1.2 Coordonnées des personnes-ressources et des institutions impliquées dans l'évaluation et la documentation de la Technologie

Nom du projet qui a facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

ICARDA Institutional Knowledge Management Initiative

Nom du ou des institutions qui ont facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) - Liban

1.3 Conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées

Le compilateur et la(les) personne(s) ressource(s) acceptent les conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées:

Oui

1.4 Déclaration sur la durabilité de la Technologie décrite

Est-ce que la Technologie décrite ici pose problème par rapport à la dégradation des terres, de telle sorte qu'elle ne peut pas être déclarée comme étant une technologie de gestion durable des terres?

Non

Commentaires:

This technology conserves soil and water; it reduces surface water and sediment losses from dryland watersheds. The technology is located in downstream/lowland floodplains, and ideally, it is implemented in an integrated watershed approach. In the present case study, the ‘Marab’ is linked with two main upstream measures: Upland micro-water harvesting (Vallerani system) and gully/channel measures (gully plugs)

2.1 Courte description de la Technologie

Définition de la Technologie:

The Marab is a local downstream water harvesting measure in an integrated watershed context, where up/midstream users and applied land management practices affect the Marab.
The technology diverts and spreads excess runoff over deep-soil flood plains. The technology comprises local gully-filling, grading/leveling of seed bed, and construction of a bund-and-spillway system creating several compartments for flood-irrigated agriculture.

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

Arid drylands of Jordan receive less than 200mm average annual rainfall. The specific site is located close by Al Majeddyeh village, around 30km south-east of Amman. The average annual rainfall at the site is around 130mm. The average temperature is above 18 degrees Celsius. The human environment is characterized by agro-pastoralists. These are farmers that live in permanent houses but transport their livestock to graze. As consequence of the natural environment and mis-management (e.g. overgrazing) desertification has been an increasingly problem, not only from an environmental perspective (e.g. carbon stocking; lack of water), but also from an socio-economic perspective, because desertification leads to reduced productive lands, consequently resulting in less income for the rural population.
Therefore, the aim of the technology is to achieve high-yield agriculture through flood/macro-catchment water harvesting in arid environments commonly unsuitable for field crop agriculture, creating beneficial impact for local land users. The high yield barley is fed to the livestock (goats and sheeps) of the local agro-pastoralists. Applied in an integrated watershed approach, it meets agricultural demands and motivates sustainable dryland ecosystem management in the uplands. The Marab-technology has a buffering effect on extreme runoff through water retention, for further use in downstream areas, including the trapping of relative fertile sediments from upstream. As the Marab increases yields, it also improves the livelihood of the local population.

The Marab-technology is a macro-catchment water harvesting technology. The Marab is located in the natural depression of the watershed (10 square kilometres), therefore most of the water from the watershed is captured here, instead of being spilled away. Combining this natural depression with the construction of bunds and specific soil leveling, leads to decreased run-off, thus highly increased water infiltration and soil moisture. Thereby, the biomass-production increased as well.
The watershed is characterized by degraded lands upstream (720 ha), where low yield and subsidized barley cultivation is practiced, and by gullies. In a limited part (12 ha) of the upstream area, Vallerani micro-catchments are implemented as a pilot-plot. This might seem contradicting since upstream micro-catchment water harvesting decreases the water in the Marab downstream. However, the Vallerani micro-catchments also have beneficial impacts on the watershed and the Marab, such as flattening peak water flows, reducing erosion and providing fodder. The reduction in water run-off for the Marab as consequence of the Vallerani structures is not significant, due to the small size of the pilot area. But the relations between upstream and downstream should be taken into account.

Upstream watershed measures to buffer and/or avoid extreme runoff events (extreme downstream flooding) in the Marab such as micro-catchment water harvesting structures (Vallerani tractor plow system) and the out-planting of native shrub seedlings, as well as the stabilization of erosive gully systems through gully plugging and revegetation of side banks are advised to be taken before implementing the Marab technology downstream, as they safeguard and protect the Marab. But they are not further into account in this documentation.
Establishment of the downstream Marab system includes:
•Local filling of downstream gull(system) with deep soil
•Leveling/grading of flood plains
•Construction of earth bunds
•Construction of the spillways (stone made)
• Seedbed preparation for planting annual crop such as barley

Marab agricultural production is high and stable. It can reach around 5-6 t ha-1 of barley, compared with the low and strongly varying yields of around 0.05-0.30 t ha-1 in traditionally, without macro water harvesting, cultivated barley. Marab barley produces grains (for fodder and reseeding purposes) and requires local inputs, such as fertilizer. The Marab mitigates downstream flooding and loss of sediments from the watershed. Local farmers applying the Marab technology are very satisfied, because of the extremely increased yield as consequence of the technology. However, as water is captured in the watershed, tensions may arise between the downstream (Marab) users and the upstream users.

2.3 Photos de la Technologie

2.5 Pays/ région/ lieux où la Technologie a été appliquée et qui sont couverts par cette évaluation

2.6 Date de mise en œuvre de la Technologie

Indiquez l'année de mise en œuvre:

2017

2.7 Introduction de la Technologie

Spécifiez comment la Technologie a été introduite: :

• au cours d'expérimentations / de recherches
• par le biais de projets/ d'interventions extérieures

3.1 Principal(aux) objectif(s) de la Technologie

• améliorer la production
• réduire, prévenir, restaurer les terres dégradées
• réduire les risques de catastrophes
• s'adapter au changement et aux extrêmes climatiques et à leurs impacts
• créer un impact économique positif

3.2 Type(s) actuel(s) d'utilisation des terres, là où la Technologie est appliquée

Les divers types d'utilisation des terres au sein du même unité de terrain: :

Oui

Précisez l'utilisation mixte des terres (cultures/ pâturages/ arbres):

• Agropastoralisme (y compris les systèmes culture-élevage intégrés)

3.3 Est-ce que l’utilisation des terres a changé en raison de la mise en œuvre de la Technologie ?

Est-ce que l’utilisation des terres a changé en raison de la mise en œuvre de la Technologie ?

• Non (Passez à la question 3.4)

3.4 Approvisionnement en eau

Approvisionnement en eau des terres sur lesquelles est appliquée la Technologie:

• pluvial

Commentaires:

The Marab facilitates uniform distribution of excess rainwater obtained from the upland (partly Vallerani micro-catchments) and the water is conveyed through rehabilitated gullies to the Marab. (Some) Micro catchments and rehabilitated gullies are essential to avoid damaging water peaks, harming the Marab-structures. The Marab is rainfed and naturally flood irrigated.

3.5 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• Amélioration de la couverture végétale/ du sol
• récupération/ collecte de l'eau
• dérivation et drainage de l'eau

3.6 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

3.7 Principaux types de dégradation des terres traités par la Technologie

3.8 Prévention, réduction de la dégradation ou réhabilitation des terres dégradées

Spécifiez l'objectif de la Technologie au regard de la dégradation des terres:

• réduire la dégradation des terres

Commentaires:

Retaining surface runoff and locally infiltrating water through bunds increase soil moisture hence agricultural yield increases (e.g. biomass, vegetation cover) , soil crusting decreases (in some selected ponding areas it might increase) - and because of trapping top-soil sediments and residues from the uplands, soil fertility increases likewise.

4.1 Dessin technique de la Technologie

4.2 Informations générales sur le calcul des intrants et des coûts

Spécifiez la manière dont les coûts et les intrants ont été calculés:

• par superficie de la Technologie

Indiquez la monnaie utilisée pour le calcul des coûts:

• dollars américains

4.3 Activités de mise en place/ d'établissement

	Activité	Calendrier des activités (saisonnier)
1.	Implement upstream watershed rehabilitation measure (e.g. Upstream Vallerani micro water harvesting)	Prior of Marab-Technology construction
2.	Implement gully rehabilitation measure (e.g. Midstream gully rehabilitation)	Prior of Marab-Technology construction
3.	Marab site selection (flood plain): topographic assessment (slope, soil depth, etc.) and consideration of watershed hydrology (e.g. for bund and spillway design)	Before the rainy season
4.	Grading/levelling of natural flood plain incl. gully fill (with soil material)	season (Aug. – Nov.)
5.	Implement bund structures (based on step 4)	season (Aug. – Nov.)
6.	Construct stone made design and emergence spillways (based on step 5)	season (Aug. – Nov.)
7.	Preparation of compartmentalized agricultural fields (bund interspaces) for field crop agriculture	season (Aug. – Nov.)

Commentaires:

The upstream measures as the Vallerani System and gully rehabilitation are strongly recommended but are not taken into account as costs in this documentation. Because this documentation focuses specifically on the Marab-technology.

4.4 Coûts et intrants nécessaires à la mise en place

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% du coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Local Workers	person-days	50,0	35,0	1750,0
Main d'œuvre	Land Survey	person-days	6,0	35,0	210,0
Main d'œuvre	Engineer (+assistance)	person-days	15,0	50,0	750,0
Main d'œuvre	Drivers of heavy machinery	person-days	12,0	35,0	420,0
Equipements	Grader	machine-days	3,0	250,0	750,0
Equipements	Loader	machine-days	10,0	250,0	2500,0
Equipements	Deep Plow	machine-days	3,0	200,0	600,0
Equipements	Tractor (to pull the shallow and deep plow)	machine-days	5,0	200,0	1000,0
Equipements	Shallow Plow	machine-days	2,0	200,0	400,0
Equipements	Water Tank Truck	Tank	1,0	50,0	50,0
Equipements	Small Equipment (Shovel, pickaxe, buckets)	Equipment	1,0	200,0	200,0
Matériaux de construction	Stones	Kubic Metre	200,0	10,0	2000,0
Autre	Transportation of heavy machinery		1,0	2000,0	2000,0
Autre	Security		1,0	300,0	300,0
Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie					12930,0
Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie en dollars américains (USD)					12930,0

Si le coût n'est pas pris en charge à 100% par l'exploitant des terres, indiquez qui a financé le coût restant:

ICARDA and National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC)

Commentaires:

These costs are for establishment (so one-time) and are for the total Marab-technology i.e. 10 ha.

4.5 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	Maintaining the structures based on observations and possible damages after the rainy season, so no clear maintenance plans	Before the rainy season (Oct. – Nov.)/upon observation

Commentaires:

Excludes annual farming costs (e.g. seedbed preparation)

4.6 Coûts et intrants nécessaires aux activités d'entretien/ récurrentes (par an)

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% du coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Engineer	person days per year	2,0	50,0	100,0	100,0
Main d'œuvre	Worker	person days per year	6,0	35,0	210,0	100,0
Equipements	Loader	machine days per year	1,0	250,0	250,0	100,0
Matériaux de construction	Stones	Kubic Metre	10,0	10,0	100,0	100,0
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie					660,0
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie en dollars américains (USD)					660,0

Commentaires:

The costs of practicing agriculture (e.g. cost of seeds and fertilizer) are not taken into account, since these costs were also made before the implementation of this technology.

4.7 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

The special and heavy machinery affect the cost significantly, since these were not available in the area. The implementation of the technology is labour intensive, therefore labour costs are significant as well. However, these costs are initially, so these specific costs are almost zero after establishment. In addition, all the maintenance is payed for by the land users. So, only the establishment was payed for by external parties.

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

Indiquez si la Technologie est spécifiquement appliquée dans des:

• situations convexes

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la topographie:

The Marab itself is rather concave (depression shape) / natural depression. However, the bund structures are convex, spreading water over the field.

5.3 Sols

5.4 Disponibilité et qualité de l'eau

La salinité de l'eau est-elle un problème? :

Non

La zone est-elle inondée?

Oui

Régularité:

fréquemment

5.5 Biodiversité

5.6 Caractéristiques des exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

Indiquez toute autre caractéristique pertinente des exploitants des terres:

The actual land users are often poor Jordanians or Syrian refugees. However, the owners of the livestock are relatively rich. The landowners are responsible for the maintenance of the intervention.

5.7 Superficie moyenne des terres utilisées par les exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

5.8 Propriété foncière, droits d’utilisation des terres et de l'eau

Propriété foncière:

• individu, avec titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• loué
• individuel

• NA

Est-ce que les droits d'utilisation des terres sont fondés sur un système juridique traditionnel?

Oui

5.9 Accès aux services et aux infrastructures

6.1 Impacts sur site que la Technologie a montrés

Impacts socio-économiques

Production

Revenus et coûts

Impacts socioculturels

Impacts écologiques

Cycle de l'eau/ ruissellement

Sols

Biodiversité: végétale, animale

Réduction des risques de catastrophe et des risques climatiques

6.2 Impacts hors site que la Technologie a montrés

6.3 Exposition et sensibilité de la Technologie aux changements progressifs et aux évènements extrêmes/catastrophes liés au climat (telles que perçues par les exploitants des terres)

Changements climatiques progressifs

Changements climatiques progressifs

	Saison	Augmentation ou diminution	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
précipitations annuelles		décroît	bien

Extrêmes climatiques (catastrophes)

Catastrophes météorologiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
pluie torrentielle locale	très bien

Catastrophes hydrologiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
crue éclair	très bien

6.4 Analyse coûts-bénéfices

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts de mise en place (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts d'entretien récurrents (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

Commentaires:

The initial investment is quite large. Therefore, the short term returns is classified as slightly negative. After some seasons with good (stable) crop yield the return of investment is positive. Long term benefits are classified positively.

6.5 Adoption de la Technologie

• 1-10%

Si disponible, quantifiez (nombre de ménages et/ou superficie couverte):

These are some farmers that live near the Marab. They try to copy the Marab in their fields.

De tous ceux qui ont adopté la Technologie, combien d'entre eux l'ont fait spontanément, à savoir sans recevoir aucune incitation matérielle, ou aucune rémunération? :

• 91-100%

Commentaires:

The local farmers like the technology and acknowledge its positive impacts. They would like to have a Marab themselves (even if their locally owned lands are not suitable in many cases). Local agro-pastoralists copy and apply parts of the technology (especially the bund
system). However, it strongly recommended that implementing a Marab-technology is done as a community-based project/intervention; the Marab technology should be part of an integrated watershed management plan, located at the most suitable location for the entire community.

6.6 Adaptation

La Technologie a-t-elle été récemment modifiée pour s'adapter à l'évolution des conditions?

Oui

Si oui, indiquez à quel changement la Technologie s'est adaptée:

• changements/ extrêmes climatiques

Spécifiez l'adaptation de la Technologie (conception, matériaux/ espèces, etc.):

The spillway design can be adapted to variable surface runoff occurrence (affected by climate change).

6.7 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue de l'exploitant des terres
The farmers highly appreciate the improved economic situation as consequence of the increased yield.
A strength of the Marab technology is that water is harvested and minimally spilled away, preventing top-soil erosion and accumulating soil organic matter consequently preserving soil fertility.
The crop produces grains: can be (partially) used for re-seeding in the coming seasons; economic gain + increase resilience.

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
Economic improvement through targeted agricultural interventions in the most suitable location(s) of a watershed. This aims at decreasing the pressure on the fragile dry land ecosystem. The locally increased yield raises awareness on non-sufficient field crop agriculture in uplands (commonly achieved) and might increase the willingness for more nature-based sustainable land management measures in the less fertile and runoff generating (more vulnerable uplands) parts of the watershed. Therefore, the Marab technology could be a starting point for a watershed rehabilitation initiative.
The Marab technology creates an opportunity for multiple crop introduction (due to natural flood irrigation) – aside from barley monoculture (agro-diversity).
Increased water infiltration conserves water and might lead to deep percolation (groundwater recharge).

6.8 Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques de la Technologie et moyens de les surmonter

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue de l’exploitant des terres	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
The Marab depends on upstream water users; can lead to increased tensions	Agreement among the community - conducting contacts/contracts among upstream and downstream farmers. Joint watershed management and benefit share could be mediate these tension. And might even lead to watershed rehabilitation.
High initial investment and partially high maintenance costs (including machinery)	Once the implementation is linked with larger environmental benefits – communities might receive funds from the government or international donors.
Loss of cultivation area where the bunds are placed	Unavoidable. However, the gain of interspaces exceeds these losses several times.

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
Tensions among multiple actors in the watershed (selection of Marab area)	Develop institutions that could avoid these tensions by establishing agreements, contracts, rules, or regulations.
Heavy machinery in a vulnerable ecosystems – can induce other requests/use by locals (improper use)	Targeted policies in place & enforcements
Increasing wealth inequality between farmers and/or communities.	Creation of institutions, which assure fair distribution. This would benefit the whole watershed.

7.1 Méthodes/ sources d'information

7.2 Références des publications disponibles

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Strohmeier, S. (2017). Dimensioning of Marab in Majidyya.

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Strohmeier, S. (2017). Watershed Restoration in Baia Areas of Jordan Technology Packages for Controlling and Monitoring Gully Erosion.

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

https://mel.cgiar.org/projects/jordan-watershed-restoration-project

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Mira Haddad, Stefan Strohmeier. (12/12/2017). Treated upland areas map. Jordan: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/9108

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Stefan Strohmeier, Mira Haddad, Ismail Shukri. (8/11/2018). Marab - water harvesting based agriculture.

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/9069

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Boubaker Dhehibi, Mira Haddad, Stefan Strohmeier, Masnat El-Hiary. (24/7/2020). Enhancing a Traditional Water Harvesting Technique in Jordan’s Agro-pastoral Farming System. Lebanon: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/11506

7.3 Liens vers les informations pertinentes en ligne

Titre/ description:

WATER HARVESTING FOR RESTORING RANGELANDS IN JORDAN

URL:

https://www.icarda.org/media/drywire/water-harvesting-restoring-rangelands-jordan