Water use, water quality/quantity and biodiversity across landscapes - synergies and trade-offs in an era of climate change and modernization

The worldview behind UNs sustainable development goals (SDGs) is characterized by ”modernity”. However, the fundamentals of modernity often lead to increased pressure on ecosystems and loss of ecosystem services.

An important research task is therefore to uncover promising synergies across SDGs that focus on human well-being, environmental justice and sustainable ecosystems.

It is expected that a particularly challenging confluence of high vulnerability to climate change with strong modernizing forces (policy and market driven) in agricultural landscapes in the Global South.

We address these challenges with a project focusing on water with implications for livelihood conditions and biodiversity in a small-holder farmer landscape in SW Ethiopia.

In this interdisciplinary project, we start with collecting empirical data on diverse livelihood conditions, land and water use, water quantities and qualities, ecosystem services and biodiversity in upstream and down-stream areas of 20 watersheds with contrasting land-use (e.g. forests and agriculture).

Finally, we search for promising synergies and evaluate trade-offs among the different aspects related to livelihood conditions and biodiversity.

One example could be the possibility to develop coffee agroforestry at higher altitudes when the climate gets warmer to improve incomes as well as water quality and biodiversity.