Overview
The objective of the WLRC in general and the Database in particular is to facilitate the compilation, archiving, and exchange of data and information for policy makers, research community and all the stakeholders who need data for sustainable management of land and water resources within and across border thereby influencing informed actions and decision making. Thus to achieve this objective, building on existing vastly accumulated knowledge and data, developing an integrated and full-fledged database was found important. The initial phases of the envisaged system demanded developing an IT infrastructure in the WLRC office that allows easy and secured access to share data and research results on water and land in Ethiopia and the Nile Basin at large.
The IT infrastructure in WLRC is designed to provide support for all interested people/institutes and facilitate sharing of data, documents, models, procedures and final outputs with both contributing researchers and project stakeholders in relation to the database.
The resource centre will focus not only on data storage and sharing but also on capacity building in using the data and information available in the system. Successful data sharing and availability should ensure data storage, common data access and standardized data formats. It is based on this principle that the database is developed and has all the required IT infrastructure that include high-capacity server (both hard ware and software), highly qualified professionals in the field of ICT and geospatial technology together with data collection and sharing protocols.
The database is managed in a centralized manner, with a shared web-based portal system, rather than a single centralized desktop-based system. Through the system all the available raw data and information will be accessed via the developed interface and security protocols to a wider community.
The other critical success factor for efficient data sharing is the availability of efficient interactive interface to search and investigate, processed and semi-processed project outputs and other documents which are placed in the database. For this application the system has an independent search engine placed in the web interface that enables the users to easily download the data they need. This interactive interface is made in a way that it is understandable by all types of users without expert help. It is designed to be managed as simple as that of exploring through the Internet.
User Groups and Data sharing protocols
Prior to the design of the database, the WLRC conducted a thorough assessment of potential data user groups, types of data they require and suggested data sharing protocols. As indicated on table 1 the user groups were broadly categorized into four groups, i.e., policy makers, development group including planners, scientific community (research and academia) and land users. The type of data they require, data format and possible mode of sharing is also defined. This was the basis for designing the database structure.
Table 1: User groups and data sharing protocols
|
No |
User Groups |
Data type |
Data format they require |
Application (Use for What) |
Protocol of sharing |
|
1 |
Policy makers |
|
Processed and highly filtered data (policy brief, maps, figures, summarized data,……), extrapolated results |
•To make decision at national/local level on priority of actions •To design or revise policies and strategies •To make fact based dialogue on trans-boundary resources |
Free access |
|
2 |
Development group (eg. MoWE, MoA, other public sectors, NGOs, Donors…) + modern private sector (agri and agro processing) |
|
• Semi-processed (daily or monthly) or processed data • Maps • extrapolated results |
•To design development activities (dams, reservoirs, watershed management, livelihood interventions, agriculture, modelling….) •Monitoring changes, |
Free access |
|
3 |
Scientific community (researchers and academia) |
|
•Raw data •Semi-processed (daily or monthly) or processed data •Maps |
•Research •Modelling (adaptation, calibration or development) •Developing scenarios and concepts •Education – capacity building |
On MOU basis (feedback of results, third party feedback, acknowledgment) |
|
4 |
Land users (small holder farmers) |
|
• Highly processed data • On farm demonstration |
To make their farm plan (what to plant, how to manage their land, etc) |
Free access |
Data sources
The database was designed assuming two data sources, i.e., secondary and primary. The lion share, the secondary database, is from the Soil Conservation Research Programme (SCRP) which is very rich both in terms of temporal and spatial coverage as well as focus on water and land management. This database contains data on runoff and soil loss both at plot and watershed levels, land use, soil, implication of soil and water conservation measures, meteorology and various socioeconomic information from seven smaller watersheds and associated test and experimental plots. The seven watersheds were selected to represent major agro-ecological zones of the country. At least ten years of data is available from all seven watersheds, and an additional 16 years of data is available from four of the watersheds.
In addition to this, CDE has a well-organized spatial database called Ethio-GIS. The updated version of this data will be incorporated in the database. Overall the SCRP ‘s spatial and non-spatial data is the best known data in this part of Africa and will be the major source of our database. Apart from this data the database will also use data from other agencies such as MoWE, MoA, EMA and other development partners. The secondary data will be supplemented with continuous and focused data collection from observatories, learning watersheds and other set-ups.
Data inventory and needs assessment
To define the database structure and users’ requirement, WLRC has assessed and evaluated the available data, and information in different governmental and non-governmental organizations and their use requirements as much as possible. The preliminary inventory and needs assessment shows that there is plenty of information, though fragmented, that need to be incorporated in the database. The IT team also assessed scenarios of use cases and users type to design the information system based on the users’ cases. These case have been crucial for the IT team to achieve an understanding about the wider users to fulfill the objectives of WLRC from the perspective of land and water resources data collection, storing and information dissemination that enable proper management of land and water resources in a sustainable way. Furthermore, the IT team designed the database system with options that allows users to send their requirement to the IT team so that the system can be further improved.
Data networks
Though the centre has developed the data base and has the role in collecting the majority of the data, several data and information will also be monitored, collected, and updated by several observatories handled by other institutions and organizations. There is a plan to further expand the centre to a regional knowledge hub for the Eastern Nile and ultimately Nile Basin. This includes the data collection, management and information dissemination in the country in the short-term and in the Riparian countries of the Eastern Nile and/or Nile Basin in the long term. To this effect the resource centre will form database link with other regional and global networks the first being with the resource centre in Kenya which works for Kenya and Tanzania with the same kind of objective like that of WLRC. All the links will be visible in our database interactive interface portal. This will allow the resource centre to benefit from and to provide better information to the wider networks of stakeholders. In doing so the centre will support the work of national and regional water and land management experts, policy makers and water users associations to be more informed and fact based. This way the resource centre will contribute to efforts to maintain regional stability and support regional cooperation in the areas of water and land policies, negotiations, and research and development actions.