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This paper demonstrates the reciprocal benefits of a socio-hydrology approach that fosters fruitful exchanges between different 'knowers' of complex water dynamics in weaving different types of knowledge. For centuries, the managed aquifer recharge and use system in the Beni Isguen oasis in Algeria was diligently monitored by communal water stewards and the data meticulously recorded and stored. Throughout our research project on the origin of groundwater and its replenishment, intense dialogue between scientists and communal water stewards greatly enhanced the research protocol based on isotope tracers, while simultaneously contributing to the active knowledge base of the community. The dialogue was based on mutual respect, trust and a reciprocal desire to share knowledge. Our findings revealed increased mineralization of shallow groundwater during drought periods, which was attributed to geological processes, and emphasized the crucial role of floods. Also, contrary to the initial assumption that deep Continental Intercalaire groundwater was only used for drinking, it was identified as a vital external resource, responsible for substantial recharge of the phreatic aquifer of the oasis. This source of water explains the continued use of the phreatic aquifer for irrigation more than 10 years after the last major flood. This collaborative socio-hydrology approach between differently situated 'knowers' contributes to the grounding of socio-hydrology. While respecting the strong water conservation culture, weaving different forms of knowledge may help develop a virtuous and original development model in the Algerian Sahara and beyond.

Dans les oasis de Todgha Ferkla au sud-est du Maroc, les agriculteurs ont recours à la recharge de la nappe comme une réponse innovante afin d'atténuer le déséquilibre entre l'offre et la demande en ressources hydriques. Ce déséquilibre est accentué par les phénomènes de changements climatiques, notamment la sécheresse et par la course accrue vers le pompage par le biais de la mise en place de puits et de forages. Afin d'analyser les attitudes des agriculteurs de la vallée de Todgha Ferkla vis-à-vis de la recharge et d'explorer leur prédisposition à s'approprier et adopter cette innovation, nous avons mené vingt-trois entretiens avec les leaders d'organisations agricoles en charge de la gestion des eaux au sein des oasis de cette vallée. Les résultats montrent que les enquêtés ont une définition sommaire de la recharge englobant à la fois ses finalités, ses fonctions et ses infrastructures, et connaissent les principales techniques de recharge de la nappe. Ils ont des attitudes positives par rapport à la recharge de la nappe et sont prédisposés à adopter les techniques les plus appropriées à leur contexte telles que les bassins de recharge au sein de leurs parcelles et à entretenir les seuils de recharge notamment lorsqu'ils sont intégrés dans la gestion des ouvrages de la recharge. L'implication effective des acteurs des pouvoirs publics et des locaux dans une réflexion collective pourrait garantir les effets positifs, atténuer les effets néfastes de tels dispositifs de recharge de la nappe et soutenir la durabilité de fonctionnement des infrastructures.

Onze récits originaux de chercheurs de diverses disciplines (sociologie, génie des procédés, sciences de l'eau, modélisation informatique, anthropologie, hydrogéologie, agronomie, écologie) illustrent dans ce livre des manières concrètes de pratiquer l'interdisciplinarité en vue de construire des recherches engagées sur l'eau en société. Dans un monde interdisciplinaire, ils témoignent de situations heureuses ou inconfortables vécues par les chercheurs, et des arrangements déployés pour composer avec les inattendus de telles pratiques. L'ouvrage suggère des façons nouvelles de travailler sur l'eau, et propose de rendre intelligibles les relations que les sociétés entretiennent avec elle, autour de grands enjeux : pollution, salinisation des eaux souterraines, restauration écologique, optimisme technologique, dans différentes régions du monde. Au-delà de la singularité de chaque histoire vécue, ces récits soulignent les enjeux transversaux de la pratique interdisciplinaire à la fois dans les expériences individuelles ou collectives : identité et engagement du chercheur dans la société, finalités de la recherche, ou encore apprentissages réciproques, propices au dépassement des frontières disciplinaires. Ce livre s'adresse notamment aux chercheurs et étudiants qui entreprennent ou envisagent une recherche interdisciplinaire.

La faible productivité de l'agriculture en Afrique subsaharienne est due en grande partie à la dégradation de la fertilité des sols. Les agricultures familiales, pilier de la sécurité alimentaire de cette grande région, doivent relever le défi de la restauration et du maintien de la capacité productive des terres. Les pratiques endogènes des producteurs telles que les associations céréales-légumineuses, les jachères pâturées, les parcs arborés... ne permettent plus d'entretenir la fertilité sur des surfaces cultivées qui s'agrandissent, surtout lorsque les sols sont carencés. Durant quatre décennies, les décideurs et acteurs du secteur agricole ont privilégié la vulgarisation des engrais de synthèse. Mais l'utilisation des engrais minéraux demeure faible et bien en deçà de la moyenne de la consommation mondiale (15 kg/ha contre 135 kg/ha). Après avoir longuement promu l'utilisation de fumure organique, la recherche invite désormais à diversifier les sources de biomasse fertilisante via l'agroforesterie, les associations avec les légumineuses, l'agriculture de conservation. D'autres techniques de conservation de l'eau et du sol ont également été mises en avant. C'est bien la combinaison de différentes pratiques qui est à construire avec les agriculteurs pour chaque situation de production, en fonction des ressources disponibles localement, d'un apport raisonné d'engrais de synthèse et d'amendement, des savoirs paysans et scientifiques. Pour cela, il est nécessaire (i) de modifier les postures des chercheurs et des décideurs vis-à-vis des ruraux et (ii) de réviser les politiques publiques toujours focalisées sur l'usage des engrais minéraux, afin de fournir des services d'appui-conseil plus diversifiés, performants et intégrant les besoins de transitions agroécologiques indispensables aujourd'hui dans un contexte de changement climatique.

Dans les zones oasiennes du Maroc, l'agriculture a connu une extension très importante depuis 30 ans en dehors des oasis, basée principalement sur l'exploitation des eaux souterraines et stimulée par des politiques agricoles volontaristes. Les oasis et leurs extensions sont aujourd'hui confrontées à des pénuries d'eau conséquentes, accentuées par une irrégularité croissante des pluies et des crues. Un processus participatif, impliquant un panel mixte d'acteurs, a été mené en vue d'établir un diagnostic d'ensemble de la situation des ressources en eau dans la zone oasienne de Ferkla (Drâa-Tafilalet) et de coconstruire des solutions consensuelles pour une gestion durable de l'eau à l'échelle du territoire. Le diagnostic a permis d'identifier plusieurs indices démontrant le surdéveloppement voire la " fermeture " du bassin versant : relocalisation de l'usage de l'eau vers l'amont, déclin des niveaux piézométriques des nappes et conflits d'usages. Face à ces enjeux, nombreuses sont les initiatives individuelles et collectives pour augmenter l'offre en eau localement, identifiées par les participants. Celles-ci ont été mises en oeuvre ou sont en cours de réflexion, mais elles restent localisées et tributaires d'interventions ailleurs dans le bassin versant. De l'avis général, un nouveau modèle de gouvernance de l'eau est à inventer pour assurer un avenir durable des oasis au Maroc. Ce modèle se baserait sur l'implication et la responsabilisation des usagers dans la gestion de l'eau. Cet article où une démarche participative a été déployée pour comprendre et apporter des propositions autour des enjeux de la gouvernance de l'eau dans les zones oasiennes se veut une contribution au débat national sur la gestion de l'eau.

Le présent article explore la gouvernance de l'eau à travers une étude de cas sur la plaine de Berrechid au Maroc. Cette région subit une pression croissante sur ses eaux souterraines, exacerbée par l'augmentation des surfaces irriguées (maraîchage et fourrages) et un pompage intensif. Cette situation a conduit à une surexploitation de la nappe, avec un déficit annuel de 32 millions de mètres cubes. Basée sur des recherches menées dans le cadre d'un projet de la FAO et d'autres études complémentaires, l'analyse se concentre sur l'évolution du cadre réglementaire et institutionnel sur la gestion des eaux, ainsi que sur la complexité des interactions entre les divers acteurs, tant dans les cadres formels qu'informels. L'étude met en lumière les difficultés inhérentes à la mise en place d'une gestion participative des eaux souterraines, incluant l'application insuffisante des réglementations, le manque de consensus social et les défis de coordination entre les institutions. Bien que les récents contrats de concession à Berrechid représentent un pas vers une gestion participative, l'article questionne leur efficacité à long terme et souligne l'importance d'une réflexion approfondie pour assurer une gestion durable des ressources en eau. L'article conclut sur la nécessité d'une collaboration étroite entre tous les acteurs pour une transition vers une gestion durable de l'eau, soulignant que cette évolution nécessite un changement dans les perceptions et les pratiques, ainsi qu'un engagement politique soutenu. De plus, il est essentiel d'assurer un appui continu non seulement technique, mais aussi social, institutionnel et financier pour renforcer cette transition vers une gouvernance améliorée des ressources en eau.

This paper analyses the central role of water infrastructure in the transformation of hydrosocial territories through a case study in the Forquilha catchment in Brazil's Nordeste. Decentralised state-led infrastructural development reinforced the resilience of communities to drought, leading to more sustainable water access by many families; this was further magnified through individual and collective initiatives. However, this entailed the overdevelopment of small-scale hydraulic infrastructure and the formation of small community-based hydrosocial territories, which changed water flows and social relations at different scales. We show how this has led to the loss of hydraulic connectivity and the fragmentation of the catchment and how it has weakened collective action vis-à-vis the state. The state staged a remarkable interventionist comeback in the catchment by connecting medium-sized reservoirs in the upstream part of the catchment to urban water supply networks. In the absence of negotiated water reallocation, this may lead to the loss of water and livelihoods by vulnerable groups.

L'équinoxe de printemps, symbole de renouveau dans plusieurs régions du monde, se célèbre en mettant souvent à l'honneur des éléments de la nature. Le printemps annonciateur de jours longs, lumière, bourgeons et fleurs, se décline à l'envi selon les pays et on l'accueille de manière festive et différente : avec des couleurs (Holi) en Inde et au Népal ; des feux de joie, une table et une gastronomie toute particulière pour Nowrouz (jour de l'an) en Asie centrale ; en admirant les fleurs de cerisier (Hanami) au Japon, et avec tant de chants, de poèmes, toutes cultures confondues. C'est aussi en cette période de l'année que l'Organisation des Nations Unies a proclamé la Journée internationale des forêts et la Journée mondiale de l'eau, les 21 et 22 mars respectivement, auxquelles s'est adossée la Journée mondiale du bois soutenue par la World Wood Day Foundation (reconnue par l'Organisation des Nations Unies), nous rappelant ainsi le nexus entre l'eau, la forêt et le bois. Aborder les liens complexes et multiples entre eau, forêt et bois, leurs différentes facettes, les variantes et variables associées, les changements, les modèles, les prévisions et prospectives, est un travail titanesque devant agglomérer des champs de compétences immenses et variés. Ces Journées internationale et mondiale ont vocation à donner de la visibilité à des enjeux majeurs en permettant une sensibilisation du plus grand nombre via les pouvoirs publics et la société civile. Chaque année, ces Journées internationale et mondiale abordent un thème et en 2024, " Forêts et innovation : de nouvelles solutions pour un monde meilleur " côtoiera " La diversité des bois dans la Culture " et " L'eau pour la paix ". Sans eau, pas de vie, pas de forêt et pas de bois, est un poncif. L'eau est nécessaire à la germination des graines, à la croissance des arbres et autres végétaux. Les arbres produisent, entre autres, du bois : un matériau utilisé depuis des temps immémoriaux, stock de carbone pendant sa duré

Efforts to measure and regulate groundwaters and irrigators are notoriously ineffective. The starting point of this article, therefore, is to question the continued faith in techno-managerial solutions to groundwater depletion. We discuss the potential of the conceptual vocabulary of 'care' to complement, refresh and expand ways of talking about and doing groundwater governance. Mobilizing a diverse range of examples from places where pressures on aquifers are particularly acute, we do this by exploring what care entails in everyday practices of groundwater use and management. We show that foregrounding care nuances and sometimes challenges stories of users unavoidably depleting aquifers when given the chance and means to do so. Irrigators may display concern about the longer-term sustainability of the aquifers on which their livelihoods depend, even when their own pumping practices are unsustainable. In spite of pressures to intensify and individualize, farmers sometimes do hold on to or creatively develop collective rules to fairly share groundwater and use it sustainably, complementing strategies to make do with what is available with investments in conservation and recharge. Attention to care, moreover, highlights the ongoing processes of tinkering that governing groundwater always entails. The ability to tinker hinges on intimate and often embodied knowledge of a watery place. Accepting the care involved in governing groundwater, our analysis therefore concludes, prompts a re-consideration of what is and who has water expertise, with important implications for the role of 'outside' experts. More than a new theory, we propose embracing care as an analytical sensibility, with the study of practices of care serving as one promising way to widen the conceptual and political space for understanding and doing human-groundwater relations.

In Western Africa, agro-sylvo-pastoral systems are dominant and food demand is booming. To meet this demand, many farmers intensify the production with industrial inputs (mineral fertilizers, feeds, pesticides, herbicides). However, the price of these inputs is rocketing. To face this issue, some farmers reconsider crops, livestock, and tree synergies and by-product recycling to increase their production sustainably at a lower cost. The study aimed to characterize the diversity of Koumbia's farming systems and to assess farming systems' technical performance in an agroecological perspective. We surveyed 391 farms in the county of Koumbia (Burkina Faso). Considering 15 agricultural practices (4 on by-products recycling, 4 on soil protection, 4 on industrial inputs limitation, 2 on smart use of natural resources, and 1 on cropping diversification), a multivariate analysis (PCA+HAC) combined to an agroecology (Ae) scoring system (−15 to +15) based on 15 specific indicators (one/practice), we highlighted 3 agroecological farming systems clusters. These clusters are distributed along a gradient of agroecology intensity (Ae+: high degree of Ae, Ae+/−: medium degree, and Ae−: poor degree). Ae+ farms (Ae score: +3.0) group 17% of the farms, Ae+/− (Ae score: −4.5) group 58% of the farms, and Ae− (Ae score: −10.5) group 25% of the farms. Ae+ raise more livestock and recycle a higher rate of crop-livestock by-products in fodder, organic manure, and mulch. These recycling practices are facilitated by better levels of equipment for transportation and storage and soil water and crop residue conservation measures, including maintenance of the wooded park on the cultivated fields. This set of practices, which close better the agricultural system, produces a systemic effect which has a positive impact on yields and on the whole ecosystem. Our findings outline for the first time that crop-livestock synergies and by-product recycling are major factors of agroecological transition in a

Au Maroc et en Tunisie, la surexploitation des eaux souterraines s'accentue, dans un contexte de baisse de la pluviométrie et d'augmentation des usages. Après plusieurs années de mise en oeuvre, l'approche réglementaire et celle cherchant à mobiliser toujours plus de nouvelles ressources en eau ont montré leurs limites. Pourtant au niveau international, certaines expériences ont montré qu'une gestion durable des ressources en eau souterraine est possible en dépit de multiples défis de mise en place. En revenant sur trois expériences fonctionnelles de gestion des eaux souterraines, le présent article vise à analyser dans quelle mesure celles-ci pourraient alimenter la réflexion sur des dispositifs de gestion des eaux souterraines au Maroc et en Tunisie. Nous considérons ces trois expériences comme emblématiques de trois différents types de gestion : i) une gestion des forages ; ii) une gestion des surfaces irriguées ; et iii) une gestion volumétrique. Ces trois expériences sont mises en oeuvre sous une forme de cogestion fonctionnelle depuis plus de dix ans. Elles présentent un gradient en termes de faisabilité de mise en place allant d'un dispositif simple basé sur une gestion des forages, vers un système plus complexe autour d'une gestion volumétrique par les compteurs. Sans chercher à calquer un modèle précis, il est possible de s'inspirer de ces trois expériences pour réfléchir à des solutions adaptées au contexte maghrébin. L'article identifie différentes questions que des acteurs locaux ont à se poser pour réfléchir à la mise en place de dispositifs pilotes de gestion des eaux souterraines, et de possibles étapes pour organiser une réflexion sur les modèles de gestion que pourraient tester de tels dispositifs pilotes.

L'intérêt du développement de grands périmètres irrigués pour répondre aux enjeux de sécurité alimentaire des pays du Sahel demeure l'objet de nombreuses critiques quant aux effets négatifs de leur mise en place et de leur exploitation : accaparement des terres, dégradation environnementale, vulnérabilité accrue des ménages… Certaines de ces critiques sont portées par les sociétés civiles et les populations affectées par les projets d'aménagement qui trouvent injuste de se voir dépossédées de la gestion de leur foncier et des ressources qu'il porte. Dans cet article, à partir de trois études de cas – Sélingué au Mali, Bagré au Burkina Faso et la Compagnie agricole de Saint-Louis au Sénégal – nous montrons que les conflits autour du foncier irrigué sont révélateurs de revendications des populations pour une plus grande justice dans la gouvernance des périmètres irrigués. Pour réaliser notre analyse, le cadre théorique de la justice sociale de Fraser et ses trois dimensions (redistribution, reconnaissance, participation) sont exposés pour analyser les revendications exprimées par les acteurs pour la reconnaissance de leurs droits fonciers. Constatant les rapports de domination au sein de trois périmètres irrigués, nous discutons des différentes dimensions de la justice sociale dans la gouvernance du foncier à travers l'analyse des conditions d'installation des populations. Enfin, nous suggérons qu'une " approche par les communs " pourrait permettre de placer les enjeux de justice pour les populations au coeur d'une gouvernance plus équitable des aménagements.

This article aims to show that in-depth ethnography of processes and acts of sociotechnical tinkering provide a useful starting point for understanding how water knowledge co-creation works. This is even more relevant in countries with a strong legacy of settler colonization and continued power asymmetries between holders of different water-related knowledges and ontologies. Analyzing infrastructural and sociotechnical forms of tinkering helps understand how various water assemblages interact with official norms, strategies and laws. Drawing on the study of this tinkering practice, this article looks at how the people of Touho, in New Caledonia, assemble different forms of knowledge to understand, access and drink water.

Increasing yield resiliency under water deficits remains a high priority for crop improvement. In considering the yield benefit of a plant trait modification, two facts are often overlooked: (1) the total amount of water available to a crop through a growing season ultimately constrains growth and yield cannot exceed what is possible with the limited amount of available water, and (2) soil water content always changes over time, so plant response needs to be considered within a temporally dynamic context of day-to-day variation in soil water status. Many previous evaluations of drought traits have implicitly considered water deficit from a “static” perspective, but while the static approach of stable water deficit treatments is experimentally congruous, the results are not realistic representations of real-world drought conditions, where soil water levels are always changing. No trait always results in a positive response under all drought scenarios. In this paper, we suggest two key traits for improving grain legume yield under water deficit conditions: (1) partial stomata closure at elevated atmospheric vapor pressure deficit that results in soil water conservation, and (2) lessening of the high sensitivity of nitrogen fixation activity to soil drying.

The dominant discourse on wastewater reuse is heavily depoliticised. This unconventional resource is generally promoted as a 'no regret' solution to water scarcity. When political issues are broached, they take fairly innocuous forms that appear quite easy to resolve in a consensual manner, such as the need to overcome the 'barriers' of social acceptance and intersectoral collaboration. In this paper, we challenge what we see as superficial approaches to the politics of wastewater reuse. We do so by discussing the cases of treated wastewater reuse for irrigation (TWWRI) in Zaouiet Sousse (Tunisia) and Tiznit (Morocco). We argue that in both cases, TWWRI has been plagued by unresolved tensions that are deeply rooted in the specific political economy of how this resource is produced. We particularly highlight three structural political-economic contradictions. These are: 1) the contradictions between the state's preference for the largest possible schemes and the lack of interest of (many) peri-urban farmers who would rather urbanise their land and/or practise low-intensity farming alongside other occupations; 2) the tension between high operational costs and the poor smallholders who are typically targeted; and 3) the contradiction between the pockets of stringent state monitoring thus created and the surrounding sea of laisser-faire. We show how these contradictions play out somewhat differently in Morocco and Tunisia due to a more robust structuring of the water users association in Tiznit than in Zaouiet Sousse. We also show that these material contradictions are associated with different conceptions of the meaning and worth of TWWRI projects, which argues in favour of a cultural political economy of wastewater reuse. In conclusion, we argue for re-politicising and democratizing TWWRI more decisively instead of striving to depoliticise it.

Groundwater is essential for early-season agriculture in many arid regions. In such regions, however, groundwater recharge is generally low, leading to groundwater degradation. State responses are seldom effective in addressing this issue, which leads to fatalist narratives of the unsustainability of profitable agricultural growth and the collapse of aquifers. We argue that such narratives make it difficult to recognise more promising instances in which communities find solutions to groundwater degradation. We call for a fine-grained analysis of the social practices around the use of groundwater, which, we argue, represent a process of commoning. We do so while recognising that the collective action of communities is embedded in an intricate set of relations with other stakeholders including the state, and that the positive environmental and transformative social change that is often associated with commoning cannot be taken for granted at the outset. Building on the case of the arid Drâa Valley in Morocco where watermelon production has expanded rapidly, we illustrate how the process of commoning evolves through different social practices, including: 1) the use of new farming practices that reveal the potential of the aquifer; 2) the representation of the aquifer as severely degraded and the development of a narrative around it being a collective good to be protected against outsiders; 3) the defining and negotiating of rules to control groundwater access and use; and 4) the engagement in negotiations and the resolving of conflicts. Our analysis shows that commoning, as performed by young local farmers, is about extending the lifespan of the aquifer for agricultural production rather than preserving it indefinitely; however, an examination of commoning practices also reveals the capacity of the community to change the course of the future.

This article provides a theoretical introduction to the Special Issue and briefly presents the various contributions. It starts with a general plea for inserting the analysis of groundwater and its gradual depletion into a broader critical analysis of 'development'; it does so in order to trace how particular forms of groundwater use and management are intrinsic to distinct – gendered and racialised – processes of differentiation and exploitation such as settler colonialism and capitalism. We go on to argue, however, that too much insistence on explaining empirical realities in terms of such structural processes has its limitations. It risks strengthening their overwhelming power and reconfirming the oppression and marginalisation that they create. We therefore suggest that methodological and ethnographic attention to practices may help identify less predictable and sometimes surprising trajectories of change. Our foregrounding of practices implies treating terms such as transformation and sustainability as fluid, the discussion of which needs to be anchored in the situated and always-specific practical work of using, accessing, caring for, sharing and knowing groundwater. Theoretical insights about how the world is patterned or structured then serve not as the framework in which to insert empirical findings, but as entry points for further analysis, reflection and conversation, fuelling forms of experimentation and joint learning about how to think and do transformations to groundwater sustainability.

Cet article questionne le rôle de la production des savoirs sur l'état écologique des milieux dans la gestion et la mise en oeuvre de politiques de surveillance et de protection des ressources en eau utilisées pour la production d'eau potable en Afrique subsaharienne. Sur la base d'une recherche interdisciplinaire réalisée en Côte d'Ivoire et au Sénégal par une équipe comprenant des sociologues et des écologues, l'article montre comment des savoirs experts d'évaluation de la qualité des milieux interagissent avec les jeux d'acteurs, les structures de gestion existantes et les représentations locales de ces mêmes milieux. Nous interrogeons à travers cette approche interdisciplinaire les difficultés d'articulation de la diversité de points de vue sur les ressources en eau, ainsi que les freins, les incertitudes et controverses autour de la production de savoirs et de leur intégration dans des dispositifs de gestion. Nous analysons plus particulièrement les principaux défis pour la mise en place des suivis de l'état écologique des milieux aquatiques, ainsi que les possibles contributions des savoirs experts et locaux à la co-construction d'un diagnostic partagé.

In many countries, the challenge of sustaining rural water supplies is entrusted to community organizations, which have difficulties in performing durably the operation, maintenance and cost recovery of rural water supply systems. This paper analyzes how rural communities struggle to ensure a sustainable access to water, while seeking close interaction with outside actors such as the State, NGOs, and politicians. The analysis is based on field observations, interviews and participatory workshops in four community-managed water supply systems in Brazil and Tunisia. To sustain the access to water, communities limit their dependance on community-managed water supply systems and diversify water sources for different uses; they adapt the technical and organizational dimensions of water supply systems through bricolage; and use political leverage to obtain financial and technical support. Understanding how communities adapt the infrastructure and the organization of rural water supply, in close interaction with external actors, may inspire water providers in designing more resilient water systems.

Groundwater resources are a crucial driver of development. Since the 1970s, the expansion of irrigated land on the margins of the existing 'traditional' oases has been encouraged by the Tunisian authorities to enhance local development. As a result, oases in Southern Tunisia are currently facing sustainability concerns. This situation requires alternative water management approaches, in which local actors collaborate and contribute to the design of new rules. To understand Tunisian oasis farmers' perceptions of water rules and public organisations, in 2021, we conducted an online survey in Jemna, an oasis in the Kebili region in Southern Tunisia. The picture that emerged from the online survey is that farmers in extension areas have distinctive characteristics but also similarities with farmers in the traditional oasis. Both types of farmers mainly cultivate date palm (monoculture), and, like farmers in the extensions, many farmers in the traditional oasis have a private borehole. All farmers in the Jemna oasis clearly perceive the limited availability and poor quality of the groundwater resource. However, they do not believe these problems cause conflict among farmers. They consider that, to solve possible conflicts and to ensure better water management in the oasis, collaboration among farmers is more effective than changes to rules issued by existing organisations. These preliminary results, if confirmed, can have important policy implications, as the farmers' perceptions of water rules and organisations, as well as farmers' willingness to collaborate, are crucial for a possible new approach to water management in the oasis.

Agricultural practices of smallholder farming systems of Latin America can play an important role in reducing their exposure to the risks associated with climate extremes. To date, however, there is no systematic analysis of scientific evidence for the extent to which these practices can provide the multiple benefits needed for smallholders to adapt to climate extremes. In this paper, we searched scientific databases to review scientific evidence of the benefit provided by twenty-six practices in crops commonly farmed by smallholders in the region and highly relevant for their food and nutrition security; namely, coffee, maize and beans. We reviewed scientific documents (n = 304) published in the period 1953–2021 to register evidence of the practices' effects on fifty-five benefits. Our analysis of these documents found measurement records (n = 924) largely based on field experiments (85%). Our results show strong evidence of the multiple benefits that some ecosystem-based practices (e.g., tree-based practices for coffee and no tillage for maize) can provide to support the adaptation to climate extremes of smallholder farming systems and enhance a farm's natural assets (e.g., biodiversity, water, soil). We also found that the majority of research on practices in the region focused more on the socioeconomic dimension (54%) rather than on the capacity of practices to improve the natural assets of a smallholder farmers or reduce the impact of climate extremes. Given these knowledge gaps, we discuss the importance of a renovated investment in research to address existing knowledge gaps. Our concluding suggestions for future research include the need for systematizing existing knowledge from different sources (e.g., peer-reviewed, gray literature, farmers, extension agencies, etc.), and to assess the extent to which these practices can provide multiple benefits for smallholder farming systems by improving their wellbeing, reducing their vulnerability to different hydrocl

As decisions on climate change adaptation involve stakeholders with different values, beliefs and attitudes (VBA), decision outcomes depend on how stakeholders interact and how power is distributed. In this paper, we explore the VBA of stakeholders involved in three water management projects focusing on dams, micro-reservoirs, or wetlands in a Peruvian watershed facing droughts. We apply a framework with the core ideas of the hydrosocial cycle, the decision context perspective, and the VBA hierarchy to show how stakeholders' perspectives and power influence practices on the ground. The analysis of VBA reveals three different perspectives on water management held by different stakeholder groups. First, a community-based perspective, frequent among local communities, favors micro-reservoirs managed by communities. Second, an infrastructure-based perspective, frequent among public sector stakeholders, shows a preference for dams managed by the private sector. Third, a nature-based perspective, with a preference for wetlands managed by the public sector, is found across stakeholder groups. In the three water management projects, different power distributions determine which VBA dominate and influence practices on the ground. Dams on the ground represent power from the public and private sectors, while micro-reservoirs represent local grassroot control. In the wetland project, the outcomes of the evolving hydrosocial cycle are still unclear and will depend on how multiple perspectives are considered. Examining and questioning the decision context in which adaptation occurs can help excluded stakeholders achieve more power and agency and tackle the fundamental question of 'adaptation of what and for whom'.

In the current context of climate change, the impact of trees in agroforestry systems is expected to mitigate water and heat stresses, particularly in semi-arid environments. Within this framework, in a two-year trial conducted at INRAE in Southern France, the dynamics of microclimatic parameters and the edaphic environment of durum wheat were investigated under a yearly-pruned (AF) and a never-pruned (AF+) 6-m apart alley olive orchard, in comparison with controls under full sun. Here it was recorded a reduction of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) by 30% and 51% in AF and AF+, respectively, during the wheat cycle, together with a marked reduction of wind speed compared to controls (–85% in AF and −99% in AF+). A significant buffer effect was also highlighted for air temperature, averagely +1.7 °C during the night and −3.2 °C during the daytime under the moderate shading of AF. The positive effect of trees on soil water conservation increased with the intensity of shading, particularly during the critical wheat stage of grain filling, with benefits on wheat root mycorrhization, and NH4+ and NO3− abundance in the arable layer. Despite some of the environmental modifications being favorable for the understorey wheat, these were not translated into yield improvements, suggesting that the severe shading associated with the small inter-row and evergreen trees has a prevailing effect, that requires to be managed through appropriate tree pruning.

El servicio ecosistémico de regulación hídrica es uno de los más importantes que ofrecen los ecosistemas altoandinos. Sin embargo, el conocimiento sobre su aporte en términos hídricos es aún escaso y su estimación difícil, debido a los complejos procesos eco-hidrológicos, climáticos y características ambientales de los Andes. Por ello, se estimó la influencia de tres tipos de ecosistemas (pajonal de puna húmeda, bofedal y bosque de Polylepis) sobre flujos de agua, particularmente los flujos que se dirigen hacia el almacenamiento subterráneo, que equivalen al servicio ecosistémico de regulación hídrica. Dicho estudio se desarrolló durante el año hidrológico 2018 - 2019 en la unidad hidrográfica de Rontoccocha, entre los 3 900 a 4 635 msnm, en el Departamento de Apurímac, Perú. Para ello se modeló el balance hídrico por cada tipo de ecosistema con la herramienta eco-hidrológica Hydrobal. Se usaron variables de: a) vegetación, b) parámetros climáticos y c) características del suelo. Los resultados revelan el aporte de la cobertura vegetal en la regulación hídrica. En cada ecosistema, cerca del 15% de toda la lluvia que precipita en la cuenca logra llegar al almacenamiento subterráneo. Dichos datos extrapolados a toda la unidad hidrográfica, muestran que el pajonal de puna húmeda regula el 80%, el bofedal el 17% y el bosque de Polylepis el 3%. A pesar de que la evaluación se realizó por separado para cada ecosistema, para fines de gestión, es necesario abordarlo de manera integral dado que entre ellos se establecen relaciones de interdependencia.

Au Maroc, les ressources en eau se font de plus en plus rares. De plus, celles-ci subissent plusieurs pressions notamment l'augmentation de leur demande ainsi que les effets négatifs du changement climatique. Devant cette situation, le gouvernement marocain a multiplié les efforts en termes d'intervention et de politique, que ce soit au niveau technique, juridique et/ou institutionnel. Adopté en 2009, le dernier programme national d'économie d'eau et d'irrigation envisage de reconvertir des systèmes d'irrigations traditionnels vers l'irrigation localisée. Ce travail vise l'évaluation des impacts économiques et sur les ressources en eau ce programme dans le sous basin de Tadla-Azilal. L'application d'un modèle de gestion intégrée montre qu'après reconversion, la marge brute agricole totale dans la zone augmenterait de 2%. Des changements s'effectueront aux niveaux des assolements, notamment le remplacement de certaines cultures par d'autres, devenues beaucoup plus rentables. L'application des volumes d'eau précis aux moments des pics de demande des plantes se traduira par une augmentation des rendements de toutes les cultures. Quant aux consommations en eau, celles-ci baisseront significativement au niveau de toutes les unités étudiées et les nappes souterraines seront moins sollicitées qu'avant.

In a climate change context, changing temperature and precipitation patterns are expected to have strong impacts on Brazilian eucalypt plantations. Implementing adaptive water-efficient management practices is thus becoming necessary to maintain high levels of productivity while preserving the water resources. This paper investigates the ability of eucalypt farmers to modify their current silvicultural practices in order to adapt to drought in the near future. We ran a choice experiment in the state of Minas Gerais, among 80 eucalypt tree farmers, who were asked to choose from several management options associated with various financial supports. The results show that adaptation by reducing the length of the eucalypt rotation proves to be by far the preferred option, despite the associated costs. On the contrary, reducing density appears to be the least chosen option by the respondents, which may suggest that they underestimate the benefits of this strategy. We moreover find a clear and relevant segmentation of farmers' choice behavior, the general preference for reducing the length of the eucalypt rotation being driven by the most vulnerable farmers of the sample.

The impact of human water management on river discharge is increasingly viewed as a missing process in Earth system modeling. Models which have attempted to include it are generally at coarse resolution and uncoupled to the atmosphere. We propose to describe human water management at high spatial resolution using ORganizing Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic EcosystEms concept of hydrological-transfer-units in the routing parametrization. Irrigated areas are linked to river abstraction points using a minimization process. The directed graphs of river flows and adduction network for irrigation is transposed to propagate water demands upstream. Reservoirs and dams are placed along the graph to balance supply and demands in the four chosen water value classes. Dam regulation is assumed to maximize demand satisfaction and dampen floods while respecting the properties of the infrastructure. The developed human water management module is applied to the Yellow River where irrigation and dam regulation are known to have a strong impact. Results show that the impact of human water management is strongly heterogeneous over space. It propagates along the river channels and can be mitigated by the confluence of tributaries. Moreover, the human impact has a strong seasonality due to time varying irrigation demands and the response of dam regulation. A number of uncertainties still remain and affect the simulated river discharge. Nevertheless, the representation of human water management improves the model's behavior in terms of magnitude and intra-annual variations of river discharge, and offers the opportunity to implement anthropogenic processes in the water cycle of Earth System Models.

Water governance occurs at multiple levels, from the local to the supra-national, which are often highly fragmented. The interconnected nature of water requires interactions among these multiple governance levels. Public participation may foster such interactions. Thus, many water management reforms involved decentralization and public participation worldwide over the last decades. Yet, it is not demonstrated how these reforms may improve water resources sustainability. Their analysis in the literature does not show concretely how interactions among multiple levels materialize and are influenced by participation. As such, the question addressed is how interactions among multiple levels of water governance manifest over time in a participatory intervention. Using a case study in the Rwenzori region in Uganda, this article compares the multi-level interactions before and during a participatory process. The latter has been purposely implemented to bridge gaps between local and provincial levels through a participatory planning process centred on the provincial level. Four types of flows were analyzed: information and knowledge, hydrosocial, financial and human. Our analysis shows that using artefacts like the role-playing game and planning matrix fostered bi-directional information and knowledge flows. Hydrosocial flows did not change in depth but the legitimacy of the two organizations implementing the participatory process was reinforced. Project financial flows were injected through a provincial academic institution, who is not a regular budget recipient. They were therefore superimposed on existing budgeting process. We conclude by providing suggestions for the engineering of participatory processes in order to foster more collaborative and effective multi-level water governance.

Groundwater service markets are important and dynamic institutions that provide water to a wide range of farmers in many regions. However, these institutions represent arenas of complex and often antagonistic relations, which determine which farmers gain access to water and how. This study analyses the emergence and functioning of groundwater service markets from a historical perspective to advance the understanding of the role of social power games in shaping these institutions. The study was conducted in the Sidi Okba oasis in the Algerian Sahara, where over recent decades, four (in)formal, often overlapping, groundwater service markets have emerged. These markets were shaped progressively by socio-ethnic antagonism, state intervention and economic competition between water sellers. By continuously adjusting these institutions, the highly diverse irrigation community prevented the emergence of a monopoly in groundwater sales and maintained the balance of power between water sellers and buyers by countering possible control of groundwater access by a single socio-ethnic or economic group. The demonstrated ability of the irrigation community to craft rules to ensure these groundwater service markets function should encourage public actors to mobilize this capacity to deal with the drop in water tables, which is one adverse outcome of the 'success' of these markets.