Source: CORNELL UNIVERSITY submitted to
ENHANCING WATER SUSTAINABILITY IN A WATER SCARCE REGION IN AFRICA: STRENGTHENING THE GLOBAL COMPETENCE OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0218426
Grant No.
2009-51160-05467
Project No.
NYE-2009-00960
Proposal No.
2009-00960
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
AA-N
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2009
Project End Date
Jul 31, 2014
Grant Year
2014
Project Director
Steenhuis, T. S.
Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
We propose creating a prototype educational framework to enhance the understanding of how resource availability issues impact agriculture in developing countries. Specifically we will focus our ?~proof of concept?T framework on green water harvesting in Africa, but envision global applicability as well, in that it will serve as a template for application to other regions and other resource concerns. We will involve faculty and students of four universities (Cornell, Bahir Dar (BDU, Ethiopia), Drexel, and TC3) in a cooperative, interactive analysis of natural resource concerns (green water harvesting and agricultural productivity in this application) in Sub-Saharan Africa (Blue Nile River Basin in Ethiopia, specifically). The outcome of this initial analysis will drive course and curriculum development at the participating institutions for graduate and undergraduate level work. The approach is conceptually simple, but implementation requires an interdisciplinary approach and includes the biophysical aspects of agriculture (soils, crops, livestock, and hydrology), economics, marketing, social constraints to adoption, labor availability, and governance. Thus we will involve a number of faculty with expertise in many fields. Our proposed project will include a students and faculty research on green water (and rain-fed agriculture) productivity, thus applying the knowledge gained though coursework. We will adapt the knowledge gained from research, course content, and participatory methods to develop a transferable educational framework. Ultimately, the sustainability of global resources depends on improved understanding of the global system that leads to sustainable local practices and increased agricultural productivity
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Our main objective is to better understand the issues surrounding sustainable green water productivity in East Africa. We propose using an integrated multidisciplinary approach to first better understand the issues surrounding green water use, and then integrate those findings into a curriculum to disseminate result followed by application of the findings by students to enhance the rain fed agricultural productivity in the region. Specifically, we will: Objective 1 Determine the pertinent issues surrounding rain water fed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands Objective 2 Enhance international content of the curriculum by developing teaching modules on techniques and sustainable integrated management of green water based lessons learned in Objective 1 Objective 3 Design a program to perform participatory research on methods to increase green water (and rain-fed agriculture) productivity by both traditional and innovative methods Objective 4 Adapt knowledge from research (Objective 1), course content (Objective 2), and participatory methods (Objective 3) to other regions and develop transferable framework.
Project Methods
Implementation of an interdisciplinary, systems based approach to development by scientists, engineers, development specialists, and local stakeholders is essential for long-term, robust solutions to water problems. We are proposing a model where credible science and technical development will be emphasized in the classroom to complement applied field research. In accordance with the above identified need for an interdisciplinary program, our approach for each objective will be discussed separately Objective 1 will be accomplished with exploratory research by both students and faculty at Bahir Dar University and will begin the first year. We envision a collaborative effort among the participating university faculty, students, and various governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve the understanding of the major issues in rain water fed agricultural productivity in the Ethiopian highlands. For objective 2, we will develop and teach an course that can be taken by students in the US and Africa. The course will follow the structure of the Sustainable Development course currently being taught at Cornell by Professors Norm Sott and Mike Walter (PI). In this course the concepts of sustainable development are presented as an evolutionary process, demanding the integration of the physical sciences, engineering, biological sciences, and social sciences for design of systems. We propose adapting and modifying the course described above for Africa, with special emphasis paid to sustainable rain water fed agricultural systems and other green water issues elucidated in Objective 1 during the first year of this project. In objective 3 we will develop opportunities to perform integrated, cooperative research involving students, faculty, and local stakeholders. During the first two years starting in June and ending in September 2009 and 2010, we will schedule an intersession research experience on sustainable and interdisciplinary green water technologies and management. The students will apply to the program by writing a short essay and will be selected by merit. Finally for objective 4, we will broadly take what was learned in the proposed work and create a framework that will allow application to diverse agricultural issues in various regions. We envision an easily adaptable, robust methodology that allows participants go into a region knowing little about the issue of concern, and by utilizing local knowledge and the developed framework, be able to emerge with a relatively concrete set of issues to be addressed, and a plan moving forward. The success of the program will be evaluated by: 1) the number of students involved and trained; 2) The number of faculty participating both from the US and Ethiopia; 3) the quality and number of modules produced; 4) the number of US courses that increased their international content by using the knowledge gained from this work; and 5) the success of the educational framework in addressing global natural resource concerns.

Progress 08/01/11 to 07/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Overview: Project activity continued to focus on the second cohort of graduate students in the Cornell/Bahir Dar Universities joint Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program; also Bahir Dar University approved a follow-on PhD program. Thirteen of fourteen students of MPS cohort II had completed coursework by October 2010 and began thesis research projects in summer 2010. One Cohort II PhD student (a Bahir Dar University faculty member) also completed a thesis by August 2012. Of the completed theses, three are most relevant to green water, ground water recharge, or agriculture: Observations and Modeling of Erosion from Spatially and Temporally Distributed Sources in the (Semi) Humid Ethiopian Highlands (PhD); Organization and Management of Irrigation Schemes in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia: In Case of Sanka Traditional and Golina Modern Irrigation Schemes; and The Impact of Selected Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes on Household Income and the Likelihood of Poverty in the Lake Tana Basin of Ethiopia. Objective 1: Identify issues for rainwater fed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands. Completed in year 1; continuing discussions via the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Objective 2: Change curriculum and develop course modules to reflect sustainable, integrated management of green water. The course content was completed in year 2. The Cohort II curriculum consisted of 9 courses, individual student research activity, and a seminar to share and critique the separate research activities. Video recordings made for parts of some courses and all other available digital material have been compiled, sorted, and partly indexed. The 13-gigabyte collection includes course outlines, powerpoints, videos, assigned readings, assigned homework, and exams. (Courses have less than 100% coverage by digital materials.) One course's relatively complete material was indexed into a collection browseable using an offline web browser to help evaluate one possible delivery scheme for packaged materials. Objective 3: Participatory Research: c) Cohort II MPS students started research in July 2010 and ten had completed their work and theses by mid 2012. (Student are funded partly from other sources but is germane to this objective.) Objective 4: Adapt to other Regions: Discussion are ongoing with Kennedy Mwetu, Agricultural Engineer & Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Resources Management, at Kenyatta University, Kenya about using the course material. In addition integrated watershed management programs have been started at Woreta College, a part of the University of Debre Tabor, and at the Faculty of Agriculture at Bahir Dar University. PARTICIPANTS: Performing organizations during this year: Cornell University (US), Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia). Individuals providing curriculum materials: Tammo S. Steenhuis, Amy Collick, Dan Fuka, Zach Easton, Seifu Tilahun, Abeyou Wale, Charles Nicholson, Angela Neilan, Jennifer Ward. Individuals organizing curriculum materials: Tigist Tebebu, Charles Nicholson. Individuals benefiting initially from curriculum: 13 Cornell University MPS students in Ethiopia in Cohort II. TARGET AUDIENCES: Graduate and undergraduate students in African countries where English is used as a language of instruction in higher education. US college-level curricula that cover African agricultural environmental management. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
2009-2011 PhD studies in the US by three Bahir Dar University faculty members included field research in 2011-2012. Their presence in the US helped to inspire three MPS cohort I and II students to carry out US-resident PhD studies starting in 2010 and continuing into 2012. One of the Cohort I students leads this project's curriculum compilation. By mid 2012, 13 of 14 cohort II MPS students reached the thesis writing stage, 10 filed theses, and three continued. All 13 students found subsequent roles in teaching, PhD studies, or other professional work. Bahir Dar University adopted a follow-on PhD program and curriculum in "Integrated Water Management". Some of the MPS courses have been carried over into the PhD curriculum.

Publications

  • Ayele, Getaneh Kebede. 2011. The Impact of Selected Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes on Household Income and the Likelihood of Poverty in the Lake Tana Basin of Ethiopia. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/Research/international/docs/Getan eh_Thesis_Formatted_final.pdf .
  • Demisse, Bezawit Adane. 2011. Discharge and Sediment Yield Modeling in Enkulal Watershed, Lake Tana Region, Ethiopia. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Bezawit_Thesis_corre cted2.pdf .
  • Kassa, Aemiro Gedefaw. 2011. Simulating the Hydrologic Response of Gilgel Abbay Watershed with a Simple Semi-Distributed Water Balance Model. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Aemiro_thesis_2011.p df .
  • Tessema, Zelalem K, Mohamed, Yasir A, and Steenhuis, Tammo S. 2010. Trends in Rainfall and Runoff in the Blue Nile Basin: 1964-2003. Hydrological Processes, 25:3747-3758. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/zelalem-bluenile-201 2.pdf .
  • Awulachew, Seleshi Bekele, McCartney, Matthew, Steenhuis, Tammo S., and Ahmed, Abdalla A. 2008. A review of hydrology, sediment and water resource use in the Blue Nile Basin. Working Paper 131, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka. http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Working_Papers/working/WOR131. pdf .
  • Engda, Tegenu A., Bayabil, Haimanote K., Legesse, Elias S., Ayana, Essayas K., Tilahun, Seifu A., Collick, Amy S., Easton, Zachary M., Rimmer, Alon, Awulachew, Seleshi B. and Steenhuis, Tammo S. 2011. watershed Hydrology of the (Semi) Humid Ethiopian Highlands. In: Melese, Assefa M. (Ed). 2011. Nile River Basin: Hydrology, Climate and Water Use. Springer, The Netherlands. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Tegenu_2012.pdf .
  • Tilahun, Seifu Admassu. 2012. Observations and Modeling of Erosion from Spatially and Temporally Distributed Sources in the (Semi) Humid Ethiopian Highlands. PhD dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Seifu2012PhDthesis.p df .
  • Tilahun, Seifu Admassu, Engda, Tegenu Ashagrie, Legesse, Elias Sime, Guzman, C. D., Zegeye, Assefa Derebe, Collick, A.S. , Rimmer, A. and Steenhuis, T.S. . 2011. An efficient semi-distributed hillslope sediment model: the Anjeni in the sub humid Ethiopian Highlands. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss. 8: 2207-2233.
  • Tilahun, Seifu Admassu, Mukundan, Rajith, Demisse, Bezawit A., Ashgary, Tegenu, Guzman, Christian, Tarakegn, Birara C., Easton, Zachary M., Collick, Amy S., Zegeye, Assefa D., Schneiderman, Elliot M., Parlange, J.-Yves, and Steenhuis, Tammo S. 2011. A Saturation Excess Erosion Model International Symposium on Erosion and Landscape Evolution CD-Rom Proceedings (18-21 September 2011).
  • Guzman, C. D., Tilahun, S. A., Zegeye, A. D., and Steenhuis, T. S. 2012. Suspended sediment concentration - discharge relationships in the (sub) humid Ethiopian highlands Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 9, 9011-9041. http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/9/9011/2012/hessd-9-9011 -2012.pdf .
  • Tarekegn, Birara Chekol. 2012. A Case Study of Gully Erosion in the Ethiopian Highlands: The Warke Watershed. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Birara_MPS_2012.pdf .
  • Dagnew, Dessalegn Chanie. 2012. Factors Determining Residential Water Demand in North Western Ethiopia, The Case of Merawi. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/Research/international/docs/Dessa legn_Chanie_Dagnew-MPS_Project_Paper.pdf .
  • Beyene, Habtamu Addis. 2012. Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Systems: The Case of Mecha Woreda, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Hab_Thesistss_format ted.pdf .
  • Belay, Melisew Misker. 2012. Organization and Management of Irrigation Schemes in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia: In Case of Sanka Traditional and Golina Modern Irrigation Schemes. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Melisew_MPS_2012.pdf .
  • Alemeyehu, Zemenu Awoke. 2012. Assessment of Challenges of Sustainable Rural Water Supply: Quarit Woreda, Amhara Region. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Zemenu_Awoke_Alemaye hu-MPS_Project_Paper.pdf .
  • Addisie, Meseret Belachew. 2012. Assessment of Drinking Water Quality and Determinants of Household Potable Water Consumption in Simada District, Ethiopia. MPS project report, Cornell University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/Meseret_MPS_2012.pdf .


Progress 08/01/10 to 07/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Overview: Project activity continued to focus on the second cohort of graduate students in the Cornell/Bahir Dar Universities joint Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program. The fourteen students of cohort II took eight sequential courses between January and October 2010. The four courses held after July 31, 2010 included: 5. Nutrient Cycling in Natural and Managed Ecosystems; 6. Economic analysis of agriculture-based livelihood systems; 7. Participatory Methods for Community Watershed and Water Supply Management; and 8. Watershed Modeling. Cohort II students began thesis research projects in summer 2010. Six of fourteen projects are most relevant to green water, ground water recharge, or agriculture (* indicates thesis has been completed by October 2011): Modelling Groundwater and Lake Recharges and Influence of Irrigation on Groundwater and Lake Levels in the Lake Ziway, Rift Valley Ethiopia Organization and Management of Traditional irrigation schemes In Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia; *An Assessment of Challenges of Sustainable Rural Water Supply: Quarit Woreda, Amhara Region; Assessing ground water potential for irrigation crop production in Fogera Plain; Environmental and health impact of solid waste: Assessment of solid waste disposal site of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia; Assessment of the factors affecting the structural failures of irrigation and water harvesting schemes in Jari Integrated Watershed Development Project; and The impact of small scale irrigation on poverty reduction in Ethiopia Highland, Tana Basin, Ethiopia. Objective 1: Identify issues for rainwater fed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands. Scheduled for year 1. Completed. Most work was in discussions via the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), which are continuing. Objective 2: Change curriculum and develop course modules to reflect sustainable, integrated management of green water. Began before the end of year 1. We based Course 1 in the cohort II MPS sequence (see prior report) in part on findings under objective 1. Revised Cornell/US Course BEE 7540, titled "The Right to Water", included content from objective 1. Bahir Dar cohort II Course 7 also drew from the new base. Video recordings were made for some cohort II MPS courses. These have been transcribed into a format usable on computer. The videos are being combined into an indexed curriculum collection that also includes powerpoint slides, assigned readings, and exams (when available). The collection also will include material about MPS thesis project proposals and final products. Objective 3: Participatory Research: a) Summer Intersession research experience - (see 2009-2010 report); b) Green water management field trip - within course 7; c) Cohort II MPS students started research in July 2010, continuing into 2011. (Student support is funded from other sources but is germane to this objective.) Objective 4: Adapt to other Regions: This remains scheduled for the fourth year of the project. PARTICIPANTS: Performing organizations during this year: Cornell University (US), Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia). Additional sponsor for outreach materials: WaterAid Ethiopia. Individuals providing curriculum materials: Tammo S. Steenhuis, Amy Collick, Dan Fuka, Zach Easton, Seifu Tilahun, Abeyou Wale, Charles Nicholson, Angela Neilan, Jennifer Ward. Individuals organizing curriculum materials: Tigist Tebebu, Darcy Dyll. Individuals benefiting initially from curriculum: 14 Cornell University MPS students in Ethiopia. TARGET AUDIENCES: Graduate and undergraduate students in African countries where English is used as a language of instruction in higher education. US college-level curricula that cover African agricultural environmental management. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Coursework in Bahir Dar prepared fourteen students to begin thesis research. 2009-2010 PhD studies in the US by two Bahir Dar University faculty members helped to prepare for field research in 2010-2011. One additional faculty member began PhD studies during 2011. Their presence in the US helped to inspire two MPS cohort I students to begin US-resident PhD studies in mid 2010. One of these students is the organizer of cohort II's curriculum compilation. All 19 surviving cohort I MPS students went on to PhD studies, teaching positions, or other professional roles. Three cohort II MPS students have completed studies and taken subsequent roles in teaching or an NGO.

Publications

  • Assefa Derebe Zegeye, T.S. Steenhuis, R.W. Blake, Selemyihun Kidnau, A.S. Collick & Farzad Dadgari. 2011. Assessment of Upland Erosion Processes and Farmer Perception of Land Conservation in Debre Mewi Watershed, near Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology Vol. 10(2-4) , pp. 297-306. doi: 10.2478/v10104-011-0013-8
  • Haimanote K. Bayabil, Seifu A. Tilahun, A.S. Collick & T.S. Steenhuis. 2010. Are runoff processes ecologically or topographically driven in the Ethiopian Highlands: the case of the Mayabar watershed. Ecohydrology Vol. 3 , pp. 457-466. doi: 10.1002/eco.170 .
  • Seifu Admassu Tilahun & Amy S. Collick. 2011. Wisdom at the source of the Blue Nile - MUS. WaterAid Ethiopia, Briefing note 2. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/seifu-wateraid-note2 .pdf
  • Seifu Admassu Tilahun & Amy S. Collick. 2011. Bottlenecks of operation and maintenance. WaterAid Ethiopia, Briefing note 1. http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/seifu-wateraid-note1 .pdf
  • Seifu Admassu Tilahun & Amy S. Collick. 2011. Solar driven pumps for water supply. WaterAid Ethiopia, Briefing note 3.
  • Seifu Admassu Tilahun & Amy S. Collick. 2011. Latrines. WaterAid Ethiopia, Briefing note 4.
  • Bahir Dar University, School of Civil and Water Resources Engineering. September 2011. Training Manual on Water, Sanitation and Hygeine (WaSH) Projects: Documentation and Case Studies Writing for Woreda Experts. Joint publication of WaterAid Ethiopia and BDU, Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
  • Seifu Admassu Tilahun, Rajith Mukundan, Bezawit A. Demisse, Tegenu Ashgary, Christian Guzman, Birara C. Tarakegn, Zachary M. Easton, Amy S Collick, Assefa D. Zegeye, Elliot M. Schneiderman, J.-Yves Parlange and Tammo S. Steenhuis. 2011. A Saturation Excess Erosion Model. International Symposium on Erosion and Landscape Evolution CD-Rom Proceedings (18-21 September 2011). http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/ISELE_2011_for_comme nt.pdf


Progress 08/01/09 to 07/31/10

Outputs
Overview: Project activity ramped up in December 2009 to accommodate the second cohort of graduate students in the Cornell/Bahir Dar Universities joint Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program. The fourteen students took eight sequential courses between January and October 2010. The four courses held before July 31, 2010 included: 1. Watershed management, design, and planning; 2. Pathogenic microbes in soil, manure and water including practical laboratory methods for isolating and detecting pathogens; 3. Geographic information systems and remote sensing; 4. Water supply engineering. The students proposed their thesis research projects in June, 2010. Six of fourteen projects are most relevant to green water, ground water recharge, or agriculture: * Modelling Groundwater and Lake Recharges and Influence of Irrigation on Groundwater and Lake Levels in the Lake Ziway, Rift Valley Ethiopia. Organization and Management of Traditional irrigation schemes In Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia; * An Assessment of Challenges of Sustainable Rural Water Supply: Quarit Woreda, Amhara Region; * Assessing ground water potential for irrigation crop production in Fogera Plain; * Assessment of the factors affecting the structural failures of irrigation and water harvesting schemes in Jari Integrated Watershed Development Project; * The impact of small scale irrigation on poverty reduction in Ethiopia Highland, Tana Basin, Ethiopia. Objective 1: Identify issues for rainwater fed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands. Scheduled for year 1. Completed. Most work was in discussions via the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), which are continuing. Objective 2, Change curriculum and develop course modules to reflect sustainable, integrated management of green water: Scheduled to begin at the end of year 1. We were ahead of schedule by basing Course 1 in the 2010 MPS sequence in part on findings under objective 1. We also revised Cornell Course BEE 7540, now titled The Right to Water, to include content from objective 1. Bahir Dar Course 7 (see future 2010-2011 progress report) also drew from the new base. While MPS courses were being conducted, video has been recorded for later editing for online course versions in the US. The editing should begin in calendar 2011. Objective 3, Participatory Research: a) Summer Intersession research experience - Several undergraduate students assisted Bahir Dar University faculty member Seifu Tilahun in related research (students funded from other sources but germane to this topic); b) Green water management field trip - this is part of Course 7, which will be reported in the 2010-2011 progress report; c) MPS students started their research in July 2010, as itemized above (student support funded from other sources but germane to this topic). Objective 4: Adapt to other Regions. This remains scheduled for the fourth year of the project. PRODUCTS: (see publications) A future progress report will describe how videotapes made of portions of 2010 courses given in Bahir Dar will be used. OUTCOMES: See 'Dissemination Activities' for an important hydrological finding. Coursework in Bahir Dar prepared fourteen students to complete remaining courses and to begin thesis research. PhD studies in the US by two Bahir Dar University faculty members prepared them for field research in 2010-2011. Their presence in the US helped to inspire two MPS students from the first cohort to begin US-resident PhD studies in mid 2010. Several MPS students in the first cohort went on to either PhD studies or took teaching positions, improving Ethiopia's higher education capability in soil and water management. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Zelalem K. Tesemma of the earlier cohort of MPS students, with Yasir A. Mohamed of IWMI, circulated a paper about Blue Nile basin hydrology for peer review during 2009-2010. Many comments were received, already influencing regional hydrological thinking. Abstract: 'Most Nile water originates in Ethiopia but there is no agreement on how land degradation or climate change affects the future flow in downstream countries. The objective of this paper is to improve understanding of future conditions by analyzing historical trends. During the period 1963 to 2003, average monthly basin wide precipitation and monthly discharge data were collected and analyzed statistically for two stations in the upper 30% of Blue Nile Basin and monthly and 10-day discharge data one station at the Sudan-Ethiopia border. A rainfall runoff model examined the causes for observed trends. The results show that while there was no significant trend in the seasonal and annual basin-wide average rainfall, significant increases in discharge during the long rainy season (June to September) at all three stations were observed. In the upper Blue Nile the short rainy season flow (March to May), increased while the dry season flow (October to February) stayed the same. At the Sudan border the dry season flow decreased significantly with no change in the short rainy season flow. The difference in response was likely due to weir construction in the nineties at the Lake Tana outlet that affected significantly the upper Blue Nile discharge but only affected less than 10% of the discharge at the Sudan border. The rainfall runoff model reproduced the observed trends, assuming that an additional ten percent of the hillsides were eroded in the 40 year time span and generated overland flow instead of interflow and base flow. Models concerning future trends in the Nile cannot assume that the landscape runoff processes will remain static.' Several MPS student projects which began in July 2010 immerse the students in rural communities of the Ethiopian Highlands. The interactions to take place after July 2010 will be reported in the 2010-2011 progress report. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Coursework continued after July 31 with: 5. Nutrient cycling in agro-ecosystems; 6. Economic analysis of agriculture-based livelihood systems; 7. Participatory watershed management and engineering; 8. Introduction to watershed modeling. The project continues for three more years. Below are the activities expected between August 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011. As with Course 1, Course 7's design is based on results of project Objective 1. The fourteen MPS students in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia will continue with their thesis work, as will faculty members E.K. Ayana and S. Tilahun of Bahir Dar University, and in-US PhD students Tigist Y. Tebebu and Haimanote K. Bayabil. Video recorded from courses 1-4 and 6-8 will be edited to use within online courses for US student audiences.

Impacts
See 'Dissemination Activities' for an important hydrological finding and potential long-term influence. (Longer term impacts will be evaluated starting in later progress reporting cycles, after the accumulated publications begin to be cited by others, after current students begin to work professionally -- particularly as higher education teachers, and after student service projects begin to benefit the host communities.)

Publications

  • T.Y. Tebebu, A.Z. Abiy, H.E. Dahlke, Z.M. Easton, A.D. Zegeye, S.A. Tilahun, A.S. Collick, S. Kidnau, S. Moges, F. Dadgari, and T.S. Steenhuis. 2010. Surface and subsurface flow effect on permanent gully formation and upland erosion near Lake Tana in the Northern Highlands of Ethiopia. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 2207-2217.
  • T.Y. Tebebu, A.Z. Abiy, A. Adzo, H.E. Dahlke, E.D. White, A.S. Collick, S. Kidnau, F. Dadgari and T.S. Steenhuis. 2010. Assessment of hydrological controls on gully formation and upland erosion near Lake Tana, Northern Highlands of Ethiopia. (In) Proceedings of the 4th Joint Federal Interagency Hydrologic Modeling Conference and the 9th Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference, Las Vegas NV, June 27-July 1st, 2010.
  • T.S. Steenhuis, J. Taylor, Z. Easton, A. Collick, N. van de Giesen, J. Liebe, A.A. Ahmed and M. Andreini. 2009. Rainfall-discharge relationships for monsoonal climates. In: S.B. Awulachew, et. al. (Comp.). Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands: Its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile. IWMI Workshop held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2009. doi:10.3910/2009.201.
  • Hussien Ali, Katrien Descheemaeker, Tammo S. Steenhuis, and Suraj Pandey. 2011. Comparison of Landuse and Landcover Changes, Drivers and Impacts for a Moisture-Sufficient and Drought-Prone Region in the Ethiopian Highlands. Expl. Agric. 47(SI):71-83. doi:10.1017/S0014479710000840.
  • E.D. White, Z.M. Easton, D.R. Fuka, A.S. Collick, M. McCartney, S.B. Awulachew and T.S. Steenhuis. 2009. A Water Balance-Based Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for Improved Performance in the Ethiopian Highlands. In: S.B. Awulachew, et. al. (Comp.). Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands: Its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile. IWMI Workshop at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2009. doi:10.3910/2009.201.
  • T.Y. Tebebu, A.Z. Abiy, A. Adzo, H.E. Dahlke, E.D. White, A.S. Collick, S. Kidnau, F. Dadgari and T.S. Steenhuis. 2009. Assessment of hydrological controls on gully formation and upland erosion near Lake Tana, Northern Highlands of Ethiopia. In: S.B. Awulachew, et. al. (Comp.). Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands: Its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile. IWMI Workshop at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2009. doi:10.3910/2009.201.
  • A.D. Zegeye, T.Y. Tebebu, A.Z. Abiy, H.E. Dahlke, E.D. White, A.S. Collick, S. Kidnau, F. Dadgari, M. McCartney and T.S. Steenhuis. 2009. Assessment of hydrological and landscape controls on gully formation and upland erosion near Lake Tana. In: S.B. Awulachew, et. al. (Comp.). Improved water and land management in the Ethiopian highlands: Its impact on downstream stakeholders dependent on the Blue Nile. IWMI Workshop at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2009. doi:10.3910/2009.201.
  • Z.M. Easton, D.R. Fuka, E.D. White, A.S. Collick, B. Biruk Asharge, M. McCartney, S.B. Awulachew, A.A. Ahmed, and T.S. Steenhuis. 2010. A multi basin SWAT model analysis of runoff and sedimentation in the Blue Nile, Ethiopia. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 1827-1841.
  • E.D. White, Z.M. Easton, D.R. Fuka, A.S. Collick, and T.S. Steenhuis. 2010. Development and application of a physically based landscape water balance in the SWAT model. Hydrol. Proc. doi:10.1002/hyp.7876.