This study analyses the institutional and organizational arrangements of irrigation water management and identifies the determinants of collective action and its effectiveness in managing communal irrigation schemes in the districts of Atsbi Wemberta (Tigray region) and Ada’a (Oromiya region), Ethiopia. Results are based on data collected from a survey of 169 groups (communities) and 22 scheme level focus group interviews. All tabias which have irrigation projects that operated, in year 2006/07 are included. Analysis of descriptive and econometric methods are used.

Este trabalho se refere ao desenvolvimento de um modelo computacional para suporte à tomada de decisão, quanto ao planejamento e manejo de projetos de irrigação e/ou drenagem. O modelo computacional, denominado MCID, é aplicável em nível de unidade de produção, gerando informações sobre como diferentes práticas de manejo da irrigação e configurações do sistema de drenagem afetam a produtividade e o retorno financeiro.

In Ethiopian development policies, pastoralist areas have recently attracted more attention. However, much debate and policy advice is still based on assumptions that see a sedentary lifestyle as the desirable development outcome for pastoralist communities. This paper investigates current practices of collective action and how these are affected by changing property rights in the pastoralist and agro-pastoralist economies of three selected sites in eastern Ethiopia.

Part of a series of development reports, this paper highlights the key challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA). In particular, it aims to show how water is integrated into the wider economic policies of the countries of the region and for that reason, it brings water issues to non-water specialists, addressing a multi-sectoral audience. It is argued that despite its diversity of landscapes and climates - from the snowy peaks of the Atlas mountains to the empty quarter of the Arabian peninsula - most of the region’s countries cannot meet current water demand.