Optimising Road Development for Groundwater Recharge and Retention

Roads for recharge

The problem: Road construction interferes with local runoff and recharge, to the detriment of farming and livelihoods. At the same time roads suffer serious water-related damage. The project has attempted to address both issues.

The approach: Social science research to “put a human face” to the problems communities face when roads are constructed. Engineering designs to minimise these problems and optimise use and infiltration of runoff.

Key findings: Low-cost solutions have been proven, and their rapid uptake by Regional and local Government and communities holds much promise for scale-up elsewhere.

Where?

• Ethiopia

Principal Investigator:

Frank van Steenbergen, MetaMeta Research

Research Team:

• Kifle Woldearegay Woldemariam, Mekelle University
• Lyla Mehta, Institute of Development Studies
• Jeremy Marc Allouche, Institute of Development Studies

Research Organisations:

• MetaMeta Research (MMR) – Grant NE/L001934/1
• Mekelle University (MU)
• Institute of Development Studies (IDS)

Find out more:

• Green Roads for Water : Guidelines for Road Infrastructure in Support of Water Management and Climate Resilience – World Bank guide
• Roads for Water website
• Video: Harvesting Road Runoff to Recharge Groundwater
• IDS Policy Briefing: Improving Livelihoods Through Better Road and Water Integration and Planning, 2017
• Connecting Roads, Water and Livelihoods for Resilience on the Global Resilience Partnership website
• “Water Harvesting from Roads in Ethiopia: Techniques and Approaches” by Dr Kifle Woldearegay at International Conference on Geology, Mining, Mineral and Groundwater Resources, 11-13 July 2017, Livingstone, Zambia
• PDF Summary
  • Optimising Road Development for Groundwater Recharge and Retention
  • Optimiser la construction des réseaux routiers pour faciliter la recharge et la rétention des eaux souterraines
• A Short Report on the adoption of Road Side Water Harvesting Technology as a means of Climate Change Adaptation in Afar Pastoral Areas (November 2015)
• “Collecting Water with Roads” World Water: Stormwater Management October / November 2015
• The Guardian /Clár Ní Chonghaile (2015) “Future perfect: resilience challenge winners tackle perennial problems” 12 October 2015
• “A watershed evolving” Farming Matters | 31.3 | September 2015
• “Weather Proofing and Water Harvesting” presented at IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress, September 15-18, 2015 – Istanbul Turkey (presentation)
• Woldearegay, K., F. van Steenbergen, M. Agujetas-Perez, B. Grum, M. van Beusekom (2015) “Water harvesting from roads: climate resilience in Tigray, Ethiopia” presented at IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress, September 15-18, 2015 – Istanbul Turkey (presentation)
• “Water from roads? A new road design can improve local water supplies” World Highways JULY/AUGUST 2015
• MAKING ROADS WORK FOR WATER, International Roads Federation Webinar, 12 August 2015
• Kifle Woldearegay presents in RWSN-UPGro webinar on Groundwater Recharge, 21 October 2014
• Frank van Steenbergen presents in TheWaterChannel webinar on Roads for Water, 26 November 2013
• Presentations from the final workshop of Optimising Road Development for Groundwater Recharge and Retention 
• Steenbergen, F. van, K. Woldearegay, H.M. van Beusekom, D. Garcia Landarte, and M. Al-Abyadh (2014) “How to Make Water Wise Roads” IFAD, Rome
• Demenge, J., R. Alba, K. Welle , A. Addisu and K. Manjur (submitted) “Multifunctional roads: the potential effects of combined roads and water harvesting infrastructure on livelihoods and poverty in Ethiopia”, Submitted to Journal of Infrastructure Development
• Garcia-Landarte Puertas D. , K. Woldearegay, L. Mehta, M. Van Beusekom, M. Agujetas Peréz and F. Van Steenbergen (2014) “Roads for water: the unused potential”, Waterlines, Vol 33, No. 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.3362/1756-3488.2014.013, ISSN: 0262-8104 (print) 1756-3488 (online)