Water Availability And Crop Production May Increase In Ethiopia Due To Climate Change

Ethiopia is different from other nations affected by climate change. This is because the region benefits from climate change by having increased water availability in the coming decades, according to a new study.

The study was just printed in the journal Climatic Change. It was led by researchers from Virginia Tech. The team speculated that the water availability in the Blue Nile Basin may augment in the coming decades because of climate change. This may boost the crop production, hydroelectric power projects and promote irrigation, according to Science Daily.

In the study, the team used acclimate and hydrologic models to foresee the impact of climate change on water availability and sediment transport in the Blue Nile Basin. The results showed that there is 20 to 30 percent more streamflow available in the area in the coming decades, according to the researchers. In the past studies, they only found an increased rate of water availability of 10 percent.

On the other hand, there would be an increased in sediment transport in the rivers because of the increased water flow. This would lessen the capacity of reservoirs and dams in storing the water.

Zach Easton, an associate professor of biological systems engineering, said that greater water availability is a positive outcome. On the other hand, this is countered by more sediment. He further said that one way to overcome this is through installing conservation practices on farms such as using cover crops and low and no-till planting methods. This would make the soil healthier, more stable and lessen the erosion.

Easton continued that the Blue Nile Basin is about 5,000 feet in elevation. This would potentially good for agriculture, water availability and low disease and pest pressure. Certainly, the climate change could benefit the Blue Nile Basin with an increased rainfall in the region.

Ethiopia has almost 100 million inhabitants, making it the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second most populous nation in Africa. It has a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometers and its capital is Addis Ababa, which is also the largest city in Ethiopia.