Your search found 17 records
1 Minh, Thai Thi; Cofie, Olufunke; Lefore, N.; Schmitter, Petra. 2020. Multi-stakeholder dialogue space on farmer-led irrigation development in Ghana: an instrument driving systemic change with private sector initiatives. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 15(2):98-118. (Special issue: The Unusual Suspect? The Private Sector in Knowledge Partnerships for Agricultural and Rural Development)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050013)
(0.92 MB) (944 KB)
Private sector actors bring expertise, resources, and new perspectives to agricultural development, but the tendency to short-term approaches and market-based orientation has been unable to drive a systemic change in the development agenda. We explore how multi-stakeholder dialogues can capitalize on and trickle systemic change through private sector involvement. Analysis from the farmer-led irrigation development multi-stakeholder dialogue space (FLI-MDS) in Ghana shows the need for a physical and institutional space to cater for and merge different stakeholder interests. For all stakeholders, the institutional space is a multi-level-playing institution which can trickle systemic change by leveraging the private sector’s investments with multi-stakeholders’ collaboration, interactive learning, and potential support for commercial scaling of FLI. For private sector actors, a physical space for collaboration is crucial. It enables them to envisage their commercial interests, opening up opportunities for collaboration and mobilization of resources. Ensuring long term sustainability of an FLI-MDS requires catering for the private sector needs for a physical dialogue space to trickle systemic change and accelerate commercialization in farmer-led irrigation development.
2 Ibn-Mohammed, T.; Mustapha, K. B.; Godsell, J.; Adamu, Z.; Babatunde, K. A.; Akintade, D. D.; Acquaye, A.; Fujii, H.; Ndiaye, M. M.; Yamoah, F. A.; Koh, S. C. L. 2020. A critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and ecosystems and opportunities for circular economy strategies. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 164:105169. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105169]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049986)
(9.40 MB)
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on the 11th of March 2020, but the world is still reeling from its aftermath. Originating from China, cases quickly spread across the globe, prompting the implementation of stringent measures by world governments in efforts to isolate cases and limit the transmission rate of the virus. These measures have however shattered the core sustaining pillars of the modern world economies as global trade and cooperation succumbed to nationalist focus and competition for scarce supplies. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a critical review of the catalogue of negative and positive impacts of the pandemic and proffers perspectives on how it can be leveraged to steer towards a better, more resilient low-carbon economy. The paper diagnosed the danger of relying on pandemic-driven benefits to achieving sustainable development goals and emphasizes a need for a decisive, fundamental structural change to the dynamics of how we live. It argues for a rethink of the present global economic growth model, shaped by a linear economy system and sustained by profiteering and energy-gulping manufacturing processes, in favour of a more sustainable model recalibrated on circular economy (CE) framework. Building on evidence in support of CE as a vehicle for balancing the complex equation of accomplishing profit with minimal environmental harms, the paper outlines concrete sector-specific recommendations on CE-related solutions as a catalyst for the global economic growth and development in a resilient post-COVID-19 world.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050433)
(2.37 MB) (2.37 MB)
Worldwide, off-grid solar photovoltaic irrigation is currently being developed with the expectation that it will help secure water access to increase food production, reduce fuel-based carbon emissions and energy costs, and increase human resilience to climate change. In developing countries across the Middle East and North Africa, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the adoption of solar technology in agriculture to lift groundwater is rapidly expanding, following decreases in pump costs, economic incentives, and development partner initiatives. Solar irrigation potentially provides a cost-effective and sustainable energy source to secure food production and sustain livelihoods in line with multiple Sustainable Development Goals, but achieving such potential requires improved policies and institutions to coordinate across numerous stakeholders, objectives, and approaches. This paper uses cases and observations from across regions to propose a framework to support policy, regulation, and monitoring for environmentally sustainable and socio-economically inclusive solar irrigation investments. While not exhaustive, the components seek to address the intersection of energy, water and food security, as well as social equity. The paper emphasizes the need for an understanding of how solar irrigation can be scaled to be both accessible for smallholder farmers and environmentally sustainable.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050503)
(7.40 MB)
This report assesses the potential of solar photovoltaic (PV) irrigation for smallholder agriculture in Ghana, using elements of business planning and business models with a suitability mapping approach. These approaches take into account the economic as well as environmental sustainability of expanding such technology. Using data from existing solar PV irrigation systems and interviews with key industry actors, the report discusses the regulatory and institutional context for investment in solar PV technology and outlines the technology supply chain, mapping the key actors and their roles. The financial viability of two empirical business cases – directly funding an agribusiness and subsidizing a cooperative model – is analyzed to assess the feasibility of expanding access to the technology. Furthermore, three solar PV irrigation business model scenarios are presented based on insights gained from the two empirical cases as well as from analyzing the existing policy and regulatory framework, the technology supply chain and environmental suitability. The potential for solar PV irrigation pumps is substantial, especially in northern Ghana, although care must be taken to avoid overpumping some aquifers. Achieving this potential will require strengthening the policy framework and making finance available at a reasonable cost. The report identifies alternative financing mechanisms and business models that have been tried elsewhere and can be adapted to Ghana, and makes recommendations to enhance the sustainable uptake of solar PV irrigation.
5 Queiroz, C.; Norstrom, A. V.; Downing, A.; Harmackova, Z. V.; De Coning, C.; Adams, V.; Bakarr, M.; Baedeker, T.; Chitate, A.; Gaffney, O.; Gordon, L.; Hainzelin, E.; Howlett, D.; Krampe, F.; Loboguerrero, A. M.; Nel, D.; Okollet, C.; Rebermark, M.; Rockstrom, J.; Smith, Mark; Wabbes-Candotti, S.; Matthews, N. 2021. Investment in resilient food systems in the most vulnerable and fragile regions is critical. Nature Food, 2(8):546-551. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00345-2]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050607)
(1.97 MB) (1.97 MB)
Reversing the alarming trend of rising food insecurity requires transformations towards just, sustainable and healthy food systems with an explicit focus on the most vulnerable and fragile regions.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050543)
(5.02 MB)
Intensification of groundwater irrigation is central to goals of improving food security and reducing chronic poverty faced by millions of rural households across the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP) of Nepal and parts of eastern India. At present, levels of groundwater use and access in the EIGP lag far behind other areas of South Asia despite abundant available groundwater resources. A key reason for prevailing access constraints is the dependence on diesel pumpsets for accessing groundwater, which are typically unsubsidised and therefore expensive to purchase and operate. To date, efforts to reduce access costs have focused almost exclusively on how to incentivise adoption of alternative electric or solar-powered pumping technologies, which are viewed as being cheaper to operate and less environmentally damaging due to their lower operational carbon emissions. In contrast, there has been little attention paid to identifying opportunities to make existing diesel pump systems more cost effective for farmers to operate in order to support adaptation to climate change and reduce poverty. In this study, we use evidence from 116 detailed in-situ pump tests along with interviews with pumpset dealers, mechanics and farmers in the Nepal Terai to assess how and why fuel efficiency and operational costs of diesel pump irrigation are affected by farmers’ pumpset selection decisions. We show that costs diesel pumpset irrigation can be reduced significantly by supporting and incentivising farmers (e.g., through equipment advisories, improved supply chains for maintenance services and spare parts) to invest in newer low-cost, portable and smaller horsepower pumpset designs that are more effectively matched to local operating conditions in the EIGP than older Indian manufactured engines that have historically been preferred by farmers in the region. Such interventions can help to unlock potential for intensified irrigation water use in the EIGP, contributing to goals of improving agricultural productivity and resilience to climate extremes while also strengthening farmers capacity to invest in emerging low-carbon pumping technologies.
7 Howard, G.; Nijhawan, A.; Flint, A.; Baidya, M.; Pregnolato, M.; Ghimire, A.; Poudel, M.; Lo, E.; Sharma, S.; Mengustu, B.; Ayele, D. M.; Geremew, A.; Wondim, T. 2021. The how tough is WASH framework for assessing the climate resilience of water and sanitation. npj Clean Water, 4:39. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-021-00130-5]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050682)
(0.70 MB) (716 KB)
Climate change presents a major threat to water and sanitation services. There is an urgent need to understand and improve resilience, particularly in rural communities and small towns in low- and middle-income countries that already struggle to provide universal access to services and face increasing threats from climate change. To date, there is a lack of a simple framework to assess the resilience of water and sanitation services which hinders the development of strategies to improve services. An interdisciplinary team of engineers and environmental and social scientists were brought together to investigate the development of a resilience measurement framework for use in low- and middle-income countries. Six domains of interest were identified based on a literature review, expert opinion, and limited field assessments in two countries. A scoring system using a Likert scale is proposed to assess the resilience of services and allow analysis at local and national levels to support improvements in individual supplies, identifying systematic faults, and support prioritisation for action. This is a simple, multi-dimensional framework for assessing the resilience of rural and small-town water and sanitation services in LMICs. The framework is being further tested in Nepal and Ethiopia and future results will be reported on its application.
8 Khadka, Manohara; Uprety, Labisha; Shrestha, Gitta; Minh, Thai Thi; Nepal, Shambhawi; Raut, Manita; Dhungana, Shashwat; Shahrin, S.; Krupnik, T. J.; Schmitter, Petra. 2021. Understanding barriers and opportunities for scaling sustainable and inclusive farmer-led irrigation development in Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal: Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). 92p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050731)
(1.87 MB) (1.87 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050855)
(0.49 MB)
This review identifies the potentials and constraints of using (partially) treated or blended wastewater for irrigation in order to assess the potentials in the context of cities in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Less than 5% of the wastewater produced in the region is being treated. Nonetheless, untreated, partially treated, and/or blended wastewater is extensively being used for agricultural purposes. Despite the last updated WHO 2006 guidelines for ‘wastewater use in agriculture’, authorities only consider the different water quality parameters at the point of use. Other aspects such as irrigation type, crop management and post harvesting practices, which clearly influence the contaminant log reduction, are simply ignored. Those parameters, however, are considered alternatives to a classic contaminant log reduction, which may be very beneficial for developing countries. In a more holistic approach, trade-off is favoured between the required water quality for irrigation, use of affordable treatment technologies, and adequate post-harvest strategies to reduce the current health risks to acceptable levels. Such a trade-off makes use of multiple barrier approach, whereby wastewater treatment and critical point barriers throughout the supply chain are combined. Thus, there is a long way ahead to achieve proper water reclamation for productive use; the current paradigm has to change. Current restrictive guidelines are unrealistic given current practices, and approaches more appropriate to the location's situation still need to be developed. A multiple barrier approach in combination with master planning is recommended to consider wastewater treatment and critical point barriers throughout the supply chain.
10 van Koppen, Barbara; Raut, Manita; Rajouria, Alok; Khadka, Manohara; Pradhan, P.; GC, R. K.; Colavito, L.; O’Hara, C.; Rautanen, S.-L.; Nepal, P. R.; Shrestha, P. K. 2022. Gender equality and social inclusion in community-led multiple use water services in Nepal. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 29p. (IWMI Working Paper 203) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2022.200]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050908)
(1.21 MB)
The Constitution of Nepal 2015 enshrines everyone’s right of access to clean water for drinking and the right to food. The common operationalization of the right to water for drinking is providing access to infrastructure that brings water for drinking and other basic domestic uses near and at homesteads. Challenges to achieving this goal in rural areas include: low functionality of water systems; expansion of informal self supply for multiple uses; widespread de facto productive uses of water systems designed for domestic uses; growing competition for finite water resources; and male elite capture in polycentric decision-making. This paper traces how the Nepali government and nongovernmental organizations in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), irrigation and other sectors have joined forces since the early 2000s to address these challenges by innovating community-led multiple use water services (MUS). The present literature review of these processes complemented by field research supported by the Water for Women Fund focuses on women in vulnerable households.
Overcoming sectoral silos, these organizations support what is often seen as the sole responsibility of the WASH sector: targeting infrastructure development to bring sufficient water near and at homesteads of those left behind. Women’s priorities for using this water are respected and supported, which often includes productive uses, also at basic volumes. In line with decentralized federalism, inclusive community-led MUS planning processes build on vulnerable households’ self supply, commonly for multiple uses, and follow their priorities for local incremental infrastructure improvements. Further, community-led MUS builds on community-based arrangements for ‘sharing in’ and ‘sharing out’ the finite water resources in and under communities’ social territories. This realizes the constitutional right to food in line with the Nepal Water Resources Act, 1992, which prioritizes core minimum volumes of water for everyone’s domestic uses and many households’ irrigation. Evidence shows how the alleviation of domestic chores, women’s stronger control over food production for nutrition and income, and more sustainable infrastructure mutually reinforce each other in virtuous circles out of gendered poverty. However, the main challenge remains the inclusion of women and vulnerable households in participatory processes.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051829)
(2.47 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051897)
(4.45 MB)
13 Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, K. G.; Verma, Shilp. (Eds.) 2023. Sustainable groundwater development for improved livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. 222p. (Routledge Special Issues on Water Policy and Governance)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy SF Record No: H052019)
(0.07 MB)
14 Colenbrander, W.; van Koppen, Barbara. 2023. Improving the supply chain of motor pumps to accelerate mechanized small-scale private irrigation in Zambia. In Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, K. G.; Verma, Shilp. (Eds.). Sustainable groundwater development for improved livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. pp.112-122. (Routledge Special Issues on Water Policy and Governance)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy SF Record No: H052025)
During the past decade, smallholder groundwater irrigation with motor pumps has increased considerably in Zambia. This study analyzes an important but hitherto ignored factor for adoption: the supply chain of imported motor pumps. The main obstacles for farmers are identified as: the highly centralized supply chain and financing facilities in urban hubs; lack of information about prices, which vary significantly for the same make and model of pump; lack of information and training on proper use and maintenance; and lack of financing facilities. The Zambia National Farmers Union seems best placed to remove these obstacles.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052156)
(1.05 MB)
16 Laborde, D.; Matchaya, Greenwell; Traore, F. 2023. Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on African agriculture, trade, poverty, and food systems. In Odjo, S. P.; Traore, F.; Zaki, C. (Eds.). Africa agriculture trade monitor 2023. Kigali, Rwanda: AKADEMIYA2063; Washington, DC, USA: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). pp.130-158. (Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052225)
(0.55 MB) (563 KB)
17 Jones, S. K.; Sanchez, A.; Wickramaratne, Chaturangi; Wakaabu, D.; Ivanova, Y.; Minh, Thai; Mockshell, J.; Sanchez-Choy, J.; Steinke, J. 2024. Are the metrics that companies use effective for monitoring supply chain sustainability? A closer look at cocoa and rice. [Policy Brief of the Agroecological Transitions for Building Resilient and Inclusive Agricultural and Food Systems (TRANSITIONS): Private Sector Incentives and Investments (PSii) for Climate Change, Resilience and Environmental Sustainability project]. Montpellier, France: Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). 8p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052917)
(3.15 MB)
In a globalized world, consumers need to rely on information provided by agri-food companies to assess the impacts of the food they eat. And consumer interest in eating responsibly is growing, as stories of agriculture-driven deforestation, pollinator declines, and inhumane worker conditions hit the headlines. Major markets are responding too, by starting to require that agribusinesses demonstrate their products meet environmental and social standards (Kinderman, 2020), with the EU law banning products linked to deforestation as a recent example (http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1115/oj). Companies know they need to meet these market requirements and consumer demands, to stay competitive. Indeed, despite an initial cost spike to set up effective monitoring systems, firms benefit financially in the long term from sustainability reporting (Friske et al., 2023), as this helps expand their consumer base.
Companies have responded by seeking sustainability certification (e.g. Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance) or setting themselves sustainability targets and reporting against these. Certification remains a market niche in part due to the high costs, and has its limitations since no single certification scheme addresses social, environmental and economic sustainability dimensions. For this reason, companies seek to demonstrate their sustainability commitments using company-determined targets and monitoring systems. Yet within this space, there is no clear guidance or consensus across agrifood businesses on which targets to set, which indicators to use to measure progress towards them, and how to collect reliable data on these indicators cost-effectively. This makes it difficult to compare companies and products. It increases the likelihood that some companies are using outdated, unreliable or costly methods to collect data because of a lack of tools and knowledge transfer across regions and commodities. It also creates a risk that certain locally important negative impacts (e.g. water depletion, soil degradation, forced labour, and farmer debt-levels) are under-reported, and that the indicators in use are poorly suited to the agroecological, multifunctional farms of the future (e.g. yield measured in tons/ha is a metric well-suited to monocultures and not to agroforestry systems, where whole system yields should be captured). Companies along cocoa and rice supply chains are no exception and the way they choose to monitor sustainability impacts has worldwide importance. An estimated 5.9 million tons of cocoa is produced each year (FAOSTAT, 2022) and used in a range of products, with chocolate the best known and loved by the consumer, while 776 million tons of rice is produced and is a major staple providing approximately 20% of the world’s calories (FAOSTAT, 2022).
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