Optimizing Road Development for Groundwater Recharge and Retention

Some Solutions from Tigray, Ethiopia

Plate1. Deep trenches at downstream side of roads

Plate 2a. Road side ponds to recharge groundwater and enhance in-situ moisture in soils

Plate 2b. Road side ponds to recharge groundwater and enhance in-situ moisture in soils

Plate 2c. Road side ponds to recharge groundwater and enhance in-situ moisture in soils

Plate 3. Road side runoff diverted into ponds

June 2014

Sept 2014

Plate 4a. Water from a culvert is channeled into farmlands with over 300m long trench

Culvert

June 2014

Sept 2014

Culvert

Plate 4b. Water from a culvert is channeled into farmlands with over 300m long trench

Plate 5. Water from a culvert is channeled into farmlands

June 2014

Sept 2014

Plate 6. Road side runoff is channeled into farmlands (as spate)

Deep trenches

Culverts

Borrow pit

Plate 7. Upstream trenches, and then water from culvert channeled into a borrow pit.

Plate 8. Borrow pit shown in plate 7

Plate 9. Panoramic view of channels to divert water from culverts into a borrow pit shown in Plate 8.

Culvert

Borrow pit

Plate 10. A pond used to store water from road side and a culvert

Plate 11. Water from a culvert which used to cause gully erosion is now channeled and spread into farmlands

Plate 12. Road side runoff is diverted and spread into farm lands through series of chennels

Plate 13. Similar to Plate 12 but different site