Assessment of the functioning and impact of land and water contracts

The overall aim of this study is to assess the impact of the different forms of land and water contract arrangements on land management and efficiency of resource use at plot level in irrigated farming systems of the highlands.

Background

Most rural households in Ethiopia produce for subsistence and the level of production is not sufficient to fulfil their needs due to poor production of the rainfed farming. The use of productivity enhancing inputs in the rainfed agriculture is also at low level. Particularly, in the drylands of northern Ethiopia, the risk of crop failure makes farmers reluctant to apply productivity-enhancing inputs such as fertiliser and improved seeds. Such yield risk can be reduced by soil and water conservation practices as well as by development of water management techniques. A concerted effort is being made to alleviate the precarious food shortage and poverty situation in Ethiopia by focusing on agriculture productivity through measures that combine land conservation and water management.

However, markets for land and water in Ethiopia are poorly developed due to policy restrictions on free transaction of land and water resources. This may discourage investment in improving and maintaining conservation and irrigation structures, and efficient utilization of scarce irrigation water and irrigable land. In the absence of well-developed markets, communities commonly practice short-duration contracts arrangements. A wide range of contract forms are practised world-wide such as fixed rental, sharecropping and wage labour (Ellis, 1993). Contract systems to be sustainable should lead to better efficiency in resource use in both the short- and long- term and contribute towards poverty reduction (Tesfay, 2006).

Objectives

The purpose of the project is to characterize the function of land and water transactions at micro-level in irrigation systems in the highlands of Ethiopia and generate information that will be used by different stakeholders for sustainable development of irrigated production systems and contributes to food security. Understanding the implications of different forms of land and water contracts under irrigated systems for efficiency of production and equity has great relevance for the land-tenure related policy discussions in Ethiopia.

Specifically, the research project aims to:

Identify and characterise the different land and water contracts/transactions evolving under irrigated production systems in the highlands of Tigray and Amhara regions

Quantitatively evaluate the potential productivity effects of the different forms of land and water contracts and their implication for water resource development of the drylands

Identify the household socioeconomic, institutional and biophysical factors associated with the difference in productivity of land and water contract systems

Evaluate the gender impact of the land and water contracts

Identify policy potions for increased productivity and gender equity of land and water contracts under irrigation in the highlands of northern Ethiopia

Activites

The following specific activities will be carried out under this research project:

  • Research planning meeting with relevant offices in Tigray and Amhara regions and sample irrigation sites selection
  • Survey at community and household levels
  • Data analysis and report writing
  • Workshops to popularise research results and get stakeholders feedback
  • Preparation of manuscripts and publishing
  • Advocacy work

Expected Results

Since the literature on water and land contracts in Ethiopia is scanty, there is a need to study the extent of the practises and understand their functioning, evaluate their impact on agricultural production and on the environment, and identify existing socio-economic and physical constraints on their functioning. Therefore, this project will contribute to improved understanding of land and water tenure issues affecting the success of irrigation development in Ethiopia. It will:

  • develop typology of land and water contracts/transaction in the study area
  • identify the link between tenure factors, irrigation development, and land management
  • lead to better/increased understanding of the effect of contract arrangements on access to irrigable land and irrigation water to poor households with a particular focus on women
  • identify policy ideas for enhancement of the role of irrigation development for food security and equitable growth