NBDC video

Rainwater management in the Nile Basin – Reflections on a stakeholder workshop in Bahir Dar

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:40:12 +0000

In October 2011, project partners and team members in the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://www.nilebdc.org) met in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia to reflect on project progress and directions. Here, Fantahun Mengistu, Director of the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), shares some lessons and take home messages from the meeting. He noted that, although a good national policy framework is in place, there are some gaps in implementation at grassroots level: including proper integration between water and agriculture, more emphasis given to blue than to green water, and fully understanding the farmers and the farmer circumstances – “we need to know very well the farmer.” Sustainability is a key issue, it needs increased participation of communities, more emphasis on showing short term benefits to farmers, increased attention to integrated hydrological planning at basin and landscape level – we need to ensure that people getting upstream benefits does not mean that people downstream will suffer.

Establishing participatory hydrological monitoring in the Nile BDC

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:40:23 +0000

In this video, Matthew McCartney (International Water Management Institute - IWMI) reflects on his work in the CPWF-funded Nile Basin Development Challenge (NBDC). He particularly focuses on the hydrological aspects and the establishment of primary monitoring stations at the three project sites.

Multi-stakeholder and innovation platforms: Group reports from the IFWF3

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:10:03 +0000

One of the 'learning to innovate' sessions in the 2011 Third International Forum on Water and Food looked at experiences within the CPWF with multi-stakeholder Platforms (MSP) and Innovation Platforms (IP). This video has the group reports that discussed: 1) How do we scale out such platform processes? 2) What are the most significant lessons and messages in this area for 'research for development'? 3) What is new and innovative in the experiences shared? and 4) What are the research questions on platforms that could be addressed across CPWF Basins?

Principles and practices to integrate livestock into Ethiopia's rainwater management systems

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:10:20 +0000

During the 2011 Third International Forum on Water and Food (in South Africa) Amare Haileselassie from ILRI reflected on ways that livestock can be integrated into rainwater management systems and strategies in Ethiopia. The overall aim is to improve 'livestock water productivity' through the adoption of various practices at farm and landscape levels.

Ethiopia can be Africa's 'breadbasket' as well as its 'water tower'

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:20:16 +0000

ILRI's Alan Duncan was asked to share a Nile Basin Development Challenge (NBDC) 'story' at the recent International Forum on Water and Food. Alan's story introduces some of the challenges that the Ethiopian Government faces in seeking to improve natural resources management at the local level, in the Blue Nile Basin. He reports that the sectors need to be better connected (water, agriculture, livestock); and more dialogue between officials and communities towards more participatory approaches to rainwater management. One approach the NBDC is trying is to support local 'innovation platforms' - spaces for diverse actors to come together to engage in dialogue, to jointly identify and address issues. The idea is that these will catalyze greater local participation and ownership of interventions, connect with national initiatives, and help make Ethiopian landscapes more productive. He concludes stating that Ethiopia is known as the 'water tower' of Africa ... with strong community participation and ownership, it could also be Africa's breadbasket!

Rainwater management interventions - the 'happy strategies' game

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:20:17 +0000

One project of the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) aims to match land and water 'practices' and interventions to the needs of specific landscapes. In 2011, we experimented with a game - modeled on the 'happy families' childrens' game - to discuss the challenges involved. In this video, Alan Duncan (ILRI) and other game members explain the results of a game played at the 3rd International Forum on Water and Food in November 2011. The game used a fictional landscape derived from real NBDC sites in Ethiopia.

Nile Basin Development Challenge - An opportunity to achieve impact at scale

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:21:23 +0000

Speaking at the Launch of the Nile Basin Development Challenge program (29 September 2010), ILRI Director General Carlos Seré explains why ILRI is partnering in a program focused on improved water management in Ethiopia and the Nile Basin. He emphasized how the type of integrative science envisaged in this Program is in line with directions envisaged for the new CGIAR. He drew attention to a few ILRI lessons from this type of project: that technology alone is not the issue - we also need to understand policies and institutions; that gender is absolutely critical to understand household interventions; that we need good baselines and good impact data; and that we must go beyond diagnostics and the characterization of systems to the identification of drivers of change and key tipping points. He also emphasized the importance of serendipity ... that requires open minds to look at and take advantage of unexpected opportunities and ideas. In the end, he argued, it all has to achieve impact at scale - which requires more than just the efforts of researchers, it needs many other types of people and skills brought together to innovate along value chains.

Livestock water productivity - integrated approaches to crops and livestock and integrated policies

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:35:25 +0000

Speaking at the December 2009 SLP meeting in Addis Ababa, Tilahun Amede (ILRI/IWMI) argues that livestock, although both a major source of livelihoods and user of water, are overlooked in policy-making on water productivity. This IWMI/ILRI research project in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe aims to understand the dynamics - and the strategies - that can improve water and livestock productivity, while minimizing land degradation. He shares three lessons emerging: First, that we need to improve the integration of crop and livestock; second, we meed to move policies from sectoral to integrated ones; and third, we need to ensure that the many useful technologies that exist actually reach the farmers.

Water productivity impacts in the Nile BDC projects

Mon, 16 May 2011 11:42:11 +0000

In early May 2011, people working on the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) met in Addis Ababa in a 'science and reflection workshop'. In this session 4 of the workshop, participants discussed what-how-why of some of the different aspects of water and productivity across Nile projects. This video contains video reports from the group discussions

Nile BDC hard seat - Integrated watershed management successes and innovations

Tue, 10 May 2011 13:01:24 +0000

In this 'hard seat' interview on 4 May 2011, Alan Duncan (ILRI) interviewed Bharat Sharma (IWMI) on integrated watershed management successes and innovations in South Asia and their relevance to Ethiopia and implications for the Nile BDC. The interview was part of the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) 'science and reflection' workshop in Addis Ababa in May 2011.

Nile BDC hard seat - Science in the Challenge Program on Water and Food (and CPWF in the new CGIAR)

Wed, 11 May 2011 08:14:42 +0000

In this 'hard seat' interview on 5 May 2011, Shirley Tarawali (ILRI) interviewed Larry Harrington (CPWF) about research and science in the Challenge Program on Water and Food (and the CPWF future in the new CGIAR) - http://www.waterandfood.org. The interview was part of the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) 'science and reflection' workshop in Addis Ababa in May 2011.

Operationalising rainwater management strategies and concepts in the Nile BDC - group feedback

Tue, 10 May 2011 06:42:16 +0000

In early May 2011, people working on the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) met in Addis Ababa in a 'science and reflection workshop'. Session 1 of the workshop examined rainwater management systems (RMS), aiming to develop a common understanding of core concepts, analytical frameworks and impacts. Groups focused on how RMS can be operationalized throughout the Nile BDC, and where the concepts do or don't work.

How actions emerge from innovation platforms - group feedback

Mon, 09 May 2011 12:10:53 +0000

In early May 2011, people working on the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) met in Addis Ababa in a 'science and reflection workshop'. Session 2 of the workshop examined institutional and other processes that are key to success of the overall program. In this video, Alan Duncan (ILRI) reports from small group discussions on how development actions should emerge out of innovation platforms in the NBDC.

Innovation platforms to improve rainwater management in the NBDC - group feedback

Mon, 09 May 2011 12:11:11 +0000

In early May 2011, people working on the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) met in Addis Ababa in a 'science and reflection workshop'. Session 2 of the workshop examined institutional and other processes that are key to success of the overall program. In this video, Jemimah Njuki (ILRI) reports from small group discussions around the role of action-oriented innovation platforms to improve rainwater management in the NBDC.

Contributing to evidence-based policy making in the Nile BDC - group feedback

Mon, 09 May 2011 12:32:02 +0000

In early May 2011, people working on the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) met in Addis Ababa in a 'science and reflection workshop'. Session 2 of the workshop examined institutional and other processes that are key to success of the overall program. In this video, Ranjitha Puskur (ILRI) reports from small group discussions on how ways to ensure our evidence is credible, relevant. practical and operationally useful, how and what kind of feedback processes and networks should we develop to communicate our messages, and how we go about understanding policy better.

Nile Basin Workshop focuses on concepts, processes, and 'nuts and bolts' science progress

Sun, 01 May 2011 14:30:51 +0000

From 4-6 May 2011, project teams from the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nbdc.org) meet in Addis Ababa in a 'science and reflection workshop.' We asked Deborah Bossio from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to explain the purpose of this meeting. Why this meeting? According to Bossio: The NBDC was launched just over a year ago and this meeting is an opportunity for participants to review progress, gaps and plans. It is organized around several main themes: First, to get clarity on the key 'rainwater management' concepts and frameworks for analysis and how these are made operational across the various NBDC projects. She highlights scale as a major research challenge - we work across various scales, from local, through landscapes, to basins, with impacts beyond. We need to be sure our analysis and results work across scales. Second, to examine our experiences with key enabling processes, such as innovation system platforms, policy dialogues, co-learning processes, and stakeholder workshops. Third, we will review the 'nuts and bolts of the science' - how are we doing in relation to water productivity and hydrology, livelihood impacts, and ecosystem services The 3 main outcomes she aims for are: 1) common understanding among participants of basic concepts and frameworks; 2) ideas and plans how we can take forward the results already emerging from the various projects; and 3) an assessment of our scientific progress, the quality of the research, and gaps identified that need attention.

Nile BDC hard seat - the 3rd International Forum on Water and Food

Wed, 11 May 2011 12:22:44 +0000

In this 'hard seat' interview on 6 May 2011, Matthew McCartney (IWMI) interviewed Boru Douthwaite (CPWF) about plans for the 3rd International Forum on Water and Food to be held in South Africa in November 2011 - http://www.waterandfood.org/ifwf3/. The interview was part of the Nile Basin Development Challenge (http://nilebdc.org) 'science and reflection' workshop in Addis Ababa in May 2011.