Livestock interact with the environment directly or indirectly in the process of their production. The interaction with the water resources is also direct or indirect and can be positive or negative depending on the system of production. In the study area of this work, the mixed croplivestock production is the main type of livestock production by smallhoder subsistence farmers where cattle are reared for dairying. The study was done as a case study of two selected PA’s of the wereda. One part of this research was to describe the dairy cattle water interaction.

This paper on Water for Rural Development is divided into two parts. The first part outlines the most important issues from IWMI's point of view on water for rural development, with a focus on developing countries. This part identifies, discusses and provides recommendations for key areas for interventions in water resources development and management in the context of rural development. The second part of the document provides analyses of present and future water resources in the World Bank's defined regions.

Coping with water scarcity and growing competition for water among different sectors requires proper water management strategies and decision processes. A prerequisite is a clear understanding of the basin hydrological processes, manageable and unmanageable water flows, the interaction with land use and opportunities to mitigate the negative effects and increase the benefits of water depletion on society. Currently, water professionals do not have a common framework that links depletion to user groups of water and their benefits.