Your search found 24 records
1 Lemperiere, Philippe; Hagos, Fitsum; Lefore, Nicole; Haileslassie, Amare; Langan, Simon. 2014. Establishing and strengthening irrigation water users associations (IWUAs) in Ethiopia: a manual for trainers. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 76p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2014.232]
Irrigation systems ; Infrastructure ; Water user associations ; Training materials ; Local government ; Gender ; Management ; Committees ; Legal aspects ; Regulations ; Farmer participation ; Drainage systems ; Economic aspects ; Budgets ; Subsidies / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H046826)
(866 KB)
2 Erkossa, Teklu; Hagos, Fitsum; Lefore, Nicole. 2014. Proceedings of the Workshop on Flood-based Farming for Food Security and Adaption to Climate Change in Ethiopia: Potential and Challenges, Adama, Ethiopia, 30-31 October 2013. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 178p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2014.233]
Flood water ; Flood irrigation ; Food security ; Climate change ; Adaptation ; Irrigation schemes ; Irrigation systems ; Spate irrigation ; Livestock products ; Crop production ; Siltation ; Arid zones ; Semiarid zones ; Community involvement ; Water rights ; Water resources ; Water harvesting ; Water use ; Land rights ; Poverty ; Households ; Living standards ; Nutrition ; Malnutrition ; Drought ; Farmers ; Indicators ; Sedimentation ; Canals ; Discharges ; Models ; Surface runoff ; Calibration ; Rainfed farming ; Agriculture ; Technology transfer / Africa / Ethiopia / Africa South of Sahara / Oromia Region / Tigray Region / Keleta River / Boru River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H046909)
(2 MB)
3 Hagos, Fitsum; Erkossa, Teklu; Lefore, Nicole; Langan, Simon. 2014. Spate irrigation and poverty in Ethiopia. In Erkossa, Teklu; Hagos, Fitsum; Lefore, Nicole. (Eds.). 2014. Proceedings of the Workshop on Flood-based Farming for Food Security and Adaption to Climate Change in Ethiopia: Potential and Challenges, Adama, Ethiopia, 30-31 October 2013. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). pp.43-52.
Irrigation schemes ; Spate irrigation ; Traditional farming ; Poverty ; Arid zones ; Households ; Income / Ethiopia / Africa / Oromia Region / Tigray Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H046926)
The study examined whether the use of spate irrigation in drought-prone areas of Ethiopia reduced poverty. Each of about 25 users of indigenous and modern spate irrigation schemes and an equal number of corresponding nonusers from the same peasant associations in Oromia and Tigray regional states were interviewed. The survey found that the poverty level of the spate irrigation users was significantly lower than that of the nonusers in terms incidence, depth and severity. Access to improved spate irrigation has led to reduced poverty, measured by all poverty indices, compared to traditional spate. Finally, the dominance test showed that the poverty comparison between users and nonusers was robust. From the study, it can be concluded that the use of spate irrigation in areas where access to other alternative water sources is limited, either by physical availability or by economic constraints, can significantly contribute to poverty reduction, and that modernizing the spate system strengthens the impact.
4 Hagos, Fitsum; Mulugeta, A.; Erkossa, Teklu; Lefore, Nicole; Langan, Simon. 2014. Diversion of flashy floods for agricultural use and its effect on nutrition in Ethiopia. In Erkossa, Teklu; Hagos, Fitsum; Lefore, Nicole. (Eds.). 2014. Proceedings of the Workshop on Flood-based Farming for Food Security and Adaption to Climate Change in Ethiopia: Potential and Challenges, Adama, Ethiopia, 30-31 October 2013. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). pp.53-66.
Flood irrigation ; Spate irrigation ; Agriculture ; Human nutrition ; Children ; Gender ; Body weight ; Height ; Households ; Malnutrition ; Food security / Ethiopia / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046927)
The study examined whether access to spate irrigation leads to better nutrition outcomes. The results showed that there is an overall improvement in the study sites compared to the 2011 DHS study. As far as households with access to spate irrigation are concerned, weight-for-height z-scores indicated that 8.2% of the children had prevalence of global acute malnutrition; 8.2% of them had moderate acute malnutrition. None of the children had severe acute malnutrition. The weight-for-age results indicated that 27.5, 17.6 and 9.8% of the children showed prevalence of underweight, moderate underweight and severe underweight, respectively. The height-for-age z-scores showed 56.5, 30.8 and 21.7% of the children had prevalence of stunting, moderate stunting and severe stunting, respectively. On the other hand, households without access to spate irrigation indicated that as far as the weight-for-height z-scores of children are concerned, there were no children (boys and girls) with prevalence of global acute malnutrition; weight for-age z-score showed that 13.6, 10.2 and 3.4% of the children had prevalence of underweight, moderate underweight and severe underweight, respectively. The height-for-age z-scores showed that 45.5, 25.5 and 20.0% of the children had prevalence of stunting, moderate stunting and severe stunting, respectively. The anthropometric measures, thus, showed the nutritional outcomes of users were worse-off than of nonusers of spate irrigation. This happens in the face of better income and consumption expenditures, mainly nonfood, for users compared to nonusers. This underlines the importance of nutrition education alongside efforts to improve access to irrigation. Moreover, multisectoral collaborations are needed between the health, agriculture, water, social protection, education, gender and other sectors to improve the nutrition outcome of children.
5 Dittoh, S.; Snyder, K. A.; Lefore, Nicole. 2015. Gender policies and implementation in agriculture, natural resources and poverty reduction: case study of Ghana’s Upper East Region. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 22p. (WLE Research for Development (R4D) Learning Series 3) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2015.205]
Gender ; Women ; Equity ; Agricultural policy ; Policy making ; Agricultural workers ; Agricultural production ; Natural resources ; Poverty ; Funding ; Socioeconomic environment ; Civil society organizations ; Local communities ; Households ; Resource allocation ; Case studies / Ghana / Bawku West / Bongo
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047003)
(3 MB)
6 Lefore, Nicole. 2015. Strengthening facilitation competencies in development: processes, challenges and lessons of a learning alliance to develop facilitators for local community engagement. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 11(1):118-135.
Capacity building ; Training ; Learning ; Local community ; Community development ; Water users ; Waste management ; Farmers ; Stakeholders ; Agricultural sector ; Sustainability ; Participatory approaches ; Non governmental organizations ; Case studies / East Africa / southern Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047007)
http://journal.km4dev.org/index.php/km4dj/article/viewFile/217/356
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047007.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047007.pdf
(0.25 MB) (261 KB)
Effective facilitation enables farmer-based water user organizations to analyse contextual issues, identify causal links, formulate clear challenges, develop partnerships with stakeholders, and innovate and implement solutions. However, facilitation is often provided by international partners, such as advanced research institutions or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The reliance on external consultants to facilitate innovation and change processes creates risks for sustainability. This article provides an overview of a capacity development initiative for facilitation of change in the agriculture water sector in Africa. It focuses on the case study of the Improved Management for Agricultural Water in East and Southern Africa (IMAWESA) network’s learning alliance on facilitating community engagement. The IMAWESA learning alliance sought to build competency on facilitation methods and tools at national and sub-national levels within and across agricultural water management projects. The paper primarily seeks to address questions related to the sustainability of facilitated processes and the effectiveness of capacity development methods to train facilitators and thus strengthen local facilitation.
7 Hagos, Fitsum; Mulugeta, A.; Erkossa, Teklu; Langan, Simon; Lefore, Nicole; Abebe, Yenenesh. 2017. Poverty profiles and nutritional outcomes of using spate irrigation in Ethiopia. Irrigation and Drainage, 66:577-588. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2117]
Poverty ; Indicators ; Nutrition ; Malnutrition ; Irrigation systems ; Supplemental irrigation ; Flood irrigation ; Households ; Public investment ; Smallholders ; Food security ; Food consumption ; Water management / Africa / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048061)
Development partners and public investors assume that spate irrigation reduces household poverty and malnutrition. This article examines whether the poverty profiles of smallholder farmers and the nutritional outcomes of their children have improved as a result of using spate irrigation. The study areas were in two regional states in Ethiopia. Twenty-five users each, both from traditional and modern spate irrigation schemes, and an equal number of non-users responded to a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measures of 122 children under five were measured using a hanging scale and stadiometer. The results indicated that all poverty indices were significantly lower for the spate irrigation users compared to non-users, and were even lower for modern spate compared to traditional spate systems. Our results did not show gender differences, using sex of the household head as a crude measure of gender, in poverty profiles. Stochastic dominance tests showed that the poverty comparisons between users, traditional and modern, and non-users are statistically robust. It can be concluded that the use of spate irrigation can significantly reduce poverty, and modernizing spate systems further increases its poverty-reduction impact. However, anthropometric measures indicated that use of spate irrigation did not have significant nutritional effects, suggesting the need for nutrition-sensitive interventions, such as nutrition education and awareness and multisectoral collaboration.
8 Lefore, Nicole; Weight, Elizabet; Rubin, D. 2017. Gender in irrigation learning and improvement tool. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 40p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2017.203]
Gender ; Women's participation ; Men ; Equity ; Irrigation schemes ; Decision making ; Policy making ; Irrigation schemes ; Stakeholders ; Learning ; Training ; Literacy ; Land allocation ; Water resources ; Water use ; Domestic water ; Agricultural production ; Participatory approaches ; Governance ; Performance evaluation ; Investment ; Monitoring
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048080)
(999 KB)
9 Schmitter, Petra; Gebrehaweria, Gebregziabher; Tilahun, S.; Lefore, Nicole; Barron, Jennie. 2017. Assessing the effects of smallholder intensification through improved water management beyond “Business as Usual”: a multi-facet lens on sustainability [Abstract only] Paper presented at the Annual Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural and Natural Resource Management (Tropentag) Conference on Future Agriculture: Social-ecological transitions and bio-cultural shifts, Bonn, Germany, 20 - 22 September 2017. 1p.
Smallholders ; Intensification ; Water management ; Water requirements ; Irrigation water ; Irrigation practices ; Sustainability ; Manual operation ; Small scale farming ; Solar energy ; Manual pumps / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048308)
In sub-Saharan Africa small scale irrigation is developing rapidly. Whilst emphasis for development is mainly placed on water resource availability and access for irrigation, less attention is paid to adoption of water lifting and management technologies, its relation to irrigation labour, profits and long term soil fertility. The dynamics of both the nutrient and the production cycle can be significantly affected when new water lifting and management practices are introduced. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different water lifting (solar, manual and fuel pumps) as well as water management methods on irrigation labour, nutrient balances and profits under supplementary and full irrigation practices of vegetables in two regions of Ethiopia. Farmers were grouped into four water management treatments: irrigation based on soil moisture monitoring, using a mechanical scheduling device (i.e. FullStop), standard crop water requirements (CWR) and traditional farmers practice (FARM). Results show that manual water lifting devices are profitable under supplementary irrigation but require best management packages, such as optimal irrigation scheduling, to boost production per ha. This in combination with viable market prices could ensure that small scale irrigation remains profitable when full irrigation is supplied. One of the main explanatory variables is the irrigation labour which is often forgotten to be a significant costing factor. Solar PV pump technologies show a high potential for Ethiopia as the labour reduced by 38% compared to manual water lifting devices. When farmers had access to irrigation information, vegetable production using manual water lifting technologies turned into a profitable business as long as its effect on irrigation labour translated into proportional yield increases. For example, farmers increased irrigation for onion by 42% resulting in yield increases by 85%. However, the effect of irrigation scheduling on crop – water productivity and profits were highly variable depending on the fertiliser farmers used. Results show the importance of a recommended water management and fertiliser package to ensure sustainable intensification through irrigation development achieving crop productivity and profits gains whilst reducing potential environmental effects.
10 Lefore, Nicole; Weight, Elizabeth; Mukhamedova, Nozilakhon. 2017. Improving gender equity in irrigation: application of a tool to promote learning and performance in Malawi and Uzbekistan. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) 31p. (WLE Research for Development (R4D) Learning Series 6) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2017.217]
Research and development ; Gender equity ; Learning ; Training programmes ; Performance evaluation ; Women ; Women’s participation ; Men ; Irrigation schemes ; Participation ; Improvement ; Assessment ; On-farm production ; Agricultural extension ; Agricultural production ; Productivity ; Water management ; Water allocation ; Farmers ; Market access ; Investment ; Community involvement ; Stakeholders ; Resource management ; Decision making ; State intervention / Malawi / Uzbekistan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048368)
(4 MB)
This paper provides a brief synthesis of research conducted on gender in irrigation, and the tools and frameworks used in the past to promote improvement for women in on-farm agricultural water management. It then presents results from the pilot of the Gender in Irrigation Learning and Improvement Tool (GILIT) in locations in Malawi and Uzbekistan in 2015. Through the results of the tool, the paper looks at benefit sharing between men and women farmers: (i) access to irrigation scheme resources (including information, for example, in the design phase; land, water and other inputs); (ii) participation in scheme management; and (iii) access to scheme benefits, including access to market information, packaging and payments. The indicators for the tool were modelled after principles reflected in existing gender policies and strategies, and intended to improve performance at field level in line with national and regional goals. The paper concludes with informal and formal constraints to gender-equitable outcomes from irrigation investments identified during the pilot, and suggests how the tool can be used by various development actors to improve the benefits for women from investments in agricultural water management.
11 Otoo, Miriam; Lefore, Nicole; Schmitter, Petra; Barron, Jennie; Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria. 2018. Business model scenarios and suitability: smallholder solar pump-based irrigation in Ethiopia. Agricultural Water Management – Making a Business Case for Smallholders. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 67p. (IWMI Research Report 172) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.207]
Business management ; Models ; Solar energy ; Energy policies ; Irrigation methods ; Irrigation practices ; Pumping ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Alternative methods ; Environmental sustainability ; Environmental impact ; Corporate culture ; Policy making ; Renewable energy ; Agricultural financial policy ; Financing ; Supply chain ; Economic aspects ; Irrigated farming ; Agricultural production ; Investment ; Intensification ; Food security ; Nutrition ; Water supply ; Water management ; Groundwater ; Regulations ; Rural communities ; Markets ; Small scale systems ; Women's participation ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Case studies ; Innovation scaling / Africa / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048583)
(2 MB)
This report outlines a business model approach to assessing the feasibility and for encouraging investment in smallholder solar pump irrigation. It also proposes a new methodology for mapping the suitability of solar energy-based irrigation pumps. The proposed business model framework and the methodology for suitability mapping are applied to Ethiopia as a case study, based on data from existing case studies and reports. A brief analysis outlines the regulatory and institutional context for investment in solar pump irrigation, and the ways in which it both constrains and attempts to support investment. The report identifies and outlines three business model scenarios that present opportunities for investing in smallholder solar pump-based irrigation, which would contribute towards sustainable intensification for food and nutrition security. The business model scenarios are based on the value proposition of supplying water to smallholder farmers for irrigated agricultural production. Analysis of potential gains and benefits suggests that direct purchase of solar pumps by farmers is feasible, and that out-grower schemes and pump supplier options with bundled financing offer promising solutions. The potential constraints that different investors may face in up-scaling the business models are also discussed, particularly within institutional, regulatory and financial contexts. The report provides development actors and investors with evidence-based information on the suitability and sustainability of solar pump irrigation in Ethiopia, as well as suggestions for helping to enable smallholders to invest in individually-owned, smallholder photovoltaic (PV) solar pumps.
12 Schmitter, Petra; Kibret, K. S.; Lefore, Nicole; Barron, Jennie. 2018. Suitability mapping framework for solar photovoltaic pumps for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Applied Geography, 94:41-57. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2018.02.008]
Smallholders ; Mapping ; Solar energy ; Photovoltaic systems ; Pumps ; Geographical Information Systems ; Farmers ; Water lifting ; Irrigation water ; Reservoirs ; Water storage ; Water resources ; Water availability ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Groundwater management / Africa South of Sahara / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048620)
https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0143622817310457/1-s2.0-S0143622817310457-main.pdf?_tid=7cbbae10-6572-4e7a-aba1-234b647c6bd5&acdnat=1522660497_768a421f54ea3c4d4ecdefe5273936b1
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048620.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048620.pdf
As solar panels become more a ordable, solar photovoltaic (PV) pumps have been identi ed as a high potential water lifting technology to meet the growing irrigation demand in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, little is known aboutthegeo-spatial potentialofsolarbasedPVpumpingforirrigationtakinginto accountnotonlysolar radiation but also the availability of water resources and linkage to markets. This study developed a suitability framework using multi-criteria analysis in an open source GIS environment and tested it in the case of Ethiopia. Theaccessibilityofwaterresourceswasthedrivingfactorfordi erentscenarios.Suitabilityresultsfollowingthe groundwater scenarios showed good agreement with the available referenced well depth data. Comparing the suitability maps with available land use data showed that on average 9% (96103ha) of Ethiopian irrigated and 18% (3739103ha) of rainfed land would be suitable for solar PV pump irrigation. Furthermore, small solar PV pumps could be an alternative water lifting technology for 11% of the current and future small motorized fuel hydro-carbon pumps on smallholder farms (2166103ha). Depending on the technical pump capacity, between 155103ha and 204103ha of land would be suitable for solar PV pumps and provide smallholder farmers with the option to either pump from small reservoirs or shallow groundwater. With the ongoing interest in development for smallholder irrigation, the application of this model will help to upscale solar PV pumps for smallholder farmers in SSA as a climate smart technology in an integrated manner.
13 Aarnoudse, E.; Closas, Alvar; Lefore, Nicole. 2018. Water user associations: a review of approaches and alternative management options for Sub-Saharan Africa. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 43p. (IWMI Working Paper 180) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.210]
Water user associations ; Water management ; Water security ; Water resources ; Water governance ; Water policy ; Water distribution ; Stakeholders ; Public-private cooperation ; Partnerships ; Surface water ; Groundwater irrigation ; Irrigation systems ; Irrigation management ; Irrigation water ; Decision making ; Investment ; Food security ; Cost recovery ; Community development ; Participatory approaches ; Public participation ; Agricultural productivity ; Socioeconomic environment ; Alternative methods ; Public authorities / Africa South of Sahara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048782)
(1 MB)
Building on existing literature and the analysis of a portfolio of development projects (past and under implementation), this paper reviews the evolution of water user associations (WUAs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), reflecting on the conceptualization of how they operate, and the promised outcomes related to irrigation development, and the efficient and effective delivery of irrigation services. It also moves one step further from existing studies on WUAs, postulating that additional reflection is needed to understand the limitations of WUAs and proposes alternative, viable and context-based adapted models. This need is particularly strong in SSA where irrigation is incipient, and governments and donors are still consolidating their development approaches. Whereas a growing body of international literature takes into account the sociopolitical context of decentralized irrigation management, practical indication on what remains to be done to address the various limitations found in SSA stays meagre and scattered. The objective of this paper is not to challenge the myth of WUAs but to learn how to better deliver on the promised outcomes. The underlying message is that, if the SSA region is to be made water and food secure while respecting resource sustainability, community development, livelihoods and equality of resource access, the recurrent templates for WUA management and governance need to be revisited and adapted to local needs.
14 Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Barron, Jennie; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Lefore, Nicole; Gowing, J. 2018. Gender dimensions of community-based groundwater governance in Ethiopia: using citizen science as an entry point. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 24p. (IWMI Working Paper 184) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.222]
Gender ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater development ; Water governance ; Water security ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water availability ; Water use ; Community involvement ; Citizen participation ; Participatory approaches ; Monitoring ; Role of women ; Women’s participation ; Equity ; Empowerment ; Sustainability ; Decision making ; Natural resources management ; Wells / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048928)
(1 MB)
Understanding the gender dimensions of community-based groundwater governance is important because men and women differ in their need for and having access to groundwater, and their participation in the development, management and monitoring of the resource. The leading role played by women in obtaining and safeguarding water is not usually reflected in the institutional arrangements for water management. Addressing this gender inequality could lead to the equal participation of men and women in monitoring and sustainable management of groundwater, and women’s empowerment. This paper explores gender aspects of community-based groundwater governance in Dangeshta and Farawocha kebeles in Dangila and Boloso Bombe woredas, respectively, in Ethiopia. The findings suggest that women place a high value on groundwater and could be motivated to play a greater role in governance of the resource. However, the constraints they face in participating in groundwater development and management, particularly exclusion from decision-making, suggest that their effective participation and leadership could be significantly curtailed without specific interventions. Indeed, this is reflected in women’s willingness to participate in groundwater monitoring, as well as men’s reluctance to allow their wives to participate. This is in contrast to a high number of men willing to participate. Citizen science as an entry point for community-based groundwater governance relies on (i) the active involvement of myriad actors (including men and women citizens) whose actions interact with the hydrological processes; and (ii) volunteer interest (i.e., willingness to participate). A gender-sensitive approach to programs, gender awareness training, and partnerships with organizations working for women’s empowerment, natural resource management and adult literacy are recommended to support a citizen science approach to groundwater monitoring.
15 Merrey, D. J.; Lefore, Nicole. 2018. How to support effective and inclusive irrigation water users’ associations: a guide for practitioners. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 16p. (WLE Research for Development (R4D) Learning Series 9) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.227]
Research and development ; Learning ; Irrigation water ; Irrigation management ; Irrigation efficiency ; Water user associations ; Best practices ; Guidelines ; Farmers organizations ; Irrigation schemes ; Collective action ; Small scale systems ; Policy making ; Investment ; Costs ; Gender ; Training programmes ; Monitoring ; Evaluation ; Water policy ; Water governance ; Water institutions ; Water availability ; Nongovernmental organizations ; Sustainability ; Stakeholders ; Infrastructure ; Socioeconomic environment ; Communities ; Local authorities
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049026)
(1 MB)
The purpose of this Guide is to provide an overview of the major considerations and steps to be followed in organizing new irrigation farmers’ organizations or Irrigation Water Users’ Associations (IWUAs). The Guide should support developing or strengthening a specialized formal IWUA for implementing a program aimed at creating or improving a collectively managed irrigation scheme. The Guide is focused on programs involving construction of new irrigation schemes; rehabilitation, modernization or revitalization of existing irrigation schemes; or supporting farmers wishing to improve the performance of their irrigation scheme. While based on extensive research and evidence, the intended audience for this Guide is the set of practitioners responsible for planning and implementing communal irrigation programs. This may include managers of publicly or externally supported projects, government agricultural and irrigation officials, private investments and nongovernmental organizations. The Guide draws on over 50 years of experience organizing farmers to participate in the creation, improvement and management of both farmer-managed and government-managed irrigation schemes. The major lesson learned is that investing in the “software” component – training and institutional development – of irrigation is critical for success. If the IWUA is weak or ineffective, the scheme will fail to achieve its potential, no matter how good the hardware is. The Guide seeks to avoid imposing a specific organizational design for what an institution should look like and do, but suggests a process organized around six ‘steps’ to be followed, more or less in sequence. Using these steps creatively as a guideline, not as a recipe to be followed precisely, will increase the likelihood that irrigation investments achieve the desired project goals.
16 Merrey, D. J.; Lefore, Nicole. 2018. Improving the availability and effectiveness of rural and “Micro” finance for small-scale irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of lessons learned. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 46p. (IWMI Working Paper 185) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.225]
Financing ; Microfinance ; Rural finance ; Financial institutions ; Small scale systems ; Agricultural credit ; Women’s participation ; Empowerment ; Rural communities ; Irrigation equipment ; Irrigation schemes ; Drip irrigation ; Pumps ; Solar energy ; Smallholders ; Farming systems ; Households ; Supply chain ; Microcredit ; Credit policies ; Investment ; Poverty ; Water resources ; Business models ; Grants ; Insurance ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Case studies / Africa South of Sahara / Kenya / Rwanda / Senegal / Burkina Faso
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049027)
(718 KB)
This paper reviews the evidence available on the provision of financing for African smallholder farmers to purchase irrigation equipment such as pumps, pipes and drip irrigation systems. It sets the scene by first reviewing the literature on experiences with providing microcredit and other microfinance services as a poverty reduction strategy. Based on both case studies and several systematic reviews of the literature, it finds that the outcomes and impacts on poverty, gender equity and broader economic development are mixed at best. Microcredit is not a silver bullet solution to poverty, but it can often help poor households improve their lives. The paper then reviews the demand for and supply of financing for smallholders to purchase irrigation equipment. In surveys, farmers express a strong demand for equipment such as pumps, but often point to the lack of affordable and appropriately designed credit as a critical impediment to gaining access to such equipment. Even where microfinance institutions offer agricultural credit, it is usually short-term seasonal credit to purchase seeds and fertilizer. Credit on these terms is not useful to purchase equipment costing several hundred dollars. Focusing on programs specifically aimed at enabling farmers to purchase irrigation equipment, no credible detailed studies were found documenting the impacts and lessons learned. However, there are currently (as of 2018) numerous promising pilot studies and small projects offering a variety of approaches to enable smallholders to make such purchases. The paper reviews what information is available on these. A major recommendation of this paper is that a research project should be designed to carry out studies of these various experiments to identify what works under what conditions, as a basis for scaling out programs to offer financial services aimed at assisting smallholders to gain access to small-scale irrigation equipment.
17 Worqlul, A. W.; Dile, Y. T.; Jeong, J.; Adimassu, Zenebe; Lefore, Nicole; Gerik, T.; Srinivasan, R.; Clarke, N. 2019. Effect of climate change on land suitability for surface irrigation and irrigation potential of the shallow groundwater in Ghana. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 157: 110-125. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2018.12.040]
Climate change ; Land suitability ; Land use ; Irrigation methods ; Surface irrigation ; Groundwater management ; Water resources ; Surface water ; GIS ; Slope ; Soils ; Socioeconomic environment ; Population density ; Rainfall ; Temperature ; Evapotranspiration / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049052)
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0168169918311426?token=D47C9342836EF05EF9C7A103181929ACB8DDE1F80AD6AF06C2A5B98E687E907761A212B911EFC4AC23D7985048ACB910
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049052.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049052.pdf
(6.84 MB)
Estimating the potential land resources suitable for irrigation and evaluating the possible impact of climate change on land suitability is essential for planning a sustainable agricultural system. This study applied a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) technique to evaluate the suitability of land for irrigation in Ghana for a baseline period (1990 to 2010) and future time horizons 2050s (2041 to 2060) and 2070s (2061 to 2080). Key factors considered to evaluate the suitability of the land for irrigation include biophysical features (such as climate, land use, soil, and slope) and socioeconomic factors (such as proximity to roads and population density). These factors were weighted using a pairwise comparison matrix then reclassified and overlaid on a 30 m grid to estimate the irrigation potential of the country. Groundwater data from the British Geological Survey (BGS) were superimposed onto the land suitability map layer to evaluate the irrigation potential and the accessibility of shallow groundwater with simple water lifting technologies. Downscaled and bias-corrected future climate data from HadGEM2-ES under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 emission scenario were used to represent the future climate horizon. Due to climate change, on average, rainfall will increase by 15 mm and 20 mm from the baseline period in the 2050s and 2070s, respectively. The average temperature shows a consistent increase in the majority of Ghana and a higher rate of increase is expected in the 2070s. Consequently, the rising temperature will increase the potential evapotranspiration by 6.0% and 7.6% in the 2050s and 2070s, respectively. The suitability analysis indicates that approximately 9% of the country is suitable for surface irrigation under the baseline period. A large portion of the potential land is located in the southwestern part of the country. The potential suitable land has an average groundwater access of 12 m from the surface with an average borehole potential yield of 2.5 L/second, which makes it favorable for utilization of simple water lifting technologies. Due to climate change, 9.5% of the suitable land will become unfavorable for irrigation in 2050s, and it is expected to reach 17% in 2070s.
18 Balana, Bedru B.; Bizimana, J.-C.; Richardson, J. W.; Lefore, Nicole; Adimassu, Zenebe; Herbst, B. K. 2020. Economic and food security effects of small-scale irrigation technologies in northern Ghana. Water Resources and Economics, 29:100141. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wre.2019.03.001]
Household food security ; Small scale systems ; Irrigation systems ; Economic situation ; Farm income ; Smallholders ; Nutrition ; Crop production ; Crop yield ; Seasonal cropping ; Agricultural production ; Water management ; Water availability ; Profit ; Pumps ; Climate change ; Feasibility studies ; Household consumption ; Food consumption / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049159)
(2.64 MB)
Small-scale irrigation (SSI) technologies can be useful not only to increase crop productivity and income but also as a viable adaptation practice to climate variability. A farm simulation model (FARMSIM) and data from selected SSI technologies piloted in northern Ghana under the ‘Feed the Future-Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation’ (ILSSI) project were used to assess the economic feasibility of the SSI technologies and their potential to improve income and nutrition of smallholder farm households. Three dry season irrigated crops (onion, corchorus, amaranthus) grown under three agricultural water management regimes were analysed. Results show that adoption of the SSI technologies could increase the net farm profit by 154%–608% against the baseline depending on the ‘crop type - SSI technology’ combination. Nutrition levels also improved significantly as a result of the improvements in crop yields due to irrigation and use of complementary inputs. However, the results further reveal that the options that utilize capital-intensive SSI technologies such as solar-powered water pumps to grow high value cash crops are constrained by the high investment cost. Currently, farmers tend to choose low-cost SSI technologies such as a traditional watering-cans, which generate low economic returns. Improving access to credit or alternative financing schemes could mitigate the capital constraints and enable smallholders to gain more benefits from participating in market-oriented high-value irrigated production.
19 Hagos, Fitsum; Nakawuka, Prossie; Schmitter, Petra; Tegegne, Desalegn; Haileslassie, Amare; Barron, Jennie; Lefore, Nicole; Mupangwa, W. T. 2019. Drip irrigation and service provision of irrigation water: new ways to step into affordable small-scale irrigated agriculture. In Mekonnen, K.; Yasabu, S.; Gebremedhin, B.; Woldemeskel, E.; Tegegne, A.; Thorne, P. (Eds.). Proceedings of a Workshop and Exhibition on Promoting Productivity and Market Access Technologies and Approaches to Improve Farm Income and Livelihoods in Ethiopia: Lessons from Action Research Projects, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 8-9 December 2016. Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). pp.60-64.
Drip irrigation ; Irrigation water ; Water supply ; Irrigated farming ; Small scale farming ; Crop production ; Water productivity ; Cost benefit analysis ; Farmers / Ethiopia / Lemo Gilgel Gibe Subbasin / Upper Gana / Jawe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049337)
https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/102356/AR_proceedings_2019.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049337.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049337.pdf
(0.22 MB) (6.23 MB)
20 Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria; Haileslassie, Amare; Biazin, B.; Schmitter, Petra; Chali, A.; Otoo, Miriam; Lefore, Nicole; Barron, Jennie; Tegegne, Desalegn; Dubale, T. 2019. Solar-powered water pumping can boost smallholder income: a business model based on action research from LIVES [Livestock and Irrigation Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders] and Africa RISING [Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation] sites. In Mekonnen, K.; Yasabu, S.; Gebremedhin, B.; Woldemeskel, E.; Tegegne, A.; Thorne, P. (Eds.). Proceedings of a Workshop and Exhibition on Promoting Productivity and Market Access Technologies and Approaches to Improve Farm Income and Livelihoods in Ethiopia: Lessons from Action Research Projects, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 8-9 December 2016. Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). pp.78-80.
Water supply ; Solar energy ; Pumping ; Irrigation water ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Farm income ; Business models ; Costs ; Projects / Ethiopia / Oromia / Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049338)
https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/102356/AR_proceedings_2019.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049338.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049338.pdf
(0.61 MB) (6.23 MB)
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