Your search found 10 records
1 Smith, Mark D.; Sikka, Alok; Dirwai, Tinashe L.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2023. Research and innovation in agricultural water management for a water-secure world. Irrigation and Drainage, 72(5):1245-1259. (Special issue: Innovation and Research in Agriculture Water Management to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2872]
Agricultural water management ; Water security ; Research ; Innovation ; Sustainable development ; Transformation ; Water resources ; Energy consumption ; Food systems ; Nexus approaches ; Irrigation technology ; Water productivity ; Water use ; Irrigated farming ; Climate change ; Socioeconomic aspects
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052154)
(0.76 MB) (777 KB)
There is increased awareness that the current food system is unsustainable and that transformative research, development and innovation in agricultural water management (AWM) are needed to transform water and food systems under climate change. We provide an overview of research efforts, challenges, opportunities and innovations to improve water resource management and sustainability, especially in the agricultural sector. We highlight how sustainable AWM is central to balancing the needs of a growing population and increasing food demand under increasing water insecurity and scarcity, with environmental and socio-economic outcomes. Innovative technologies are being developed to optimize water use and productivity through sustainable irrigation technologies, irrigation modernization and smart water management. However, these innovations still need to fully address equity, inequality and social justice concerning access to water, infrastructure and the delayed technological advances in the global South. This requires adopting transdisciplinary approaches, as espoused by the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus, to better anticipate and balance trade-offs, optimize synergies and mitigate risks of maladaptation. Through such transdisciplinary approaches, AWM innovations could better consider local socio-economic, governance, institutional and technological constraints, thus allowing for more contextualized and relevant innovations that can be scaled.
2 International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 2023. Determining the marketing margin for irrigation technologies in Ghana: a supply chain perspective. Adaptive Innovation Scaling - Pathways from Small-scale Irrigation to Sustainable Development. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 8p. (IWMI Water Issue Brief 27) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2023.215]
Marketing margins ; Irrigation technology ; Supply chains ; Small-scale irrigation ; Innovation scaling ; Cost benefit analysis ; Strategies ; Irrigation equipment ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Pumps ; Drip irrigation ; Investment ; Imports ; Taxes ; Government agencies ; Non-governmental organizations ; Projects ; Intervention ; Partnerships ; Smallholders ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Sustainable development ; Climate change ; Food security / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052156)
(1.05 MB)
3 Xie, H.; Schmitter, Petra; Obayelu, A. E.; Edward, K.; Balana, B.; Ringler, C. 2023. Unlocking the potential of farmer-led irrigation development in central and northern Nigeria: what does it take? Washington, DC, USA: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 9p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136842]
Farmer-led irrigation ; Innovation scaling ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Water resources ; Solar energy ; Small-scale irrigation ; Groundwater irrigation ; Irrigation technology ; Pumps ; Costs ; Climate change ; Agriculture / Nigeria
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052157)
https://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/136842/filename/137053.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052157.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052157.pdf
(0.61 MB) (629 KB)
The potential for profitable groundwater irrigated area development in Nigeria is 5.04 million hectares (ha), almost all of it located in the country’s central and northern states. To develop this vast area, granular water budgets, financial service provision and support to grow sustainability of production will be needed. Increasing temperature, erratic rainfall, and other extreme events, such as floods and droughts, pose severe threats to development in Nigeria, and particularly in central and northern Nigeria where rainfall is limited, natural resources are threatened by degradation and agriculture, including livestock production, is the major economic driver. Climate change has significant adverse impacts on agricultural production and livelihoods, making the regions’ poor and disadvantaged people even more vulnerable. Agricultural productivity is already affected by climate extreme events and further land expansion would increase degradation and deforestation. At the same time, the central and northern regions of the country are blessed with substantial underground water resources that have been barely tapped.
At this point, the potential of farmer-led irrigation, a system where farmers acquire the irrigation technology and access to a water source themselves, is barely exploited. What role could farmer-led, small-scale irrigation play in growing agricultural productivity, rural employment and incomes, and reducing climate stress? And what mechanisms are needed to make this happen?
At this point, the potential of farmer-led irrigation, a system where farmers acquire the irrigation technology and access to a water source themselves, is barely exploited. What role could farmer-led, small-scale irrigation play in growing agricultural productivity, rural employment and incomes, and reducing climate stress? And what mechanisms are needed to make this happen?
4 Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi; Quarmine, William; Minh, Thai Thi. 2023. Effective demand for climate-smart adaptation: a case of solar technologies for cocoa irrigation in Ghana. Sustainable Environment, 9(1):2258472. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2023.2258472]
Climate-smart agriculture ; Irrigation technology ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Pumps ; Cocoa ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Innovation scaling ; Investment ; Smallholders ; Socioeconomic environment ; Climate change / Ghana / Mankraso / Tepa / Konongo / Obuasi / Goaso / Nkrankwanta / Sefwi-Bekwai / Bibiani / Asankrangwa / Samreboi / Diaso
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052232)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/27658511.2023.2258472?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052232.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052232.pdf
(2.25 MB) (2.25 MB)
Given the generally low adoption of early climate change response technologies among tree crop producers in sub-Saharan Africa, stakeholders interested in the commercialization or scaling of such technologies will require empirical evidence of their market prospects. Using a double-bounded contingent valuation approach, the study evaluated the willingness and ability of 523 Ghanaian producers to invest in solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) for cocoa irrigation. The sample was split into three segments based on farm size: resource-poor, resource-limited, and resource-rich. Our results show that effective demand increased across the resource segments, with resource-endowed farmers more likely to demand SPIPs than resource-limited or resource-poor farmers. Also, while willingness to invest (WTI) depended on resourcefulness (land), farmers’ ability to invest was directly related to their resource (income class) endowment. We found that WTI across the resource segments was positively influenced by income, education, livestock ownership, credit, and extension services and negatively affected by household size and age of cocoa trees. Among others, we propose that promotional strategies for SPIPs should incorporate well-planned initiatives for income diversification and microcredit services to improve the financial position of the resource-poor and limited segment to encourage the adoption of these technologies.
5 Shrestha, Gitta; Uprety, Labisha; Khadka, Manohara; Mukherji, Aditi. 2023. Technology for whom? Solar irrigation pumps, women, and smallholders in Nepal. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1143546. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1143546]
Gender relations ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Pumps ; Women's empowerment ; Smallholders ; Women farmers ; Irrigation technology ; Irrigation schemes ; Subsidies ; Livelihoods ; Social inclusion ; Decision making ; Households ; Income / Nepal / Saptari
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052316)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1143546/pdf?isPublishedV2=False
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052316.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052316.pdf
(2.11 MB) (2.11 MB)
Agricultural technologies are often promoted as a medium for women’s economic empowerment, which can transform unequal gender relations in rural agrarian societies. This paper investigates three solar irrigation pump (SIP) schemes implemented by state and non-state actors and examines their impacts on women and marginal farmers. We utilize a theory of change framework intended to evaluate the effectiveness of livelihood interventions and guide the design of gender transformative interventions. Our analysis relies on 63 qualitative interviews, 9 key informant interviews and 4 telephonic interviews with social mobilisers from the Saptari District in Nepal. The findings shed light on the unequal social and gender relations that have skewed the adoption and benefits of SIP technology. Gender and social inequalities persist, with limited adoption and benefit of SIP among women and smallholders. Women’s involvement in strategic decisions related to SIP adoptions, installations and usages is limited. This study underscores the importance of strategic interventions that foster meaningful women’s empowerment and ensure equitable distribution and benefits from SIP technology. Assessing the effectiveness of SIPs in empowering women, it is crucial to consider whether the resulting access, ownership, or decision-making opportunities challenge, reinforce, or reproduce unequal gender and social relations.
6 Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Minh, Thai Thi; Schmitter, Petra. 2023. Institutional gender mainstreaming in small-scale irrigation: lessons from Ethiopia. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 29p. (IWMI Research Report 185) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2023.218]
Gender mainstreaming ; Small-scale irrigation ; Institutional development ; Irrigation development ; Development projects ; Gender-transformative approaches ; Strategies ; Women farmers ; Gender equality ; Equal rights ; Participatory approaches ; Decision making ; Smallholders ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Irrigation technology ; Microirrigation ; Climate resilience ; Income generation ; Markets ; Capacity development ; Water user associations ; Extension approaches ; Stakeholders ; Private sector ; Government agencies ; Partnerships ; Governance ; Policies ; Frameworks ; Social norms ; Communities ; Households / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H052414)
(1.12 MB)
Achieving gender equality in irrigation can result in greater production, income, and job opportunities for both men and women smallholder farmers from diverse social groups, while building climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, national irrigation agencies, donors, and researchers have been assisting project implementers to mainstream gender issues into the planning and implementation of irrigation programs. However, although efforts to close gender gaps in irrigation have been increasing, little is known about how interactions among institutions at different scales may determine the success of gender-mainstreaming strategies. This study presents a qualitative analysis of how the interaction of institutions at multiple levels can shape the success of gender-mainstreaming strategies. Specifically, the study analyzed how institutions' rules, roles, and capacities at state, market, community, and household levels shaped strategies in Ethiopia's nine small-scale and micro irrigation development projects. The findings show that ‘rule-based’ strategies adopted by small, scheme-based irrigation projects emphasize policies and rules for equal rights and opportunities for equal participation in individuals' and institutions' decision-making and capacity development. ‘Role-based’ strategies adopted by projects promoting small-scale and micro irrigation technologies focus on challenging social norms to address the imbalance of power and workloads by developing the capacity of all stakeholders. Both strategies focus on women and use participatory approaches to ensure gender equality. Negative stereotypes about women from families, communities, and the private sector often make it difficult for gender mainstreaming to succeed. Furthermore, institutional biases and limited capacities reproduce gender inequality by reinforcing stereotypical gender norms. Transformative gender mainstreaming strategies are critical to holistic approaches that facilitate change at different scales through broad-based partnerships between actors. It calls for 1) enacting policy, creating an institutional environment, and developing governance mechanisms for mainstreaming gender; 2) enhancing the accountability system and adoption of gender-transformative approaches to involve more women farmers in designing, planning, and management; 3) creating a supportive institutional environment at market, community and household level that helps women farmers invest in irrigation; and 4) applying an intersectional lens in gender analysis and mainstreaming.
7 Bizimana, J.-C.; Yalew, B. B.; Assefa, T. T.; Belay, S. A.; Degu, Y. M.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Reyes, M. R.; Prasad, P. V. V.; Tilahun, Seifu A. 2023. Simulating potential impacts of solar MajiPump on the economy and nutrition of smallholder farmers in sub-humid Ethiopia. Water, 15(22):4003. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w15224003]
Irrigation technology ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Pumps ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Economic aspects / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052562)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/22/4003/pdf?version=1700221598
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052562.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052562.pdf
(4.21 MB) (4.21 MB)
Irrigation is widely considered a potential means to improve agricultural productivity, nutrition, and income, as farmers can carry out farming and production year-round. However, the feasibility of irrigation technologies is highly dependent on the long-term economic return farmers achieve. Solar-based irrigation could address the challenges of underinvestment in irrigation within Africa. Evidence on the economic viability of the adopted solar pumps such as MajiPump is very scant and focused on ex post evaluation. This study evaluated the income and nutritional feasibility of solar-powered irrigation using the MajiPump in sub-humid Ethiopian highlands using the farm simulation (FARMSIM) model and compared it with the manual pulley system. Results from the FARMSIM model show that farmers’ adoption of Maji solar pump technology to grow vegetables is economically feasible with financial support such as credit or loan for initial and capital investment to acquire the pump. The average profit under the solar MajiPump, drip irrigation, and conservation agriculture was 3.6 times higher than that of the baseline scenario. While the pulley technology provides the same amount of irrigation water to grow vegetables, its feasibility is limited due to high labor costs and time, estimated to be more than seven times the baseline. The simulation results show that the alternative scenarios’ nutrition level has improved relative to other scenarios and met the minimum daily average nutrition requirement level for proteins, iron, and vitamin A but fell short in fat, calcium, and calories. The results suggest that farmers who adopt improved small-scale irrigation technologies (solar MajiPump and drip system) have a higher potential to increase production and income from irrigated crops and improve their nutrition if part of the income generated is used to purchase supplemental food for their nutrition.
8 Singh, R.; Minh, Thai Thi; Oguge, N.; Odote, C. 2023. The influence of exogenous elements on technological innovation system development: the case of rainwater harvesting for irrigation in Kenya. International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, 40(2):397-411.
Rainwater harvesting ; Irrigation technology ; Innovation adoption ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Agriculture / Kenya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052670)
https://issr-journals.org/xplore/ijias/0040/002/IJIAS-23-188-18.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052670.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052670.pdf
(0.46 MB) (472 KB)
Rainwater harvesting for irrigation can increase sustainable access to irrigation and improve farmer resilience to climate change, particularly in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. However, attempts to increase adoption of rainwater harvesting for irrigation in Kenya have rarely been successful, despite decades of efforts by governments, NGOs, and development practitioners. Most scholars investigating reasons for these low levels of adoption tend to focus on hydrogeological, techno-managerial, or socio-economic factors, and leave out explanations grounded in the analysis of macro-level cultural, political, economic, and environmental dynamics within a specific context. To fill this gap, this article analyzes historical processes of two sites to identify how these dynamics contributed to an enabling environment for rainwater harvesting for irrigation in Kenya. The concept of technological innovation systems, which describes processes central to the emergence, growth, and diffusion of technological innovations, was used as a lens to examine long-term rainwater harvesting for irrigation adoption dynamics in the two sites. The identification of elements «exogenous» to the innovation system demonstrated that ecological, demographic, macroeconomic, political, cultural, and socio-economic elements exerted a major influence on the development of an enabling environment for rainwater harvesting for irrigation. Exogenous elements influenced levels of adoption by shaping the capacity and quality of elements within rainwater harvesting innovation systems, giving rise to systemic problems or opportunities, and influencing the speed of system development.
9 Hussein, M. A.; Riga, F. T.; Derseh, M. B.; Assefa, T. T.; Worqlul, A. W.; Haileslassie, Amare; Adie, A.; Jones, C. S.; Tilahun, Seifu A. 2024. Application of irrigation management and water-lifting technologies to enhance fodder productivity in smallholder farming communities: a case study in Robit Bata, Ethiopia. Agronomy, 14(5):1064. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051064]
Irrigation management ; Water productivity ; Irrigation technology ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Irrigation water ; Fodder ; Pennisetum purpureum ; Watersheds ; Labour productivity ; Dry matter ; Soil water content ; Livestock ; Case studies / Ethiopia / Robit Bata / Yinebo Watershed / Robit Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052854)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/5/1064/pdf?version=1715935300
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052854.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052854.pdf
(2.91 MB) (2.90 MB)
Small-scale cultivation of irrigated fodder is emerging as a vital production system in mixed farming communities. Efficient water management plays a key role in enhancing forage production, especially in the face of changing climate. A field-scale experimental study was conducted in Robit Bata kebele, Ethiopia, with the following objectives: (1) to examine the effects of conventional farmers’ irrigation scheduling versus climate-based irrigation scheduling; and (2) to assess the influence of water-lifting technologies (manual pulley and solar Majipump) on dry matter yield (DMY), water productivity (WP), irrigation labor productivity (ILP), and water productivity in terms of crude protein and metabolizable energy (WP.CP and WP.ME) of Napier grass. The experiment used 10 farmers’ plots each with a size of 100 m2 . Half of the plots were treated using farmers’ scheduling while the other half were treated using climate-based irrigation scheduling. Monitoring of irrigation water use and crop yield took place over two irrigation seasons from November 2020 to June 2021. Results showed there was an interaction effect of irrigation management (p = 0.019) and water-lifting technologies (p = 0.016) with season on DMY. The highest DMY occurred in the first irrigation season with climate-based scheduling and solar Majipump use. The interaction effect of irrigation management and season affected WP (p = 0.047). Climate-based scheduling had a higher WP in the first season, while farmers’ scheduling had a higher WP during the second season. On average, the solar Majipump outperformed the pulley, achieving 5 kg m-3 WP compared to the pulley’s 4 kg m-3 (p = 0.018). Emphasizing the seasonal impact, it is recommended to promote full irrigation (climate-based) in the first season for maximum yield and WP. Conversely, in the second season, advocating only deficit irrigation is advised due to water scarcity and sustainability concerns. Statistical parity in DMY and lower WP with full irrigation in the second season supports this recommendation, addressing the challenge of optimizing water use in the context of a changing climate and ensuring sustainable smallholder agriculture practices. Therefore, implementing appropriate irrigation management alongside efficient water-lifting technologies holds the potential to enhance fodder productivity and bolster smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Future research should explore the comparative benefits of irrigated fodder versus other crops and the overall advantages of investing in irrigated fodder over vegetables.
10 Minh, Thai Thi; Ofosu, Abena; Cofie, Olufunke; Li, R.; Bobtoya, Saadia; Makenzi, M.; Schmitter, Petra. 2024. Catalyzing farmer-led irrigation development in Africa: vision and pathways drawing from business, research and development practices. Adaptive Innovation Scaling - Pathways from Small-scale Irrigation to Sustainable Development. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 12p. (IWMI Water Issue Brief 29) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2024.219]
Farmer-led irrigation ; Irrigation development ; Research for development ; Innovation scaling ; Small-scale irrigation ; Sustainable development ; Financing ; Business models ; Investment ; Value chains ; Policies ; Incentives ; Partnerships ; Stakeholders ; Private sector ; Public sector ; Donors ; Development organizations ; Non-governmental organizations ; Collaboration ; Gender equality ; Social inclusion ; Women ; Youth ; Irrigation technology ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Farming systems ; Capacity development ; Learning ; Entrepreneurs ; Credit ; Risk ; Political aspects / Africa South of Sahara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052986)
(2.66 MB)
Farmer-led irrigation development (FLID) has been part of the farming system for hundreds of years, but has only recently attracted increased attention from government institutions, donors and development organizations. Yet, despite its vast potential, FLID has only been expanding slowly. Barriers to scaling include inadequate policy and legal frameworks, underdeveloped irrigation technology and supply chains, a lack of affordable finance, and limited access to input and output markets. Transformative scaling of FLID requires identifying the sociotechnical innovation bundles that fit, designing and implementing effective scaling strategies, and fostering multi-actor engagement and partnerships to achieve impact and trigger changes across farm, local, national, regional and global scales.
Powered by DB/Text WebPublisher, from
