Articles, Conference and Workshop Papers Collection

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Browsing Articles, Conference and Workshop Papers Collection by Author "Bunclark, L"

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    Adaptations in water harvesting technologies for enhancing food security and livelihood: A multi-country study in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Springer, 2018) Snelder, D; Kahimba, F.C; Korodjouma, O; Abebe, A; Oughton, E; Bunclark, L; Lasage, R
    The objective of this paper was to examine farmer-directed technology adaptation of selected water harvesting technologies (WHTs) in order to enhance their potential contribution to food security and livelihood improvement in sub-Saharan Africa. The selected WHTs included micro- and meso-scale reservoirs that store water in the soil (in situ) or in a reservoir, respectively: household ponds in Ethiopia, ndiva systems in Tanzania and combinations of mechanized zaï, grass strips and bunds in Burkina Faso. The impact of non-adapted WHTs was below expectation. Although WHTs improved yields, most families were unable to meet their (nutritional) food needs every year and experienced limited or no long-term effects on sustainable livelihood. The lining of household ponds and conveyance canals with durable materials gave promising results, yet needs economic consideration; a minimum investment may form a barrier particularly to resource-poor farmers. Incorporation of the location-specific nature of farming and livelihoods into WHT interventions is recommended, along with incentive measures to support farmers including the provision of access to credits and inputs for agricultural production.
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    The ‘Majaluba’ rice production system: A rainwater harvesting ‘Bright Spot’ in Tanzania
    (2018) Gowing, J; Bunclark, L; Mahoo, H; Kahimba, F
    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 collect local runoff from stony outcrops and grazing lands in upslope areas with cattle tracks often used as conduits. The ‘majaluba’ system is used primarily for the production of rainfed lowland rice. It has spread through autonomous diffusion of knowledge from farmer to farmer since its introduction in the 1930s. The estimated extent of this system is around 600,000 ha which contributes 60% of total rice production in Tanzania. This is a remarkable, but little known, success story, and represents a water harvesting ‘bright spot,’ where sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture has been achieved at scale.