1. Global Landscapes Forum, UNFCCC Warsaw, 16 Nov. 2013
Session 2.5: Towards a sustainable landscape approach: New generation of Integrated
watershed management for rural development, resilience and empowerment
Watershed/Landscape Management for
Multiple Benefits and Climate Resilience
- Experiences from Eastern Africa
by Sally Bunning,
Senior Land/Soils officer, and
colleagues of the
FAO Land and Water Division

2. Content
1. Principles of participatory, integrated watershed management
2. Experiences
• GEF/FAO Kagera River basin Transboundary agro-ecosystem management
• SIDA/FAO Strengthen capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change through
land and water management in Sub Saharan Africa
3. Issues, Strategy and Actions
• Awareness of effects of current practices on farm, landscape and impacts on
livelihoods and Ecosystem services
• Demonstrate benefits of SLM on farm and watershed management to farmers ,
technical sectors and policy makers (local, national, global)
• Demonstrate why land & water management crucial for climate resilience
4. Lessons learned making a case for investing in and
promoting participatory integrated watershed management
for food security and climate resilience
Global Landscapes Forum, UNFCCC Warsaw, 16 Nov. 2013

3. 12 key principles of the “new generation
of watershed management”
1. Treat underlying causes (not just symptoms)
2. Generate scientific evidence (soil health, water quality,
biodiversity effects, climate effects and resilience)
3. Integrated approach (multi-sector and multi-stakeholder)
4. Holistic planning and implementation (watershed plan)
5. Co-financing and low cost interventions (wider adoption)
6. Institutional arrangements at all levels (local-national)
7. Capacity development at all levels
8. Bottom up & top down process (local empowerment; policy)
9. Gender balance in decision making
10. Support & Incentive measures to adopt SLM- PES, access
to finance, investment
11. Monitoring & evaluation (demonstrate multiple benefits
and impacts including climate resilience)
12. Flexible, adaptive, long-term program /partnership

4. Integrated Watershed managementapproach (intersectoral)
Watershed management : integrated use and management of land, vegetation and water
resources in a geographically discrete catchment or drainage area through people-centred
approaches with all stakeholders, for the benefit of residents and wider society, through
enhancing productivity and livelihoods and maintaining the range of ecosystem services, in
particular the hydrological services that the watershed provides, and reducing or avoiding
negative downstream or groundwater impacts
Participatory, people centred, wider scale
approach and investment
•Soil restoration OM + nutrient cycling
•Hydrology-supply + quality
•Biomass + C cycle
•Biodiversity
•Systems approach
• Productivity, + Income
• Climate change A & M
• Socio-cultural (wellbeing,
• aesthetics, recreation,
tourism, heritage
4

5. 4. Holistic planning/ implementation - optimise impacts
of various technologies across the watershed
1. Characterise watershed
(NR and human, DPSIR )
2. Develop integrated SLM/
watershed management
plan
3. Enabling environment Put
in place local governance +
institutional + policy support
4. Implement plan
5. Monitor & Assess
•Impacts of each technology & combined (on farmers, other NR users
offsite, upstream down-stream, watershed)
•Process: local level management, decision making and degree of
adoption
6. Identify challenges, find solutions, update plan

6. Example 1: Kagera river basin
Treat underlying causes not just symptoms
State: Degradation (soil erosion & fertility loss, poor
water quality & flow, are result of loss of vegetation
cover, biodiversity & ecosystem functions)
Pressures multiple and accelerating

7. Kagera River Basin TB agro-ecosystem
management project (TZ, UG, BU, RW)
Impacts of degradation of productive land resources on which economy
depends : poverty; food insecurity; conflict over resources, youth outmigration (labour shortage)
LAND
WATER
PEOPLE
Need to Address the DRIVERS that are increasing pressures on resources!
•Population growth  competition on limited resources, reduced farm
size, fragmentation, over exploitation (farm, common property)
• Tenure insecurity  poor land use/ management practices; differential
access rights (herds; land)
•Low knowledge base at all levels
•Market demand- commodity driven, sectoral
7
•Weak policy and institutional support

8. Step 1 Community awareness of local
benefits of restoring goods & ecosystem
services
Deforestation - tree cutting
for charcoal production,
Gasharu catchment,
Rwanda
• Deforestation, loss of woody biomass & biodiversity
• Soil erosion, nutrient mining and loss of soil quality
 low productivity of crop, grazing and forest lands
• Pervasive biomass burning (bush fires, burning crop
residues, cooking with firewood  poor vegetative
cover and loss of soil organic matter
Community sensitization meeting

9. Soil & water conservation (labour
intensive)- improve productivity
Need to demonstrate increased productivity and
other multiple benefits for local community
Runoff Trap ponds
Bench terraces
Rainwater retention ditches
Mulch, fertilizer, manure
and compost

10. Diversify crops, livestock, trees in LUS
for environment & livelihood benefits
Grevillea spp
Passion fruits
Livestock
Vegetable production
Bamboo for protecting
buffer zones

11. Promote & monitor multiple land and
water interventions across watershed
• Soil and water conservation
• Rotational grazing + controlled burning
of grasslands
• Stall fed livestock & fodder production
and Aquaculture
• ISFM–fertilizers + organic matter (SOC)
• Conservation agriculture (no till)
• Small scale irrigation
• Seedling nurseries
• Afforestation on steep marginal lands
(>C stocks & < GHG emissions)
• SFM for timber & fuelwood

12. Build on local knowledge and innovation
Tanzania - Water Harvesting ditches from
road catchment and use of mulch
20.11.13

13. Build on local knowledge and innovation
Uganda
- Progressive terraces & diversion ditches
– FFS expert - advice to farmers How to
design/maintain/ implement SLM practices
- Monitor costs and benefits
Process:
1. Desk top inventory of SLM best
practices (GO+project staff)
2. Visit with local land users to
complete inventory/verify BPs to
assess and document
3. WOCAT Technology and
Approaches questionnaires
4. Database for sharing
5. Fact sheet for extension

14. Demonstrate improved resilience to
climate change
Show how Improved LWM (soil moisture; reduced runoff, safe water flow)
will increase resilience to climate change / disasters and enhance
production and food security
Contour Trenching
Water Capture
techniques
Local varieties improved
Seed multiplication
systems improved
(sorghum)
14
14

15. Catchment/Landscape Approach for
Multiple benefits
Bench terraces on Kagera landscapes –
Rulindo district, Rwanda
Wetlands well managed for Rice
Production in Kirehe District, Rwanda
Wheat production on bench terraces
in Rulindo district - Rwanda
SLM in a maize field in Kigina
Catchment , Kirehe district in Rwanda

16. Scientific evidence for investment
Monitor SLM Results against Targets
Monitor progress and outreach process
• No. of Farming families (FFS study plots) and
FFS/Community groups
• No. of micro-watersheds (and committees) and
No. of hectares under SLM practices
• No. of training materials disseminated and No. of
service providers with enhanced skills/ capacities
• No. of joint Investment plans (cofunding)
Monitor Impacts
•Agricultural productivity- yields
• Vegetation biodiversity conservation
• Above and below carbon (less GHG emissions)
• Soil restoration and water quality
• Marketing and Income
• Community empowerment and social equity
16

17. Capacity development for Action Research &
Gender balance in decision making at all levels
Well made ridges on a radical terrace
planted with Round potato for Umurava
FFS group field
Ballet box to assess knowledge change
FFS group agroforestry tree
nursery, Kamonyi district
FFS group dynamics

18. Demonstrate benefits through WOCAT
Tools monitoring costs/benefits  assess
impacts produce extension material
Questionnaires on SLM
technologies and approaches
Documenting information from
and with land users
Entering data in questionnaire
Entering data in database
Computer data entry form

19. Document- produce extension material
for scaling up

20. Participatory Monitoring of impacts to
convince policy makers to invest
Qualitative..Need
to quantify
analysis for
informed decision
making
20

21. Prioritise low cost solutions + co-funding
partnerships in the watershed
Ex. Cost- benefit analysis - Shelterbelt
21

22. Incentives + Investment: Identify & design
PES schemes & public-private partnerships
1. In Burundi,
REGIDESO + Kagera
TAMP project plan to
protect HEP
installation through
community tree
planting along
Ruvyironza river….
2. Protection of buffer zone around Lakes
Rweru & Cohoha on BUR/RWA border
and Lake Mweru in Uganda (ecotourism)
• Community sensitisation / organisation
• Tree planting along lake fringe & roads
• Agroforestry species in fields
• Protection and reafforestation of natural
forest using indigenous sp.

23. Example 2: FAO SIDA project Strengthening
Capacity for Small-Scale Farmers to Adapt through
Land & Water Management (ETH, KEN, TAN)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Restoring Soil Health
Water Management
Livelihood Diversification
Building Resilient Communities

24. Improving adaptive capacities, Woruba watershed, Awash
Basin, Ethiopia
• Located in lowlands Showa Robit
District, Amhara region
• Dry agro-climatic zone, 1,420 masl
• Mean annual rainfall of 900mm
• Drought recurrence rate 5 years
• Watershed area 612 ha, of which
506 is arable and 106 ha mostly
used for grazing and fuel wood
Woruba watershed prior to project
implementation
• Inappropriate cultivation,
overgrazing and deforestation,
result in soil erosion and soil fertility
decline, also water scarcity, lack of
pasture and livestock feed, also a
fuelwood crisis.

25. Improving adaptive capacities, Woruba watershed, Awash
Basin, Ethiopia
Community based land and water management
1. Practices to retain surface runoff: stone
check dams on hillside, cut-off drains, micro
trenches, deep trenches and micro basins
2. Rainwater harvesting (sub-humid uni-modal,
semi-arid and arid areas): ponds close to
homesteads and on farm land)
3. Roof-top rainwater harvesting for houses,
communal buildings with iron roofs and drip
irrigation equipment for high value crops
4. Rotational and zero grazing practices:
improved livestock feeding (fodder on farm,
perennials around homesteads, rotations in
grazing lands)
5. Biological conservation: planting of
1,650,000 indigenous and exotic drought
tolerant tree varieties
Rainwater harvesting
ponds lined with geomembrane

26. Improving adaptive capacities, Woruba watershed, Awash
Basin, Ethiopia
Local governance & livelihood diversification
•Community bylaw to regulate 123 ha of the community’s
communal land (land use, livestock, use of NR).
•Energy saving stoves, to sustain the green environment
and to reduce deforestation
•Diversification of smallholders’ income sources : Seeds
for horticultural crops, short season legume species,
poultry raising and beekeeping, chickens
Three examples of new income generating activities in Showa Robit

27. Upstream-downstream conflict resolution
in Tanzania
Downstream investment in irrigation scheme  secure income &
food supply but over time reduced water supply & eroded sediments
and water wasted (poor scheduling)
Upstream settlers (80s): lack of infrastructure, no investment, poor
smallholders, blamed for water loss and damage downstream
CONFLICT
Farm level- heavy investment
in time
Legal recourse- evict, fine
farmers. Conflict remains,
risks undermine development
Upstream-downstream dialogue,
negotiation, consensus  solutions,
collaboration and solidarity
Planning among 2 groups of actors for land &
water management across watershed, clean
water supply, enhance production, watre use
efficiency, reduce risk, market surplus 
income, security

28. Improving adaptive capacities, Woruba watershed, Awash
Basin, Ethiopia
Results
 380 households reduced water scarcity through range of rainwater
harvesting practices
 Trenches and tied-ridging considerably decreased runoff, soil erosion and
flash floods
 113 ponds lined with geo-membrane + treadle pumps) enabled
smallholders to diversify sources of income by decreasing time and labour
to fetch water; enhanced water use for supplementary short season crop
 Hillside closure increased biodiversity  return of wild animals & native
plant species  restore soils, livelihood opportunities, climate resilience

29. Lessons: 1. Strengthen Capacity of Small-Scale
Farmers to Adapt through Land & Water Management
Community-Based Participatory Integrated Watershed Management
Strengthen the capacity of smallholder
farmers through sustainable integrated
watershed management and FFS approaches
Focus on rainwater harvesting technologies
and soil management /productivity to reduce
impacts of increasing weather variability and
climate change and reduce female labour
Enhance income and livelihoods and reduce
risk through agricultural productivity, livelihood
diversification and ecosystem resilience
Participatory, gender sensitive approaches to
reach all members of the local community.
Women & young girls fetch water
from Sewer River, 4 km from
homesteads ; women digging
trenches on farms, Ethiopia

30. Lessons: 2. Capacity development - continuous
support for adaptive management to change
• Community members need considerable skills in
planning and implementation (on farm and
watershed scales)
• Continuous support for local communities, district
offices and service providers, policy/ decision
makers (planning, implementation, monitoring
&assessment)
• Experience sharing among farmers & technical/
extension staff is effective in increasing adaptive
capacity of smallholders
• Ensure that technologies /approaches advocated are
appropriate and continuously adapted to change
(participatory learning and action research)

31. Lessons: 3. Participatory, integrated, multi-stakeholder
strategy
• Combine 4 pillars of action: soil and water management on farm and
across watershed, enhance on farm productivity, diversify livelihoods
and strengthen community organization for climate resilience.
• Long term: Ensure that all concerned actors in a watershed have a
common strategy and action plan for land & water use and that actions
do not adversely affect resources/ecosystems for future generations
• Multiple stakeholder and intersectoral process: Facilitate and enable
stakeholders to cooperative and coordinate interventions through
participatory, integrated watershed management plan
• Document & demonstrate multiple benefits: Support local actors to
monitor and document process, results and impacts  lessons learned,
case studies, data for convincing Governments to invest in scaling up
SLM/ watershed management (local, national, global benefits)

32. Lessons: 4. Scaling up requires collaboration among
multiple actors/levels & scales (bottom up & topdown)
River basin
Watershed
Catchment
Farm
Farmers Community
Basin
Herders Local authorities
Technical
Sectors
National or River
Authority
better data and information on LW resources  better governance, planning,
management by various users for improved productivity and water use efficiency

33. Lesson 5: Appropriate Institutional
arrangements at all levels
Community & Catchment planning
• Local diagnosis  Community action plan
• Fund + train service providers
District land use planning and support
• Integrate SLM in district plan & budget
• Partnership (investment, credit, PES…)
• SLM Knowledge: Training materials + media
• Regulations: bye laws & conflict resolution
• Multi-sector approaches
Strengthening Governance
• Participatory negotiated territorial approaches
• Harmonize & Implement national strategies
• Long term vision, rolling plan based on results based monitoring

34. Lessons: 6. Raise awareness of policy makers make a
convincing case for investment
Degradation scenario
• Runoff, erosion, flash floods
• Soil erosion & nutrient decline
• Disrupt flow regime & water quality
• Reduce soil, ground & surface water
supply
• Eutrophication effects on aquatic life;
• Siltation- reduced capacity of dams; loss
of wetland regulatory& buffer functions
Loss of natural capital, Poverty, Food
insecurity, risk, migration to cities
•
•
•
•
Alternative winwin scenarioRestore ecological services
Soil health & nutrient cycling,
Hydrological regime...
Carbon sequestration (soil, biomass
Biodiversity- pollination, pest &
disease control;
• Productivity, + Income
• Climate change A & M
• Socio-cultural (wellbeing, food
security, tourism)
Integrated watershed / landscape management strategy &
investment will generate multiple benefits (Agriculture + Food
security, combating land degradation (NAP), sustainable use of biodiversity
(NBSAP) , climate change (NAPA, NAMA) and poverty alleviation