Sustainable water infrastructure and ecosystems 

The interaction between climate change and agricultural intensification contributes to biodiversity loss, while widespread degradation of land and water undermine food system productivity. Agroecological principles aim to guide food systems transformation but rarely refer to water or aquatic foods, which are critical elements of nutritious, sustainable and equitable food systems. Here we examine the principles and frameworks presented in agroecological literature and suggest rephrasing of six of the principles to incorporate water, aquatic foods and land- to seascapes. We recommend three cross-sectoral actions that leverage aquatic features in agroecosystems to facilitate more effective transition pathways towards sustainable food systems.

1. As climate change impacts intensify, water-related problems and the vulnerability of small-scale agricultural producers are expected to increase, suggesting the need for an inclusive and integrated management of water resources. This requires understanding the system and mapping the stakeholders, among other things. 2. This study was conducted in the Borkena and Mille catchments of the Awash River basin, Ethiopia. It aimed to improve the understanding of how to improve the effectiveness of agricultural water management practices and water resource planning to address the vulnerability of small-scale agricultural producers and draw implications for future stakeholder participation. 3. Data were collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, literature reviews, and observation. The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework was used to assess the systemapos;s state and its implications for the vulnerability of small-scale agricultural producers. Stakeholder analyses involved mapping the stakeholders, examining their power and power resources, and evaluating their interest, influence, participation, trust levels, and dynamics of exclusion and empowerment. 4. The results suggested that the natural and agricultural systems in both catchments are degrading, though multiple responses are implemented regarding agricultural water management practices. 5. Diverse groups of stakeholders, such as development organizations, academic and research organizations, local administrative bodies, subregional policy and decision-makers, communities and community-based organizations, civil society organizations, donors, and nongovernmental organizations, participate in the planning, design, and implementation of agricultural water management practices. 6. The stakeholder indicated multiple strategies such as promoting community participation and participatory decision-making, aligning plans with communitiesapos; priorities and interests, improving collaboration and integration, improving access to resources, providing targeted capacity building and continuous awareness raising, and improving the implementation of policies and strategies to improve the effectiveness of interventions and address the vulnerability of small-scale agricultural producers. 7. Stakeholders have perceived strong legitimacy, but most of them have very little or no access and control over resources and connections with other stakeholder groups. Furthermore, stakeholders showed similarities in strategic options, differences in degree of influence, and demonstrated moderate to considerable trust in others. The alliance or relationship of most stakeholder groups in terms of coordinated action and coproduction using common resources was found to be weak, and most of the stakeholders lack competencies (that is, basic skills to plan, design, and implement interventions). 8. We argue that a relatively weak relationship or alliance in terms of coordinated action and co-produ

Study Region: Shilansha is a watershed located in the Upper Bilate River of the Rift Valley Lake Basin in southern Ethiopia. The region experiences extreme soil water-erosion among the greatest rates globally at 498 tons ha- 1 yr- 1 leading to large quantities of sediment accumulation in Lake Abaya. Study Focus: Surface runoff, soil water-erosion, and sediment loads in the region vary with agricultural seasons and rainfall intensities but are often poorly quantified in modeling studies. This study assessed these effects using the event-based physically based distributed open-source Limburg Soil Water Erosion Model (OpenLISEM), incorporating local field data and multi-sensor satellite data processed with machine learning techniques. New Hydrological Insights: During the fallow season, simulated surface runoff and total soil loss were 9.7 % and 47 % larger than the growing season and 0.9 % and 42 % larger than the harvest season, respectively. Compared to moderate intensity, an 87 % increase in high rainfall intensity increased surface runoff by 159 % and soil loss by 295 %, while a 45 % decrease in low rainfall intensity reduced surface runoff by 49 % and soil loss by 85 %. High rainfall intensity had a greater impact when combined with fallow season land cover, while effects were smallest when low rainfall intensity combined with growing season land cover. A calibrated model parameter set for a particular season resulted in deteriorated model performance when applied to other seasons. These findings offer insights on the importance of considering seasonal changes in land cover and rainfall intensity when developing soil and water conservation strategies.

Since its introduction at the 2015 UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference, the concept of land degradation neutrality (LDN) has guided countries’ efforts to restore land for sustainable socio-economic and environmental benefits. LDN aims to balance reductions in land quality with initiatives to rehabilitate degraded land. However, due to budget constraints, it is not feasible to address all degraded land, necessitating strategic decisions about where to invest resources. This study, using Ethiopia as a case study, aimed to: (i) assess the long-term (1995 - 2024) land degradation trends, (ii) identify areas of net land loss or gain, (iii) prioritize regions and actions for addressing LDN, and (iv) evaluate the impact of Ethiopia’s landscape management initiatives on LDN. The analysis of LULC changes and the observed landscape transformation across diverse agroecological zones yielded mixed results. While some areas, such as the dry Kolla and dry Weyna Dega regions, showed improvement, others, including the dry Dega and der Berha zones, experienced continued degradation. These variations affected the three main objectives of LDN: healthy ecosystems, food security, and human well-being. The ongoing landscape transformation, driven by LULC changes, underscores the need for more comprehensive strategies to mitigate further degradation and restore affected lands. Our findings regarding LDN trajectories, such as a 6 % reduction in degraded land between 2010 and 2024, suggest that national LDN implementation, through diverse Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices, is essential for achieving the country’s LDN goals. However, LDN outcomes varied across Ethiopia’s agroecological zones, influenced by differences in environmental conditions, land use practices, and socio-economic factors. This highlights the necessity for tailored solutions, an understanding of varying restoration potentials, targeted resource allocations, and a focus on prioritizing the most vulnerable areas. Additionally, documenting both the successes and challenges of Ethiopia’s restoration efforts, enhancing the effectiveness of its landscape management initiatives, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of its SLM practices are critical for achieving LDN.