrating scientifi...

The coastal zone of the Mekong river delta has experienced rapid economic and environmental changes during the last decade. Given the nature of the environment and the level of dependence on the natural resources base, policies for land and water were very influential in this process. The emphasis on rice created an imperative to control saline int...

Dryland agriculture is critically important to food security and rural livelihoods in Tanzania, but crop production is seriously constrained throughout the semi-arid lowlands by the rainfall regime. A major challenge is to develop improved cropping systems to alleviate the moisture constraint. Experimental evidence indicates that adoption of rainwa...

Farmers in the southern Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania have a strong preference for maize as their staple crop and have resisted attempts to introduce sorghum as an alternative in spite of the high drought risk associated with maize production. This paper presents the results of a seven-year period of field experiments to assess the benefits of a m...

Methodologies for collection and integration of scientific and indigenous soils knowledge are discussed in relation to two interdisciplinary projects involving soil scientists, other natural scientists and anthropologists. In Uganda and Tanzania, participatory methods paralleled scientific soil survey. Indigenous or ‘local’ soil classification was...

Future food security can be achieved only by delivering substantial increases in agricultural production, but this has important implications for water availability. Water scarcity is not currently a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa, but it would be a mistake to neglect this issue. It would be a mistake also to assume that only plans for irrigated...

It is increasingly necessary to be able to measure, simultaneously, continuously and at fine spatial resolution, the salinity and water content of soil. This paper reports the design, construction, calibration and laboratory testing of two simple but robust instruments that enable this to be achieved. Salinity in solution was measured reliably, at...

A lack of technical knowledge has been identified as one of the primary factors preventing widespread adoption of rainwater harvesting amongst resource-poor farmers in semi-arid Tanzania. Experiments can fill this gap and help in the assessment and design of improved cropping systems, but the transfer of the results in time and space is difficult....

The delta at the mouth of the Mekong River extends over 50,000 km2 in Vietnam and Cambodia. It is a highly productive environment both for rice and fish, but conflicts arise between their water quality demands. In this paper we focus on an investigation of this conflict in the Ca Mau peninsula, which lies entirely within Vietnam at the southern tip...

It is now widely recognised that many irrigation systems, originally planned only for irrigation supply, are de facto multiple-use systems. However, the importance of non- irrigation uses (such as bathing, laundry, livestock watering and fishing), to the liveli- hoods of the rural poor has generally been ignored. This has significant implications f...

It is widely recognised that many countries are facing increasingly severe water scarcity. Since the irrigation sector uses over 70The case study site is Mahaweli Sys- tem H in Sri-Lanka. This is a typical small-holder irrigation scheme with a command area of 43,000ha. The feature of System H, which is of particular interest, is the large number of...

This book addresses key issues in aquaculture and rural development, with case studies drawn from several countries in South and South East Asia. Sections cover: the environmental context; the integration of aquaculture with agriculture; specialized and intensive systems; fish seed; social aspects; and aquacultural development models. The book has...

This paper highlights an approach to assessing the performance of the water delivery system from the perspective of farmers. The methodology uses the concept of fuzzy set theory to analyse the responses from farmers concerning their perception of the irrigation service provided. The paper takes the view that as part of performance assessment of sch...

Government disengagement from day-to-daymanagement of irrigation infrastructure hasbecome a widespread strategy in Asia,Africa and Latin America. This paperexamines a case study of managementtransfer of a rice irrigation scheme inGhana. The criteria used relate toagricultural, financial and economicperformance and environmental sustainability.The s...

Recent droughts in the UK have highlighted the fragile balance that can exist between the needs of the water environment and those of abstractors. Sustainable development concerns therefore dictate that irrigators must use water wisely through proper scheduling. Given the special circumstances of supplementary irrigation demand, the use of short-te...

The application of process-based hydrological models requires the estimation of a number of soil hydraulic properties that are difficult time-consuming and costly to measure. This would have severely limited the use of these models had it not been for the development of pedotransfer (PTFs). PTFs are regression equations that relate readily availabl...

Control devices (at widely varying levels of sophistication) are provided in all irrigation schemes in order to facilitate management of water distribution. Yet numerous reports published in recent years clearly show that there is widespread disparity between anticipated and actual water control, which is generally reflected in low water-use effici...

Of the various client groups with interests in irrigation system performance, farmers are probably the least often considered. This is, at least in part, attributable to the profound difficulty encountered in attempting to obtain reliable measurements of performance at farm level in most systems. Yet irrigation systems should be seen as a service t...

A method is presented to analyse the impact of the selection of irrigation gates on operational performance of the Sungai Muda Irrigation Scheme in Malayisa. The method examines the discharge capacity of the water control gates at all levels in order to compare the specific water supply (the ratio of supply to command area) with the specific water...

Irrigation systems aim to meet multiple objectives and performance must therefore be assessed using quantifiable measures for each. It therefore becomes an extremely difficult task to capture the valuation of all of them simultaneously and to mentally process the trade-offs between them in order to arrive at an overall impression of system performa...

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) has proposed a holistic approach to managing water resources, taking into account all aspects of the sustainability agenda (ie. social, economic and environmental issues). Among many other requirements, it directs EU member states to put in place River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) each of which must ap...

Water is a critically important but increasingly scarce resource in much of the developing world. Increases in overall productivity in relation to water use are desirable in the context of rising pressure to utilise water more efficiently. This highlights the need for improved integration amongst water use systems. Thus paper presents a framework f...

Many agricultural activities can be adversely affected by the weather. Effects may impact on farm-level production economics and/or the wider environment. Developments in weather forecasting have led to improvements in spatial and temporal resolution, but does the information meet the needs of UK farmers in making day-to-day operational decisions?...