Adaptive management of groundwater resources for small scale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa (AMGRAF)

非洲的地下水储量是每年可再生淡水资源的100多倍，是湖泊储水量的20倍，但在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA），地下水的生产利用仍然很低。从1950年到2000年，全球地下水的采掘量增加了10倍，大大促进了灌溉的增长，特别是在亚洲。据估计，全球配备灌溉设备的面积为301 Mha，其中38%依赖地下水，但在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA），只有5.7%的灌溉面积由地下水支持。就像在亚洲一样，南亚地区可能会出现地下水灌溉的快速扩张。尽管来自亚洲的证据表明，与大规模运河灌溉相比，地下水灌溉促进了更大的人际、性别、阶级和空间公平，但SSA地下水资源的快速开发可能导致资源利用不公平的重大风险。有必要进行研究，提供证据和适当的工具，以支持可持续的资源管理，并确保穷人获得地下水资源。本研究将解决以下问题：1：地下水如何以及以什么速度补给？可交付成果：提高了对地方和流域规模的补给过程的理解；包括考虑土地利用和集水的影响。能否开发一种工具来帮助决策者管理资源？可交付成果：在地方（社区）和集水区规模开发和测试的工具，以协助决策者管理地下水资源。3：土地用途的改变会带来什么影响？可交付成果：增进了对土地利用、集水和绿水流动对地下水补给影响的证据基础的了解。4：气候变化的影响是什么？可交付成果：开发了缩小气候数据和构建情景的工具，并调查了对补给过程的可能影响。5 .政策和做法如何确保穷人的生计福利？可交付成果：提高对影响灌溉农业生产使用地下水的获取和控制的问题的理解。6：什么样的治理方法最有可能实现地下水的公平和可持续利用？可交付成果：参与性评价地方社区一级和国家/流域一级为在灌溉农业中公平和可持续地利用地下水所需的体制变革。纽卡斯尔大学和国际水管理研究所的一个多学科研究小组将与埃塞俄比亚、加纳和南非的当地合作伙伴一起进行为期一年的初步研究。这将提供一项试点研究并建立研究联盟。埃塞俄比亚的试点研究将处理从区域到地方范围的地下水资源评估和管理的技术和社会/管理方面的问题。塔纳湖盆地被选为合适的场地。同时，将在埃塞俄比亚、加纳和南非进行更多的探索性研究。将邀请主要利益攸关方参加旨在了解地下水资源知识现状的国内讲习班的协商。将查明可能影响后续研究设计的关键知识差距，并委托国内合作者进行短期研究。在为期1年的催化剂资助项目结束时，代表SSA合作伙伴、联合国新大学和IWMI的合作科学家将在亚的斯亚贝巴举行为期3天的研讨会，以回顾经验教训并商定后续4年研究项目的设计。

The volume of groundwater in Africa is more than 100 times the annual renewable freshwater resource and 20 times the amount of freshwater stored in lakes, but its productive use in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains low. Global abstraction of groundwater increased tenfold between 1950 and 2000 and contributed significantly to growth in irrigation particularly in Asia. The global area equipped for irrigation has been estimated as 301 Mha of which 38% depends on groundwater, but for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) only 5.7% of the irrigated area is supported by groundwater.Just as in Asia, rapid expansion of groundwater irrigation may be about to occur in SSA. Although evidence from Asia suggests that groundwater irrigation promotes greater inter-personal, inter-gender, inter-class and spatial equity than is found under large scale canal irrigation, there is a significant risk that rapid development of groundwater resources in SSA may lead to inequitable resource use. There is a need for research to deliver the evidence and appropriate tools to support sustainable resource management and to assure access to groundwater resources by poor people.This research will address the following questions:1: How and at what rate is groundwater being recharged? Deliverable: improved understanding of recharge processes at local and catchment scale; including consideration of influence of land use and water harvesting.2: Can a tool be developed to help decision makers manage the resource? Deliverable: tools developed and tested at local (community) and catchment scales to assist decision makers in managing groundwater resources.3: What are the implications of changes in land use? Deliverable: improved understanding of evidence base for influence of land use, water harvesting and green water flows on groundwater recharge.4: What are the implications of climate change? Deliverable: tools for downscaling climate data and constructing scenarios developed and likely influence on recharge processes investigated.5: How can policy and practice assure livelihood benefits for poor people? Deliverable: improved understanding of issues affecting access to and control of groundwater for productive use in irrigated agriculture.6: What governance approaches are most likely to deliver equitable and sustainable use of groundwater? Deliverable: participatory evaluation of institutional change required at local community level and at national/catchment level to achieve equitable and sustainable use of groundwater in irrigated agriculture.Preliminary research will be delivered over a 1 year period by a multi-disciplinary research team from Newcastle University and the International Water Management Institute together with local partners in Ethiopia, Ghana and South Africa. This will deliver a pilot study and build the research consortium. The pilot study in Ethiopia will address both technical and social/governance aspects of groundwater resource assessment and management from the regional to the local scale. Lake Tana basin has been selected as a suitable site. In parallel, additional exploratory research will be conducted in Ethiopia, Ghana and South Africa. Key stakeholders will be invited to participate in consultations at in-country workshops aimed at understanding current state of knowledge around groundwater resources. Critical knowledge gaps likely to influence design of follow-up research will be identified and in-country collaborators will be commissioned to carry out short term studies. At the end of the 1-year catalyst grant project collaborating scientists representing partners from SSA together with UNEW and IWMI will meet for 3-day workshop in Addis Ababa in order to review lessons learned and agree design of the follow-on 4-year research project.