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Persistence and changes in the peripheral Beles basin of Ethiopia

Jan Nyssen (UGent) , Fikre Fetene, Mekete Dessie, Getachew Alemayehu, Amare Sewnet, Alemayehu Wassie, Mulugeta Kibret, Kristine Walraevens (UGent) , Ben Derudder (UGent) , Bart Nicolai, et al.
(2018) REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. 18(7). p.2089-2104
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Abstract
We have investigated the relevance of the notion of "peripheralism" in the Beles basin. In this lowland border area of Ethiopia, important investments require an evaluation of their socio-economic and ecological impacts in the light of Ethiopia's Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. We contrasted literature of different periods with field observations. In the middle and lower parts of the basin, the Gumuz people traditionally practised shifting cultivation. Resettlement of highlanders is particularly linked to water and land resources. A large irrigation project was initiated in the 1980s, but vegetables and fruits face post-harvest losses. Large water transfers from Lake Tana since 2010 affect the movement of people, the hydrogeomorphology, and ecology of the river. In several parts of the basin, the settlers' economy now dominates. Many Gumuz became sedentary but maintained their agricultural system, particularly in the south of the lower basin. Land titling allowed allocation of "vacant" areas to transnational or domestic investors. As a result, the semi-natural vegetation is frequently replaced by open cropland, leading to decreased carbon storage and increased soil erosion. This and water abstraction for irrigation jeopardise hydropower production, in contradiction with the CRGE objectives. Despite the recent developments, the contrasts in economic activity make the core-periphery dichotomy to remain actual in the Beles basin. The resettlements and permanent cropping tend to make the upper basin part of the core. However, the installation of a transit road and commercial farms in the lower basin do not allow to consider that a non-peripheral integration has taken place.
Keywords
WESTERN ETHIOPIA, LAND DEALS, LAKE TANA, RIVER, VEGETATION, IMPACTS, MANSONI, PEOPLE, GUMUZ, FIRE, Africa south of the Sahara, Peripheralisation, Non-peripheral, integration, Gumuz, Sustainable development, Water, Internal migration

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MLA
Nyssen, Jan, et al. “Persistence and Changes in the Peripheral Beles Basin of Ethiopia.” REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, vol. 18, no. 7, SPRINGER HEIDELBERG, 2018, pp. 2089–104, doi:10.1007/s10113-018-1346-2.
APA
Nyssen, J., Fetene, F., Dessie, M., Alemayehu, G., Sewnet, A., Wassie, A., … Adgo, E. (2018). Persistence and changes in the peripheral Beles basin of Ethiopia. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, 18(7), 2089–2104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1346-2
Chicago author-date
Nyssen, Jan, Fikre Fetene, Mekete Dessie, Getachew Alemayehu, Amare Sewnet, Alemayehu Wassie, Mulugeta Kibret, et al. 2018. “Persistence and Changes in the Peripheral Beles Basin of Ethiopia.” REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE 18 (7): 2089–2104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1346-2.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Nyssen, Jan, Fikre Fetene, Mekete Dessie, Getachew Alemayehu, Amare Sewnet, Alemayehu Wassie, Mulugeta Kibret, Kristine Walraevens, Ben Derudder, Bart Nicolai, Sofie Annys, Firew Tegegne, Steven Van Passel, Amaury Frankl, Elie Verleyen, Dereje Teklemariam, and Enyew Adgo. 2018. “Persistence and Changes in the Peripheral Beles Basin of Ethiopia.” REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE 18 (7): 2089–2104. doi:10.1007/s10113-018-1346-2.
Vancouver
1.
Nyssen J, Fetene F, Dessie M, Alemayehu G, Sewnet A, Wassie A, et al. Persistence and changes in the peripheral Beles basin of Ethiopia. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. 2018;18(7):2089–104.
IEEE
[1]
J. Nyssen et al., “Persistence and changes in the peripheral Beles basin of Ethiopia,” REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, vol. 18, no. 7, pp. 2089–2104, 2018.
@article{8577719,
  abstract     = {{We have investigated the relevance of the notion of "peripheralism" in the Beles basin. In this lowland border area of Ethiopia, important investments require an evaluation of their socio-economic and ecological impacts in the light of Ethiopia's Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. We contrasted literature of different periods with field observations. In the middle and lower parts of the basin, the Gumuz people traditionally practised shifting cultivation. Resettlement of highlanders is particularly linked to water and land resources. A large irrigation project was initiated in the 1980s, but vegetables and fruits face post-harvest losses. Large water transfers from Lake Tana since 2010 affect the movement of people, the hydrogeomorphology, and ecology of the river. In several parts of the basin, the settlers' economy now dominates. Many Gumuz became sedentary but maintained their agricultural system, particularly in the south of the lower basin. Land titling allowed allocation of "vacant" areas to transnational or domestic investors. As a result, the semi-natural vegetation is frequently replaced by open cropland, leading to decreased carbon storage and increased soil erosion. This and water abstraction for irrigation jeopardise hydropower production, in contradiction with the CRGE objectives. Despite the recent developments, the contrasts in economic activity make the core-periphery dichotomy to remain actual in the Beles basin. The resettlements and permanent cropping tend to make the upper basin part of the core. However, the installation of a transit road and commercial farms in the lower basin do not allow to consider that a non-peripheral integration has taken place.}},
  author       = {{Nyssen, Jan and Fetene, Fikre and Dessie, Mekete and Alemayehu, Getachew and Sewnet, Amare and Wassie, Alemayehu and Kibret, Mulugeta and Walraevens, Kristine and Derudder, Ben and Nicolai, Bart and Annys, Sofie and Tegegne, Firew and Van Passel, Steven and Frankl, Amaury and Verleyen, Elie and Teklemariam, Dereje and Adgo, Enyew}},
  issn         = {{1436-3798}},
  journal      = {{REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE}},
  keywords     = {{WESTERN ETHIOPIA,LAND DEALS,LAKE TANA,RIVER,VEGETATION,IMPACTS,MANSONI,PEOPLE,GUMUZ,FIRE,Africa south of the Sahara,Peripheralisation,Non-peripheral,integration,Gumuz,Sustainable development,Water,Internal migration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{2089--2104}},
  publisher    = {{SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}},
  title        = {{Persistence and changes in the peripheral Beles basin of Ethiopia}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1346-2}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}
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