Water, Land and Ecosystems - Jordan

Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Jordan: The effects of mechanized micro water harvesting on hill-slope scale soil water and vegetation dynamics

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 12:40:10 +0000

TypeReport

Subjects

Climate change
Land Management
Soil

Languageen

Authors

Strohmeier, S.
Fukai, S.
Haddad, M.
AlNsour, M.
Mudabber, M.
Akimoto, K.
Yamamoto, S.
Evett, S. R.
Oweis, T.

Overexploitation and climate change accelerates the degradation of Jordan’s arid rangelands. Uncovered and crusted soils increase runoff and erosion and hinder the emergence of native vegetation. Micro water harvesting combined With shrub-seedling plantation has been widely applied to reverse land degradation trends. However, consequential soil water and vegetation dynamics have been rarely assessed, which constrains further out- scaling of the rehabilitation practice to complex environments. In Jordan, an experiment was set up to study the linkages between local rainfall characteristics, soil moisture, and the development of out-planted shrub-seedlings. Soil moisture was recorded at approximately weekly time-interval during the rainy and dry season 2017/2018 using a manually operated soil water sensor. Transect monitoring was pursued up and down the slope across four micro water harvesting pits and the interspaces. Data confirmed a significant soil moisture increase inside the pits - bridging intra-seasonal dry spells and soil water potentially deep-percolated into the karstic bedrock underneath. The study found that the out-planted shrubs’ stem diameter and height predominantly increased during post rainy season when the interspaces dried up while the pits continued providing moisture. The results are promising and contribute to integrated research towards halting land degradation and sustainable agro-pastoral development.

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Citation

Strohmeier, S.; Fukai, S.; Haddad, M.; AlNsour, M.; Mudabber, M.; Akimoto, K.; Yamamoto, S.; Evett, S. R.; Oweis, T. 2021. Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Jordan: The effects of mechanized micro water harvesting on hill-slope scale soil water and vegetation dynamics. Journal of Arid Environments, 185.

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/117239

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Synthesis of community-based watershed rehabilitation and management activities in Jordan and Afghanistan – towards out-scaling

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 12:40:10 +0000

TypeReport

Subjects

Land Management
Water Management
Watersheds

Languageen

Authors

Strohmeier, S.

ICARDA, in affiliation with the CGIAR Research Program on Water Land and Ecosystems (WLE), has undertaken various community-based watershed activities with its local country partners. ICARDA’s portfolio includes the ongoing watershed rehabilitation and management activities in Jordan and past bilateral projects conducted in, e.g., Afghanistan. The agropastoral Rehabilitation approach conducted in Jordan has considerable potential for out-scaling and is under evaluation through an ongoing WLE initiative targeting the marginal drylands in south-eastern Ethiopia. Pursuing an ex-ante out-scaling approach (through modeling) builds on well-selected socioecological criteria and limitations and considers the experiences and lessons learned from previous project activities.

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Citation

Strohmeier, S. 2021. Synthesis of community-based watershed rehabilitation and management activities in Jordan and Afghanistan – towards out-scaling. Jordan: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

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Limited Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/117238

Solutions

People and water: understanding integrated systems needs integrated approaches

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 12:38:51 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Carr, Gemma
Barendrecht, M. H.
Debevec, Liza
Kuil, L.
Bloschl, G.

As we rapidly modify the environment around us, researchers have a critical role to play in raising our understanding of the interactions between people and the world in which they live. Knowledge and understanding of these interactions are essential for evidence based decision-making on resource use and risk management. In this paper, we explore three research case studies that illustrate co-evolution between people and water systems. In each case study, we highlight how different knowledge and understanding, stemming from different disciplines, can be integrated by complementing narratives with a quantitative modelling approach. We identify several important research practices that must be taken into account when modelling people-water systems: transparency, grounding the model in sound theory, supporting it with the most robust data possible, communicating uncertainty, recognising that there is no ‘one true model’ and diversity in the modelling team. To support interdisciplinary research endeavours, we propose a three-point plan: (1) demonstrating and emphasising that interdisciplinary collaboration can both address existing research questions and identify new, previously unknown questions at the interface between the disciplines; (2) supporting individual interdisciplinary learning at all career stages and (3) developing group practices and a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Carr, G.; Barendrecht, M. H.; Debevec, Liza; Kuil, L.; Bloschl, G. 2020. People and water: understanding integrated systems needs integrated approaches. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-AQUA, 69(8):819-832. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2020.055]

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Open Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111070

Increasing irrigation efficiency in Jordan: demand and supply side constraints and opportunities. Report prepared by the International Water Management Institute for Mercy Corps’ “Water Innovation Technologies” Project

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeReport

Languageen

Authors

Balasubramanya, Soumya
Kafle, Kashi
Stifel, David

Citation

Balasubramanya, Soumya; Kafle, Kashi; Stifel, David. 2019. Increasing irrigation efficiency in Jordan: demand and supply side constraints and opportunities. Report prepared by the International Water Management Institute for Mercy Corps’ “Water Innovation Technologies” Project. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI).. 58p.

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Limited Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107112

Resource recovery from waste: business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countries

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeBook

Languageen

Authors

Otoo, Miriam
Drechsel, Pay

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Citation

Otoo, Miriam; Drechsel, Pay. (Eds.) 2018. Resource recovery from waste: business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countries. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. 816p.

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Open Access

Research Themes

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/93011

Viability gap funding (As Samra, Jordan) - Case Study

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeBook Chapter

Languageen

Authors

Drechsel, Pay
Danso, George K.
Hanjra, Munir A.

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Citation

Drechsel, Pay; Danso, G. K.; Hanjra, Munir A. 2018. Viability gap funding (As Samra, Jordan) - Case Study. In Otoo, Miriam; Drechsel, Pay (Eds.). Resource recovery from waste: business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countries. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.642-655.

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Open Access

Research Themes

Rural-Urban Linkages

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/93280

Wastewater for agriculture, forestry and aquaculture - Section iv

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeBook Chapter

Languageen

Authors

Drechsel, Pay
Hanjra, Munir A.

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Citation

Drechsel, Pay; Hanjra, Munir A. (Eds.) 2018. Wastewater for agriculture, forestry and aquaculture - Section iv. In Otoo, Miriam; Drechsel, Pay (Eds.). Resource recovery from waste: business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countries. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.548-774.

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Open Access

Research Themes

Rural-Urban Linkages

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/10568/93288

Global Geo-informatics Options by Context (GeOC) Tool for Supporting Better Targeting and Scaling-out of Sustainable Land Management: Designing the System and Use Cases.

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeOther

Subjects

Land Management
Decision support systems

Languageen

Authors

Le, Quang Bao
Thomas, Richard
Bonaiuti, Enrico

Sustainable Land Management (SLM) are required to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). SLM options are fitted to the social, economic and ecological contexts. The high contextual diversity of drylands in particular prevents the design and application of 'uniform blanket' policies to promote SLM over large scales where significant impact is expected. To address this challenge the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems (CRP-DS) has initiated a web-based geoinformatic tool for overviewing, comparative assessing and co-learning SLM options fitted to the social-ecological context at global, regional and national scales. This Global Geo-informatic Options by Context (GeOC) tool aims to support the implementation of SLM practices by the local and international communities and to help countries report on their commitments to achieving LDN via the UNCCD and Sustainable Development Goal 15. This working paper presents the concepts and technical frameworks designing the GeOC and its typical use cases. The GeOC tool is designed to provide land users, projects/programmes and policy decision-makers with plausible, robust extrapolation domains for guiding decisions on the selection and use of SLM options, and an open platform for docking different disciplinary projects into integrative/holistic and converging actions for promoting SLM at scale. It integrates standardized SLM databases such as WOCAT with spatially explicit data on socio-ecological drivers and impacts of land use/management practices to derive plausible soil and water conservation options across different contexts. The tool is based on a systems framework, is scientifically sound and able to cope with the high level of contextual diversity. It can improve linkages among different scales and kinds of data that are essential for SLM implementation, evaluation and out-scaling. By offering common use functions, it is easy-to-use with multiple languages and is an interoperable online tool. It is flexible to allow for continuous improvements and customizations. Its utility is increased by our use-case approach that provides multiple entry points for diverse needs and preferences of users. A typical use-case is a sequence of limited steps that describes the interactions between a typical user and the information system to accomplish a typical goal. We designed three typical use cases of the tool: (1) searching for implemented SLM options within a user-defined context, (2) searching similar contexts for a given SLM option, and (3) evaluation of land degradation/improvement by context that would be important for assessing gaps in achieving LDN.

Citation

Le, Quang Bao; Thomas, Richard; Bonaiuti, Enrico. 2017. Global Geo-informatics Options by Context (GeOC) Tool for Supporting Better Targeting and Scaling-out of Sustainable Land Management: Designing the System and Use Cases. Amman, Jordan: The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

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Open Access

Research Themes

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99770

Solutions

Landscape Restoration

Climate Change Impacts on Surface Water Availability & Management of Jordan's Zarqa River Basin Using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT).

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeConference Proceedings

Subjects

Climate change
Water Availability
Soil

Languageen

Authors

Haddad, Mira
Rahbeh, Michel
Strohmeier, Stefan
Ziadat, Feras M.

Zarqa River Basin (ZRB) is among Jordan's most important surface water basins, hosting the country's major cities and industry, and providing water for agricultural production within the basin and beyond. ZRB's surface runoff dilutes the treated wastewater of Khirbat As-Samra plant, mainly discharged by Greater Amman's and Zarqa's wastewater, before reaching King Talal Dam and further downstream covering up irrigation water demands of the Jordan Valley. Due to deforestation, intensive agriculture and overgrazing large areas of ZRB became vulnerable to soil erosion and thus land degradation - whereas the eroded sediments of the basin eventually accumulate in King Talal Reservoir and consequently decrease the impoundment's storage capacity. On top of this, the changing climate affects both quantity and the occurrence pattern of rainfall potentially speeding up land degradation and water storage loss of the King Talal Reservoir. A hydrological model was set-up to better understand the spatial pattern of surface water affected by various Soil and Water Conservation interventions within the basin and thus to reflect the landscape's response to 1) actual, as well as 2) future climatic conditions of different rainfall and temperature chaning scenarios; using different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) from the highest available resolution data of the Global Circulation Models (GCMs). This contributes to the assessment future surface water availability - to increase preparedness for the predicted climatic changes and to support the development of mitigation strategies align with the Jordanian water sector management plans.

Citation

Mira Haddad, Michel Rahbeh, Stefan Strohmeier, Feras M. Ziadat. 2017. Climate Change Impacts on Surface Water Availability & Management of Jordan's Zarqa River Basin Using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) . Jordan.

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Limited Access

Research Themes

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99742

Solutions

Restoring Degraded Rangelands in Jordan: Optimizing Mechanized Micro Water Harvesting using Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM).

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeConference Paper

Subjects

Land degradation
Hydrology

Languageen

Authors

Strohmeier, Stefan
Haddad, Mira
Vries, Job de
Saba, Muna
Obeidat, Eiylaf Fawzi
Nouwakpo, Sayjro

Jordan's rangelands, the so called Badia, home of the Bedouins, are threatened through a combination of over-exploitation of the ecosystem services and a changing climate towards drier seasons and highly erratic rainfalls. In the recent decades, the once productive grazing lands transformed into sparsely vegetated and crusted desert grounds not capable of retaining the sporadic rainwater within the landscape - and consequential surface runoff inevitably accelerates soil erosion and gullying. To counter-measure the imminent rangeland degradation the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is investigating mechanized micro Water Harvesting (WH) based restoration technique using the Vallerani plow. This technique intermediately breaks up the crusted surface soil layers and hard pans to approximately 50cm depth. Thus, creating dispersed micro-catchments, well-protected and suitable for the plantation of shrub seedlings, supporting the initial vegetation growth and eventually leading to shrub-island evolvement over the landscape. However, optimum design, particularly the spacing between the WH plow lines, depend on various environmental conditions. In this research, Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) was used to assess degraded rangeland hydrological response to transparently suggest on WH layout optimized for the magnitudes and the occurrence probabilities of runoff, soil erosion and sediment accumulation affecting the storage capacity of the micro-catchments. The study combined physical based modeling and ground truthing through different runoff and sediment related experiments. Preliminary results demonstrate good potential of the RHEM-based WH design approach; case study results will be presented for the first time at the conference. Eventually, a fully developed rangeland assessment system will support transparent target area selection and sound WH design interlinked with a risk analysis approach that accounts for the variable environmental patterns of the Badia.

Citation

Strohmeier, Stefan; Haddad, Mira; Vries, Job de; Saba, Muna; Obeidat, Eiylaf Fawzi; Nouwakpo, Sayjro. 2017. Restoring Degraded Rangelands in Jordan: Optimizing Mechanized Micro Water Harvesting using Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM). Spain.

Accessibility

Open Access

Research Themes

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99741

Solutions

Landscape Restoration