Watershed Management: a critical focal area

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) has more than two decades experience in researching watershed management issues in the tropics. Our current focus is on refining watershed management principles for different spatial scales (eg. plot-, field- and landscape level) and contexts (for example, agricultural land, natural and/or regenerated forests). ICRAF scientists are developing models to predict the effects of different landscape configurations and identify best-bet management practices.

A substantial body of research demonstrates that tree cover has most noticeable effects in small watersheds and that the effects of trees depend upon the species of trees, their configuration in the landscape, their location relative to lateral flows of water and soil, and their impacts on the functional properties of soil. As watershed functions are largely ‘emergent properties’ at landscape scale (on 10% of the land one can do or control 90% of the damage to streams and rivers), there is no simple link between plot-level farm activities and these functions.

Watershed functions are also multi-stranded, with water quality, flood risk, dry season flow, total flow and landslide risk having greater or lesser importance across watersheds. Forms of collective action are needed and ‘social capital’ has to provide a context for negotiations between stakeholders. Research will continue to be undertaken across a range of climatic, ecological and social conditions, always integrated into multi-stakeholder processes of assessment and action.

Agroforestry as an integrated approach to Watershed Management

Programme of work 2005-2015
ICRAF is working to enhance the positive contributions of smallholder agroforestry systems to watershed functions. Focusing on four key areas, we are exploring the means by which adoption and protection of agroforestry systems contributes to improvements in water quality, greater infiltration and reduced sedimentation in crucial watersheds.