IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v204y2018icp11-16.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Soil water management practices (terraces) helped to mitigate the 2015 drought in Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Kosmowski, Frédéric

Abstract

While the benefits of soil water management practices relative to soil erosion have been extensively documented, evidence regarding their effect on yields is inconclusive. Following a strong El-Niño, some regions of Ethiopia experienced major droughts during the 2015/16 agricultural season. Using the propensity scores method on a nationally representative survey in Ethiopia, this study investigates the effect of two widely adopted soil water management practices – terraces and contour bunds – on yields and assesses their potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. It is shown that at the national level, terraced plots have slightly lower yields than non-terraced plots. However, data support the hypothesis that terraced plots acted as a buffer against the 2015 Ethiopian drought, while contour bunds did not. This study provides evidence that terraces have the potential to help farmer deal with current climate risks. These results can inform the design of climate change adaptation policies and improve targeting of soil water management practices in Ethiopia.

Suggested Citation

  • Kosmowski, Frédéric, 2018. "Soil water management practices (terraces) helped to mitigate the 2015 drought in Ethiopia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 11-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:204:y:2018:i:c:p:11-16
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2018.02.025
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377418301203
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.02.025?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James J. Heckman & Hidehiko Ichimura & Petra E. Todd, 1997. "Matching As An Econometric Evaluation Estimator: Evidence from Evaluating a Job Training Programme," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 64(4), pages 605-654.
    2. Edward Kato & Claudia Ringler & Mahmud Yesuf & Elizabeth Bryan, 2011. "Soil and water conservation technologies: a buffer against production risk in the face of climate change? Insights from the Nile basin in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 42(5), pages 593-604, September.
    3. Adgo, Enyew & Teshome, Akalu & Mati, Bancy, 2013. "Impacts of long-term soil and water conservation on agricultural productivity: The case of Anjenie watershed, Ethiopia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 55-61.
    4. Amsalu, Aklilu & de Graaff, Jan, 2007. "Determinants of adoption and continued use of stone terraces for soil and water conservation in an Ethiopian highland watershed," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 294-302, March.
    5. Shiferaw, Bekele & Holden, Stein T., 2001. "Farm-level benefits to investments for mitigating land degradation: empirical evidence from Ethiopia," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(3), pages 335-358, July.
    6. Sekhon, Jasjeet S., 2011. "Multivariate and Propensity Score Matching Software with Automated Balance Optimization: The Matching package for R," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 42(i07).
    7. Raes, D. & Kafiriti, E.M. & Wellens, J. & Deckers, J. & Maertens, A. & Mugogo, S. & Dondeyne, S. & Descheemaeker, K., 2007. "Can soil bunds increase the production of rain-fed lowland rice in south eastern Tanzania?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 229-235, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Imtiaz Alam Khan & Muhammad Rafiq & Sanaullah Panezai & Shahab E. Saqib & Raza Ullah & Muhammad Atiq, 2022. "How do farmers cope with climate change? An analysis of alternative adaptation strategies in drought-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—Pakistan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(3), pages 2259-2275, July.
    2. Assefa Abegaz & Ashenafi Ali & Lulseged Tamene & Wuletawu Abera & Jo U. Smith, 2022. "Modeling long-term attainable soil organic carbon sequestration across the highlands of Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 5131-5162, April.
    3. Gebremedn Tesfaye & Tena Alamirew & Asfaw Kebede & Gete Zeleke, 2018. "Institutional Functionality in Participatory Integrated Watershed Development of Tana Sub-Basin, Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-17, November.
    4. Meron Tadesse & Belay Simane & Wuletawu Abera & Lulseged Tamene & Gebermedihin Ambaw & John W. Recha & Kindu Mekonnen & Getamesay Demeke & Abebe Nigussie & Dawit Solomon, 2021. "The Effect of Climate-Smart Agriculture on Soil Fertility, Crop Yield, and Soil Carbon in Southern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-11, April.
    5. Abyiot Teklu & Belay Simane & Mintewab Bezabih, 2023. "Effect of Climate Smart Agriculture Innovations on Climate Resilience among Smallholder Farmers: Empirical Evidence from the Choke Mountain Watershed of the Blue Nile Highlands of Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-26, February.
    6. Wouterse, Fleur & Andrijevic, Marina & Schaeffer, Michiel, 2022. "The microeconomics of adaptation: Evidence from smallholders in Ethiopia and Niger," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    7. Chen, Die & Wei, Wei & Chen, Liding, 2020. "How can terracing impact on soil moisture variation in China? A meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    8. Lun Yang & Moucheng Liu & Fei Lun & Qingwen Min & Canqiang Zhang & Heyao Li, 2018. "Livelihood Assets and Strategies among Rural Households: Comparative Analysis of Rice and Dryland Terrace Systems in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Wu, Bingfang & Ma, Zonghan & Boken, Vijendra K. & Zeng, Hongwei & Shang, Jiali & Igor, Savin & Wang, Jinxia & Yan, Nana, 2022. "Regional differences in the performance of drought mitigation measures in 12 major wheat-growing regions of the world," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    10. Daniel El Chami & André Daccache & Maroun El Moujabber, 2020. "How Can Sustainable Agriculture Increase Climate Resilience? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-23, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Getnet, Kindie & MacAlister, Charlotte, 2012. "Integrated innovations and recommendation domains: Paradigm for developing, scaling-out, and targeting rainwater management innovations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 34-41.
    2. Wolka, Kebede & Mulder, Jan & Biazin, Birhanu, 2018. "Effects of soil and water conservation techniques on crop yield, runoff and soil loss in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 67-79.
    3. Wolka, Kebede & Sterk, Geert & Biazin, Birhanu & Negash, Mesele, 2018. "Benefits, limitations and sustainability of soil and water conservation structures in Omo-Gibe basin, Southwest Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-10.
    4. Issahaku, Gazali & Abdulai, Awudu, "undated". "Adaptation to Climate Change and its influence on Household Welfare in Ghana," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 259938, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Dula Etana & Denyse J. R. M. Snelder & Cornelia F. A. van Wesenbeeck & Tjard de Cock Buning, 2021. "The Impact of Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability on the Livelihood of Smallholder Farmers in Central Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Barakagira Alex & Ndungo Isaiah, 2023. "Watershed management and climate change adaptation mechanisms used by people living in dryland areas of Lokere catchment in Karamoja, Uganda," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 45-57, March.
    7. Siddique Abu Bakkar, 2020. "Identity-based Earning Discrimination among Chinese People," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-42, January.
    8. Suresh Kumar & Dharam Raj Singh & Alka Singh & Naveen Prakash Singh & Girish Kumar Jha, 2020. "Does Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practice Enhance Productivity and Reduce Risk Exposure? Empirical Evidence from Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT), India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Wendimu, Mengistu Assefa & Henningsen, Arne & Gibbon, Peter, 2016. "Sugarcane Outgrowers in Ethiopia: “Forced” to Remain Poor?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 84-97.
    10. Ferraro, Paul J. & Miranda, Juan José, 2014. "The performance of non-experimental designs in the evaluation of environmental programs: A design-replication study using a large-scale randomized experiment as a benchmark," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 107(PA), pages 344-365.
    11. Modou Mar & Nadine Massard, 2021. "Animate the cluster or subsidize collaborative R&D? A multiple overlapping treatments approach to assess the impacts of the French cluster policy [The impact of R&D subsidies on R&D employment comp," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 30(4), pages 845-867.
    12. Alice Turinawe & Lars Drake & Johnny Mugisha, 2015. "Adoption intensity of soil and water conservation technologies: a case of South Western Uganda," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 711-730, August.
    13. Pauline Leung & Zhuan Pei,, 2020. "Further Education During Unemployment," Working Papers 642, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    14. Kumar, Suresh & Singh, Dharm Raj & Mondal, Biswajit & Palanisamy, Venkatesh & Kumar, Anil, 2021. "Does Adoption of Soil Bund Increase Sorghum Productivity? Some Empirical Evidence from Drought Prone Areas of Karnataka, India," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315343, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Abyiot Teklu & Belay Simane & Mintewab Bezabih, 2022. "Effectiveness of Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovations in Smallholder Agriculture System in Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-26, December.
    16. Fontes, Francisco Pereira, 2020. "Soil and Water Conservation technology adoption and labour allocation: Evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    17. Gary King & Christopher Lucas & Richard A. Nielsen, 2017. "The Balance‐Sample Size Frontier in Matching Methods for Causal Inference," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 61(2), pages 473-489, April.
    18. Wang-Sheng Lee, 2013. "Propensity score matching and variations on the balancing test," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 47-80, February.
    19. Wichman, Casey J. & Ferraro, Paul J., 2017. "A cautionary tale on using panel data estimators to measure program impacts," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 82-90.
    20. Devin Caughey & Sara Chatfield, 2020. "Causal inference and American political development: contrasts and complementarities," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 185(3), pages 359-376, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:204:y:2018:i:c:p:11-16. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.