Shifting In/equality Dynamics in Ethiopia: from Research to Application (SIDERA)

Lead Research Organisation: Addis Ababa University
Department Name: Research

Abstract

Rapid changes in the natural, social, and economic environment are occurring in Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley, as part of a state-led development vision of repositioning the region as a major sugar exporter. At the same time, these changes raise risks of environmental degradation, and the emergence of new kinds of inequality and conflict. The Lower Omo is home to a large number of pastoralist groups, and is a major centre of ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity - reflected in its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Schlee, 2009; Turton, 1991). While new sugar estates promise to create >150,000 new jobs, they are also drawing labour migrants from other regions, setting up new hierarchies of wealth and opportunity, and raising social tensions (Tewolde and Fana, 2014).
As part of its ambitious Growth and Transformation Plans (FDRE 2010, 2015), Ethiopia's government has allocated 175,000 hectares to the sugarcane project (more than the entire area under irrigation in Kenya), and aims to increase national sugar production from 17 million to 42 million tons. Pastoralists who, according to the government, do not use the land optimally, have had their "underutilized" lands repurposed for sugarcane plantations and industrial sites that will produce sugar worth 661.7 million USD and produce alternative energy sources (304,000m3 of ethanol per year and 607 MW electricity). This scenario raises urgent questions about the social justice dimensions of current development models, and their implications for socio-ecological resilience. The following interlinked research questions will structure our exploration of the on-going changes and their consequences:
1. How have recent developments affected the spatial and temporal availability of and access to natural resources in the region? (Environmental sustainability / degradation)
2. How are changing resources affecting conflict dynamics in the region? (Conflict and resilience)
3. How are these changes influencing relations of material in/equality? (Wealth and poverty / resource security)
These questions will be addressed by three Working Groups with expertise in the fields of environmental sustainability, conflict studies, and poverty research respectively. The group will first conduct Research involving knowledge generation across disciplines and stakeholder groups, and second work towards Application in the form of knowledge exchange and synthesis. The first step in the research design will accommodate a cycle of stakeholder identification, scoping and testing of research assumptions; followed by an intensive period of data collection using both conventional (survey, focus group) and participatory research methods. Crucially, our tools will include participatory video methods that will be used to stimulate conversations about current models of development that are rarely possible due to barriers of language, distance, and power. The project will thereby facilitate knowledge sharing, processing, and utilisation, and explore how knowledge regarding the environmental changes and their implications for poverty, peace, and security is best integrated in decision-making for diverse stakeholders.

Planned Impact

This project will deliver impact by identifying development pathways which result in the most equitable and sustainable outcomes in terms of poverty reduction, environmental resilience, and peace and security. In the case of the Lower Omo, this stands to benefit the 1 million people living in the region, and in particular the poor and marginalised rural communities. To the extent the research succeeds in shifting the conversation about development and inequality relationships, it stands to impact many more people, both within Ethiopia and further afield. This research will also target users of scientific evidence including government organisations (at multiple scales within Ethiopia), international research groups such as the International Water Management Institute, and NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and International Rivers.
 
Title Our Lives Depend on the River: Hydropower development and its impact on environment, poverty and conflict dynamics in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia 
Description It is a documentary film giving the local communities in research sites have a direct voice in explaining environmental change, poverty and conflict in the Lower Omo valley of Ethiopia. The documentary is an output of an exploratory techniques, that is, participatory video methods. The product encouraged participants to voice their perceptions of development and change in their own terms. This approach shortens the lengthy bureaucratic communication among between local communities and policy makers at different levels in Ethiopia. After the completion of the film project the video piece was disseminated to four different groups: Federal & regional levels, Zonal level, District/woreda level and the research participants. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2019 
Impact The film was screened during the dissemination workshop in Addis Ababa, the local government (Jinka), district (Nyangatom woreda) and in London. This approach shortened the lengthy bureaucratic communication among between local communities and policy makers at different levels in Ethiopia. After the completion of the film project the video piece was disseminated to four different groups. 1. Stakeholders at the Federal and Regional level During the final dissemination workshop of SIDERA in Addis Ababa, the film was shown to representatives from federal and regional offices as well as to the representatives of the national media. Most of the leaders and stakeholders present at this forum had low awareness and understanding of Nyangatom people and the area. The stakeholders involved in the event said they would do their best to address the problem they saw in the film. This created an opportunity for us to present the problem visually capturing the attention of policy makers easily. After the reflection from the audience, we have noticed that the bottom-up formal report from Woreda-Zone-Region-Federal has different gaps and lacks the ability to highlight the problems of the local community. We understand that our effort to fill this gap through participatory video has been fruitful. The suggestion made by the head of the regional pastoralist office could also be used as an evidence to support the argument. He explained the issue further as "even though I am the head of pastoral office of the region, I was not able to see the depth and breadth of the problem as it is presented in the film. Much of the community's problem is explained in a clear and easy way. I hope the film plays a big part in explaining the community and the problem that is being confronted by Nyagatom people especially for those who do not know the area. I believe we can see the change soon if all the stakeholders can work to solve the problems shown in the film". Generally, the opinions and the comments of federal and other stakeholders regarding the film has helped us understand the importance of participatory methods and its role in reaching out the highest audience for possible solutions and further actions. 2. Stakeholders at the Zonal level The workshop was organized at Jinka town; invited stakeholders include researchers from Jinka University, the sugar project, the zonal, and non-governmental organizations. During discussion with the participants, we noticed that most of the zonal organizations have limited knowledge of the issue at hand. They explained that the parts of the film such as the failed irrigation projects, the locust damages and the severity of cattle diseases differ from their previous knowledge and their organization work plans. After watching the film, they came to notice that the report on these and similar community problems is not well-documented and that most of them were unrealistic. Participants from Jinka, Arba Minch and Addis Ababa Universities also pledged to undertake research and community service activities that would help to solve the community problems. Finally, all participants vowed to go to the community members and to take immediate action to address the stated and related problems. 3. Stakeholders at the Woreda level The film was shown to the audience at the woreda/district level working in the area of health, agriculture, social and technology transfer. In addition to showing the film, a summary of the reflection by the Federal Zonal stakeholders was presented. The participants explained that they are aware of many of the problems described in the film. They appreciated the initiative taken to provide this such an organized and understandable format. They also admitted that majority of the reports they sent to the Zone was unorganized and that the community members were tired of unbearable promises. Accordingly, they don't have any doubt that this kind of filmmaking will provide the resources that the governing body can offer to solve the problem, as this film can show the depth and seriousness of the problem. One of the workshop participant and head of Woreda agriculture office elaborated "most zonal and regional leaders get reports from us about the severity of locusts and the animal disease crisis, but they didn't see and feel the problem at this level as it was seen in the film. Most of the leaders at the regional and federal level have not been to this area and are not able to see our problem; they cannot understand how deep the problem is. Thus, this film brought a living reality to their offices. Even if we have reported the problem many times it has not grasped their attention. Some leaders have never been to the site and have been unable to resolve it because they have underestimated the cost of the project, waste of labor and raw materials. But I believe that the film shows the importance of taking immediate action by raising the proper awareness of each party concerned, as it illustrates the problem at the very grass root level." 4. Community members The community members involved in the study were given a chance to see the film and they expressed their satisfaction with what they saw. This allowed us to identify the role played by the film to fill the information gap between community members and government and non-governmental organizations. A community elder after watching the film narrated his reminiscence about the gloom and taxing reality of the situation as follows: "the last flood was at the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005. We had a flood that covered the entire area - we had three important things: sorghum, tobacco and calabash (amugit) - you cannot see such things at this time. I'm not exaggerating. You would have seen things like this at this time of year if you had been here before. But now it's just a jungle sometimes with the rain, no more cultivation takes place there. Because we used to cultivate and prepare the land for the coming flood. We put seeds on it and got a harvest. You know, I think this is the end of our people, no longer getting the Omo flood. That is what I can tell you about the Omo. The other thing - about seasonal fluctuation and change - we really don't know what is coming next - about rain or drought - as far as my experience goes, we don't receive enough rain at all to give us a good harvest. Look at those goat and sheep at the film there's nothing for them to eat around here, and they are totally dying of starvation. We have informed this fact repeatedly to the government leaders in the district, but they have made no real difference to us. However, we believe that the film will make a difference because the stakeholders at the regional and federal level will get a better understanding about our situation." 
URL https://drive.google.com/open?id=1E4oS34h3tXEmLaY5NHokrf0RbHkd3rAy
 
Description SIDERA aimed to study the impacts of state-led mega projects and development interventions (large dams and agricultural investment projects) and the links between environmental change, inequality, and conflict in the South Omo Zone of Ethiopia, focusing on one affected group, the Nyangatom. Until recently, approximately 100,000 people, including the Nyangatom, depended on flood retreat agriculture in the Lower Omo valley. With the completion of the Gibe III dam in 2015, the annual flood of the Omo ceased, disabling the capacity for flood retreat agriculture.
To study the impacts of these changes, we had three core research questions:
1. How have recent developments affected the spatial and temporal availability of and access to natural resources in the region? (Environmental sustainability / degradation)
a. SIDERA results confirmed the collapse of flood-retreat cultivation associated with the loss of the annual Omo flood. Communities reported declines in many other provisioning ecosystem services (ES), and these results were supported by satellite mapping, which showed substantial reductions in land covers with high ES value (shrubland and wetland), leading to consequent ES declines.
2. How are changing resources affecting conflict dynamics in the region? (Conflict and resilience)
a. Records of violent incidents have shown a decline since 2017. Cattle raiding and revenge remain the most frequent violent act. The decline of violent incidents is not indicative of positive peacebuilding efforts - rather, declining resource access may explain the decline of violence among some groups and the increase of violence with others. According to zone and woreda officials the Productive Safety Nets Program (PSNP, particularly distribution of food) and the role of the local elite in negotiating benefits are also instrumental in the decline of violence.
3. How are these changes influencing relations of material in/equality? (Wealth and poverty / resource security)
a. While the end of flood retreat farming led to declines in wealth across the board in Nyangatom, access to mitigation projects (notably opportunities to engage in farming on artificially irrigated plots, organised by government-run cooperatives) was unevenly distributed. Those with more livestock were buffered from the impacts of decline in harvests, as were those with links to the growing provincial town of Kangaten.
Overall, all communities are showing signs of reduced food availability and access, and are employing coping strategies to attain food security. But the coping strategies available to them are constrained by environmental changes. Given the impossibility of flood retreat farming and the unpredictability of rain-fed farming, there is a clear need for assistance to help families adapt to alternative livelihood strategies. In the short-term, continued provision of food aid is needed to alleviate food insecurity, in addition to the existing PSNP. In the long-term, communities should be supported in adapting their livelihoods to cope with changing environmental conditions.
In addition to the new knowledge generated, we have also developed new methodological approaches for integrating knowledge from different disciplines together with indigenous knowledge. This included a new framework for integrating participatory methods and remote sensing to enhance understanding of ecosystem service dynamics.
Exploitation Route 1. Policy makers can use our findings to plan short and long term interventions: In the short term, food aid for households not enrolled in PSNP and in the long-term, securing reliable food production from multiple types of cultivation; Tackling deforestation and environmental degradation; Continued peace-building activities; Supporting communities in accessing newly created jobs.
2. Environmental and other rights activists can use the findings to advocate for the reduction or eradication of the detrimental impacts of on-going mega projects on communities. SIDERA provides tangible issues for advocacy around: benefit sharing; ensuring that irrigation projects are accessible to local communities; improving the availability of and access to livestock markets; addressing the structural sources of violence such as lack of adequate water and access to grazing land; and capacity building of local governments through policy provisions.
3. Academics can build on the empirical and methodological achievements of SIDERA to see if mega projects have similar effects in other Lower Omo districts, and further afield. Some of the findings question conventional knowledge, e.g. that poverty induces conflict, and our novel participatory approaches for integrating knowledge from different groups and disciplines can be employed by other academics.
Sectors Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Energy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology
URL https://www.canr.msu.edu/oturn/briefing_notes
 
Description SIDERA has produced 4 interrelated impact on the lives of the communities in the study area. 1. Increased knowledge of policy makers: We have increased the knowledge of inequality dynamics held by policy makers at various governance scales; this knowledge-transfer to government representatives contributes towards developing solutions to mitigate the impacts of lost livelihoods caused by the Gibe III dam. We co-organized three dissemination workshops at the national (Addis Ababa), zonal and local government levels in April 2019 that were well attended by policy makers and other stakeholders and received national media coverage on ETV (Ethiopian Television) News. Evaluation questionnaires showed that the workshops increased participants awareness of issues, changed their attitudes and motivated them to take action. 2. Pressure on private companies involved in sustaining abusive practices in the study area: Several SIDERA publications (e.g. Hodbod et al., 2019) have been used as evidence by a major pension fund's ethics council, regarding exclusion of the company who built the Gibe III dam from the pension fund for human rights abuses and severe environmental damage. 3. Contribute towards the initiation of sustainable projects: This is through a USAID HEARTH funded project which is at the contracting phase called Biodiversity and Community Resilience in the Omo Valley Alliance (BIOME). BIOME will build upon SIDERA in supporting diversification in livelihoods (those in sustainable tourism through the formation of the Tama Community Conservation Area) as well as support of existing pastoralist livelihoods. Additionally given the impacts shown on land degradation in SIDERA, BIOME has a focus on supporting biodiversity, through the CCA and regenerative grazing. 4. The study empowered local communities: Local community representatives at the regional and national level (including parliament) have become more vocal on development and security issues in the study area. Although it is difficult for us to trace information flows, we believe research engagement with the locally employed research assistant, that later became the district administrator towards the end of the project life time, has empowered the research assistant and other members of the community. Evidence to local empowerment is co-authorship of articles. A prominent civil servant from the district has co-authored a chapter with the research team members titled "Fundamental challenges in academic-government partnership in conflict research in the pastoral lowlands of Ethiopia" published on the IDS Bulletin.
First Year Of Impact 2019
Sector Agriculture, Food and Drink,Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Economic
 
Description King's College London Faculty Research Fund
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Organisation King's College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2018 
End 07/2019
 
Description Michigan State University, Research Funding
Amount $9,434 (USD)
Organisation Michigan State University 
Sector Academic/University
Country United States
Start 05/2018 
End 06/2018
 
Title Environmental change in Nyangatom, South Omo Zone, Ethiopia, before and after the Gibe III dam 2017-2019 
Description This dataset integrates data from qualitative and quantitative participatory methods, along with remote sensing data to map changes in ecosystem services. This approach enabled us to develop a holistic understanding of what ecosystem services are available in the landscape, where they are located, how they are valued by local communities, and how and why they are changing. Participatory mapping with groups of participants from communities in our focal area created fine-scale data that allowed us to understand both ecosystem services supplied by very specific locations (i.e., provisioning and cultural ecosystem services from a specific tree or bend in the river) as well as the capacity and value of a range of ecosystem services(ES) from particular land cover types. The integration of TEK with remote sensing data was critical for scaling this information up to the landscape level. Additionally, the use of historic satellite imagery allowed us to investigate long-term change in provisioning ES and triangulate this with perceived changes identified by the communities. In this geographic context, such mixed methods were also important given the lack of other ecosystem service studies. In a politically sensitive region, the co-production of knowledge with the community allowed us to build trust with the community whilst ensuring their perspectives were integrated with equal weight to the remote sensing data, and resulting in a deeper understanding of both datasets and the ES dynamics of the region. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact 7 data downloads and 32 page views since this item was published 
URL http://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/853953/
 
Title Nyangatom Conflict Incidents, Feb 2010 to April 2018 
Description This data is collected for the Project 'shifting In/equality Dynamics in Ethiopia: From Research to Application'. The project explored the relationship between conflict, poverty, and environmental degradation in Ethiopia and investigated the role of inequality among the Nyangatom community in the Lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia. The Lower Omo valley is home to 16 pastoral and agro-pastoral communities where cattle raiding is the most common conflict type. This data was collected from police reports in the South Omo Zone administration and security office. 151 conflict incidents took place from Feb 2010 to April 2018 and most of them were cattle raiding incidents as demonstrated in the data set submitted. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact N/A 
URL https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/myaccount/deposits/datasets/under-deposit?id=79c7855b-1f6f-4c99-b1e...
 
Title Retrospective household and livelihoods survey in Nyangatom District, South Omo, Ethiopia 2019 
Description These data are from a household survey conducted in Nyangatom District, South Omo Zone, Ethiopia, in 2018/19. The primary research question we sought to address was how the end of the annual flood of the Omo River, which was integral to the flood recession agricultural systems of downstream communities, affected food security. Data relate to agricultural production before and after the end of flood retreat agriculture which followed the construction of the Gibe III dam upstream. [2005 and 2010 in the Ethiopian Calendar]. We also sought to account for changes in non-farm wealth including livestock holdings over the same period. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact 3 data downloads and 14 page views since this item was published 
URL http://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/854024/
 
Description Conference presentation to a multi-disciplinary academic audience studying social-ecological systems 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This was a conference presentation to a multi-disciplinary academic audience studying social-ecological systems by Slinkman, S. & Hodbod, J. 2021 on 13th September at the International Association of the Commons: Land Commons. The presentation was titled "Assessing food security of agro-pastoralists in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia, after disruption."
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Conference presentation to a multi-disciplinary audience studying food systems 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Conference presentation to a multi-disciplinary audience studying food systems by Slinkman, S. & Hodbod, J. on Agri4D 2021 Food Systems for New Realities conference on the topic "Exploring adaptive capacity dynamics in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia to ensure food security."
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Dissemination Workshops 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Series of workshops at the community, woreda, zone, and national level where we shared the key findings of SIDERA and showed the documentary. We facilitated a process at all levels to add the perspective of stakeholders about key next steps and comments on the efficacy of the documentary. Evaluations showed participants were happy with the format of the meetings and the information they received, and that those involved in formal government intended to integrate it into their roles where possible.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Media Appearance on Ethiopian National Television Network 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The project out outputs on the areas of conflict, environmental change and food security in the study area were shared to a large audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Our Lives Depend on the River: Hydropower development and its impact on environment, poverty and conflict dynamics in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The film screening and workshop presentations triggered discussion on the role of hydropower in sustainable development and the positive and negative impacts such developments have on different stakeholders at the local and national levels.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/film-screening-and-workshop-our-lives-depend-on-the-river
 
Description Presentation at Frankfurt University, Germany 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Stevenson, E.G.J gave a talk on "Counting the costs of large dams for communities dependent on flood-recession agriculture: Lessons from Ethiopia's Omo Valley" at Frankfurt University, Germany. The workshop was hosted by Sophia Thubauville on 25 November, 2019.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Presentation at the Center for Peace and Development, Oklahoma University, USA. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Stevenson, E.G.J. Mega-dams and human insecurity in East Africa. Center for Peace and Development, Oklahoma University, USA. (Hosts: Daniel Mains and Firat Demir) [remotely] 4 March, 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Presentation of project outputs at the European Conference of African Studies, Edinburgh, Scotland 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Edward Jed Stevenson, David Pertaub, and Dessalegn Tekle gave a presentation on "Counting the costs of large dams for flood retreat agriculture" at the European Conference of African Studies, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description SIDERA Jinka Dissimination Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was an engagement activity held in Jinka, the capital of the South Omo zone, on 11 April 2019. The Nyangatom woreda/district (the study population) is located in this zone. Key project results were communicated and documentary film "Our Lives Depend on the River: Hydropower development and its impact on environment, poverty and conflict dynamics in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia" was screened. In addition, feed back was received from local policy makers on the research results and general project proceeding.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description SIDERA Launch workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Ethiopian government and NGO officials have been involved as stakeholders in the launch workshop. The platform allowed the researchers to collect feedback crucial in honing the research questions, planned research outputs, and field sites.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL http://ipss-addis.org/launch-workshop-held-for-new-research-project-on-inequality-in-ethiopia/
 
Description SIDERA Nyangatom Dissimination Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact This was an engagement activity held in Kangaten, the capital of the Nyangatom woreda/district, on 12 April 2019. The Nyangatom woreda/district is the study population for this project. Key project results were communicated and documentary film "Our Lives Depend on the River: Hydropower development and its impact on environment, poverty and conflict dynamics in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia" was screened. In addition, feed back was received from the study participants on the research results.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Sustainability and Development Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The presentation took place at the Sustainability and Development Conference on "Exploring adaptive capacity dynamics in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia, to ensure food security;"
to a multi-disciplinary audience studying sustainability.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description The watershed: Deep time and hydropolitics in the Omo-Turkana basin 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Edward Jed Stevenson gave a presentation on "The watershed: Deep time and hydropolitics in the Omo-Turkana basin" at the Université Paris Nanterre in France hosted by Nicolas Prevot on 15 February, 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022