Your search found 78 records
1 Bjornlund, H.; Zuo, A.; Wheeler, S. A.; Parry, K.; Pittock, J.; Mdemu, M.; Moyo, M. 2019. The dynamics of the relationship between household decision-making and farm household income in small-scale irrigation schemes in southern Africa. Agricultural Water Management, 213:135-145. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.10.002]
Irrigation schemes ; Small scale systems ; Farmers ; Household income ; Decision making ; Living standards ; Strategies ; Gender ; Labour ; Models ; Socioeconomic environment / Southern Africa / Mozambique / Zimbabwe / United Republic of Tanzania / Kiwere Irrigation Scheme / Magozi Irrigation Scheme / Mkoba Irrigation Scheme / Silalatshani Irrigation Scheme / 25 de Setembro Irrigation Scheme / Khanimambo Irrigation Scheme
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049140)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377418305481/pdfft?md5=623f0afb5a14e8ed0d133bcf1b30ae6b&pid=1-s2.0-S0378377418305481-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049140.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049140.pdf
(0.59 MB) (612 KB)
Irrigation has been promoted as a strategy to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods in southern Africa. Households’ livelihood strategies within small-scale irrigation schemes have become increasingly complex and diversified. Strategies consist of farm income from rain-fed and irrigated cropping as well as livestock and an increasing dependence on off-farm income. The success of these strategies depends on the household’s ability to make decisions about how to utilize its’ financial, labour, land and water resources. This study explores the dynamics of decision-making in households on-farm household income within six small-scale irrigation schemes, across three southern African countries. Household survey data (n = 402) was analyzed using ordered probit and ordinary least squares regression. Focus group discussions and field observations provided qualitative data on decision-making in the six schemes. We found strong support for the notion that decision-making dynamics strongly influence total household income. Households make trade-offs between irrigation, dryland, livestock and off-farm work when they allocate their labour resources to maximize household income; as opposed to maximizing the income from any individual component of their livelihood strategy, such as irrigation. Combined with the impact of the small plot size of irrigated land, this is likely to result in sub-optimal benefits from expensive investments in irrigation infrastructure. Policy-makers must consider this when developing and implementing new policies.
2 de Bont, C.; Komakech, H. C.; Veldwisch, G. J. 2019. Neither modern nor traditional: farmer-led irrigation development in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. World Development, 116:15-27. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.11.018]
Farmer managed irrigation systems ; Groundwater irrigation ; Initiatives ; Traditional methods ; Modernization ; Irrigated farming ; Wells ; Food crops ; Cash crops ; Markets ; Agrarian structure ; Smallholders ; Land access ; State intervention / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Kilimanjaro / Kahe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049169)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X18304248/pdfft?md5=b48636491a19a986bdbfb32de90fda20&pid=1-s2.0-S0305750X18304248-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049169.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049169.pdf
(0.91 MB) (932 KB)
The debate around what kind of irrigation, large- or small-scale, modern or traditional, best contributes to food security and rural development continues to shape irrigation policies and development in the Global South. In Tanzania, the irrigation categories of ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ are dominating irrigation policies and are shaping interventions. In this paper, we explore what these concepts really entail in the Tanzanian context and how they relate to a case of farmer-led groundwater irrigation development in Kahe ward, Kilimanjaro Region. For our analysis, we rely on three months of qualitative fieldwork in 2016, a household questionnaire, secondary data such as policy documents and the results of a mapping exercise in 2014–2015. In the early 2000s, smallholders in Kahe started developing groundwater. This has led to a new, differentiated landscape in which different forms of agricultural production co-exist. The same set of groundwater irrigation technologies has facilitated the emergence of different classes of farmers, ranging from those engaging with subsistence farming to those doing capitalist farming. The level of inputs and integration with markets vary, as does crop choice. As such, some farms emulate the ‘modern’ ideal of commercial farming promoted by the government, while others do not, or to a lesser extent. We also find that national policy discourses on irrigation are not necessarily repeated at the local level, where interventions are strongly driven by prioritization based on conflict and funding. We conclude that the policy concepts of traditional and modern irrigation do not do justice to the complexity of actual irrigation development in the Kahe case, and obfuscate its contribution to rural development and food security. We argue that a single irrigation technology does not lead to a single agricultural mode of production, and that irrigation policies and interventions should take into account the differentiation among irrigators.
3 Kafle, Kashi; Paliwal, N.; Benfica, R. 2019. Who works in agriculture?: exploring the dynamics of youth involvement in the agri-food systems of Tanzania and Malawi. Rome, Italy: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). 40p. (IFAD Research Series 36)
Agricultural sector ; Youth employment ; Participation ; Agrifood systems ; Rural urban relations ; Agricultural unemployment ; Labour ; Farmers ; Population ; Age structure ; Age groups ; Households ; Socioeconomic environment ; Models / United Republic of Tanzania / Malawi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049175)
https://www.ifad.org/documents/38714170/41094871/36_research.pdf/a7be58db-7159-2719-040f-beeec6b40f3f
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049175.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049175.pdf
(1.07 MB) (1.07 MB)
This analysis examines the dynamics of employment in agriculture and the agri-food system in Tanzania and Malawi by assessing the population age structure and movements of youth (aged 15-24) and young adults (aged 25-34) in and out of agriculture and the agri-food system. Using internationally comparable integrated household and agriculture surveys, we discover that the average age of a person who works in farming as own-farm labour is 34 years in Tanzania and 31 years in Malawi. Examination of the movements into and out of the agri-food system demonstrates a high degree of short-term stability of youth and young adult participation in farming in both countries. Specifically, 59 per cent of rural Tanzanian youth and 56 per cent of rural Malawian youth are consistently engaged in farming. Yet there is considerable mobility between different sectors of employment. More than 57 per cent of the youth cohort that was not involved in the agri-food system during the baseline entered the sector in the subsequent wave, and 12 per cent of those involved in the agri-food system during the baseline moved out of the sector in the subsequent wave. Even though the high degree of stability in farming participation is encouraging, it is likely that the poor economic prospects outside farming are what is driving strong participation in single-occupation farming. Given that increasing youth employment is a priority public policy for the Governments of Tanzania and Malawi, it is recommended that the countries attempt to diversify the rural economy by developing the many economic opportunities within the agri-food system.
4 Kafle, K.; Benfica, R.; Winters, P. 2018. Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. Rome, Italy: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). 42p. (IFAD Research Series 21)
Migration ; Living standards ; Measurement ; Household consumption ; Household expenditure ; Migrants ; Poverty ; Socioeconomic environment ; Equity ; Models / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Ethiopia / Malawi / Nigeria / Uganda
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049176)
https://www.ifad.org/documents/38714170/40236764/21_Research_n%C2%B021_web.pdf/39613ca3-ef3a-48c9-9440-c5de858aba53
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049176.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049176.pdf
(0.67 MB) (684 KB)
This paper revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view that portrays absolute income maximization as a driver of migration, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internationally comparable longitudinal data from integrated household and agriculture surveys from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda, we use panel fixed effects to estimate the effects of relative deprivation on migration. We find that a household’s migration decision is based not only on its well-being status, but also on the relative position of the household in the well-being distribution of the local community. Relative deprivation of wealth was positively associated with migration and migration increased with the absolute level of wealth. These results are robust to alternative specifications including pooled data across the five countries, and the “migration-relative deprivation” relationship is amplified in rural, agricultural and male-headed households. Results imply a need to renew the discussion of relative deprivation as a cause of migration.
5 Selim, K. S.; Abdalbaki, S. M. 2019. On the relationship between virtual water network and crops intra-trade among Nile Basin countries. Water Policy, 21(3):481-495. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2019.074]
Virtual water ; International trade ; Crops ; Exports ; Integrated management ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water supply ; Water conservation ; Social networks ; Economic aspects / Burundi / Congo / Egypt / Eritrea / Ethiopia / Kenya / Rwanda / Sudan / Uganda / United Republic of Tanzania / Nile Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049232)
(0.32 MB)
This paper aims to investigate the relationship between virtual water (VW) exports and crop exchange by employing the methodology of social network analysis (SNA). This descriptive analysis gives prudence for policy-makers about both central importers and influential exporters of VW using the degree and eigenvector centrality measures. In addition, to facilitate the communications between trading partners, each of them should reach the others with the fewest number of links, so, the small world network properties could be examined. This approach is applied on the yearly average VW exports of the Nile basin countries over the period 2000–2013, and some insights for VW exchange structure are investigated. The empirical results show that all Nile basin countries do not suffer from vulnerable VW export structure. They have a stable and balanced crop export structure. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are identified as the most influential and effective countries in exporting VW of crops. The presence of these countries is unavoidable in drawing trade policy and water management plans. While Kenya succeeded in saving a significant amount from VW export network, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia are gaining losses. Furthermore, VW export network of crops among Nile basin countries satisfies the conditions of small world effect.
6 Cuthbert, M. O.; Taylor, R. G.; Favreau, G.; Todd, M. C.; Shamsudduha, M.; Villholth, Karen G.; MacDonald, A. M.; Scanlon, B. R.; Kotchoni, D. O. V.; Vouillamoz, J.-M.; Lawson, F. M. A.; Adjomayi, P. A.; Kashaigili, J.; Seddon, D.; Sorensen, J. P. R.; Ebrahim, Girma Yimer; Owor, M.; Nyenje, P. M.; Nazoumou, Y.; Goni, I.; Ousmane, B. I.; Sibanda, T.; Ascott, M. J.; Macdonald, D. M. J.; Agyekum, W.; Koussoube, Y.; Wanke, H.; Kim, H.; Wada, Y.; Lo, M.-H.; Oki, T.; Kukuric, N. 2019. Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa. Nature, 572(7768):230-234. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1441-7]
Groundwater recharge ; Climate change ; Resilience ; Groundwater table ; Observation ; Precipitation ; Hydrology ; Hydrography ; Models ; Arid zones ; Rain / Africa South of Sahara / Benin / Uganda / United Republic of Tanzania / Zimbabwe / South Africa / Namibia / Niger / Ghana / Burkina Faso
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049316)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1441-7.epdf?author_access_token=UgizrPwmrGzlbL33bjbvQdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0M3C122Ih9FQbr0PbeOlDAX9EZlbSwXsaUcJ-Vq-8EelgPfWJQTdVE-2_3g7yypNR4C-qTOMe7Ux1weufjBdaT9SyaKgJjfKYgJ2fqsjIRLng%3D%3D
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049316.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049316.pdf
(7.21 MB)
Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation1,2 , maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets3 . Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainability—and their sensitivity to climatic variability—are poorly constrained4,5 . Given the absence of firm observational constraints, it remains to be seen whether model-based projections of decreased water resources in dry parts of the region4 are justified. Here we show, through analysis of multidecadal groundwater hydrographs across sub-Saharan Africa, that levels of aridity dictate the predominant recharge processes, whereas local hydrogeology influences the type and sensitivity of precipitation–recharge relationships. Recharge in some humid locations varies by as little as five per cent (by coefficient of variation) across a wide range of annual precipitation values. Other regions, by contrast, show roughly linear precipitation–recharge relationships, with precipitation thresholds (of roughly ten millimetres or less per day) governing the initiation of recharge. These thresholds tend to rise as aridity increases, and recharge in drylands is more episodic and increasingly dominated by focused recharge through losses from ephemeral overland flows. Extreme annual recharge is commonly associated with intense rainfall and flooding events, themselves often driven by large-scale climate controls. Intense precipitation, even during years of lower overall precipitation, produces some of the largest years of recharge in some dry subtropical locations. Our results therefore challenge the ‘high certainty’ consensus regarding decreasing water resources4 in such regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The potential resilience of groundwater to climate variability in many areas that is revealed by these precipitation–recharge relationships is essential for informing reliable predictions of climate-change impacts and adaptation strategies.
7 Zheng, J.; Qu, Y.; Kilasara, M. M.; Mmari, W. N.; Funakawa, S. 2019. Soil-atmosphere exchange of nitrous oxide in two Tanzanian croplands: effects of nitrogen and stover management. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 275:24-36. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.05.009]
Farmland ; Soil air ; Nitrous oxide ; Nitrogen ; Fertilizers ; Stover ; Emission ; Environmental effects ; Soil types ; Maize ; Crop yield / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Iringa / Mbeya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049328)
(3.14 MB)
Cropland intensification is needed to meet the demand for food in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This process requires a dramatic increase in resource inputs, including fertilizer-nitrogen (N) and organic residues (e.g., stover), which alter the soil-atmosphere exchange of nitrous oxide (N2O). The dearth of N2O emission data for SSA croplands, however, limits our ability to define regional and global N2O flux and mitigation opportunities. In two soils planted with maize in Tanzania (Iringa, sandy Alfisols; Mbeya, clayey Andisols), we conducted year-round measurements for 2 consecutive years to quantify N2O emissions in response to increasing N rates and in combination with maize stover incorporation. Rainfall and the resulting soil moisture, rather than soil temperature, were important environmental drivers of N2O emissions in these fields. Applied N stimulated N2O fluxes across soil types but with different magnitudes—lower in Iringa because of the dominance of nitrification in N2O production and higher in Mbeya likely from promoted denitrification when the water-filled pore space was >47%. N2O emission increased exponentially or linearly with N rate, depending on the year. The direct N2O emission factors were well below the 1% of the IPCC Tier 1 method, ranging from 0.13% to 0.26% in Iringa and from 0.24% to 0.42% in Mbeya, for a N rate of 50–150 kg N ha-1 during the study. Compared with N application alone, stover plus N did not significantly alter maize yield, but did raise N2O emissions significantly (P = 0.06). Consequently, stover incorporation markedly increased the emission factor (up to 0.46% in Iringa and 1.29% in Mbeya) as well as yield-scaled N2O emissions. Our results suggest that linear and exponential emission responses can occur in SSA croplands and challenge the promotion of combining stover with fertilizer-N as resource input management in this region.
8 Mapedza, Everisto; Tsegai, D.; Bruntrup, M.; McLeman, R. (Eds.) 2019. Drought challenges: policy options for developing countries. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. 363p. (Current Directions in Water Scarcity Research Volume 2)
Drought tolerance ; Policies ; Developing countries ; Climate change mitigation ; Adaptation ; Weather hazards ; Early warning systems ; Disaster preparedness ; Resilience ; Monitoring ; Satellite observation ; Remote sensing ; Forecasting ; Food security ; Energy ; Water scarcity ; Nexus ; Intercropping ; Maize ; Legumes ; Crop insurance ; Livestock management ; Forage ; Sustainable land management ; Rainwater harvesting ; Strategies ; Impact assessment ; Gender ; Small scale farming ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Migration ; Conflicts ; Indigenous knowledge ; Semiarid zones ; Drylands ; SADC countries ; Living standards ; Households ; Social protection ; Rural areas ; Pastoralists ; Communities / Africa South of Sahara / Southern Africa / East Africa / Latin America / South Asia / USA / Brazil / Mexico / Colombia / United Republic of Tanzania / Uganda / Ethiopia / Kenya / Mali / India / Yucatan / Xuilub / Andhra Pradesh / Laikipia / Lincoln / Colorado
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049366)
(1.39 MB)
9 Smiley, S. L. 2019. Explaining improvements and continuing challenges in water access in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 35(6):959-976. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2018.1513831]
Water availability ; Water supply ; Water management ; Water quality ; Drinking water ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Millennium Development Goals ; Water authorities ; Water governance ; Water users ; Towns ; Households ; Case studies / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Dar es Salaam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049406)
(1.68 MB)
The equitable and universal provision of safe and affordable water is one of the Sustainable Development Goals, but progress has been slow, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents a case study of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to highlight water access progress at the city scale. Using household surveys and interviews with officials, it explains improvements in hours of water availability and numbers of household water connections, but also discusses the remaining challenges with water cost and customer satisfaction. To achieve the goal of universal access, the city must further increase water production and address concerns with how water quality is monitored.
10 Kafle, Kashi; Benfica, R.; Winters, P. 2020. Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 102(3):999-1019. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajae.12007]
Migration ; Deprivation ; Household consumption ; Expenditure ; Migrants ; Living standards ; Socioeconomic environment ; Economic aspects ; Models / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Ethiopia / Malawi / Nigeria / Uganda
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049532)
(0.54 MB)
This analysis revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view that migration is driven by absolute income maximization, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internationally comparable longitudinal data from integrated household and agriculture surveys from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, we use panel fixed effects to estimate the effects of relative deprivation on migration decisions. Using per capita consumption expenditure and multidimensional wealth index as well-being measures, we find that a household’s migration decision is based not only on its absolute well-being level but also on the relative position of the household in the well-being distribution of the community in which it resides. We also discover that the effect of relative deprivation on migration is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households. Results are robust to alternative specifications including the use of Hausman Taylor Instrumental Variable (HTIV) estimator and pooled data across the five countries. Results confirm that the “migration-relative deprivation” relationship also holds in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that policies designed to check rural–urban migration through rural transformation and poverty reduction programs should use caution because such programs can increase economic inequality, which further increases migration flow.
11 Bhave, A. G.; Bulcock, L.; Dessai, S.; Conway, D.; Jewitt, G.; Dougill, A. J.; Kolusu, S. R.; Mkwambisi, D. 2020. Lake Malawi’s threshold behaviour: a stakeholder-informed model to simulate sensitivity to climate change. Journal of Hydrology, 584:124671. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124671]
Climate change ; Hydrology ; Forecasting ; Models ; Water resources ; Water balance ; Rain ; Stakeholders ; Reservoirs ; Rivers ; Lakes ; Catchment areas / Malawi / United Republic of Tanzania / Mozambique / Lake Malawi / Shire River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049529)
(2.06 MB)
Over 90% of Malawi’s electricity generation and irrigation depend on Lake Malawi outflows into the Shire River. Recent lake level declines have raised concerns over future climate change impacts, including the risk of no outflows if the Lake Malawi Outflow Threshold (LMOT) is passed. Addressing calls for model co-production, we iteratively engage stakeholders in data collection, and eliciting local system insights and management priorities, to inform the development of a Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model for the Lake Malawi Shire River Basin. We use a simple model setup and manual calibration to allow for data sparsity and limited documentation of historical management decisions. The model satisfactorily captures limited observed streamflow patterns of Lake Malawi tributaries and lake level variations for the period 1960–2009, however, small errors in lake level simulation significantly affect simulation of monthly outflows. The riparian countries, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique contribute approximately 55%, 41% and 4% respectively to lake inflows (1960–2009 average). Forced with 29 bias-corrected global climate model projections (2021–2050) and assuming no change in current operating rules of key infrastructure, the WEAP model simulates wide-ranging changes. These include much higher lake levels that would cause downstream floods, and much lower lake levels, including 11 projections that fall below the LMOT. Both outcomes would have major implications for downstream hydropower and irrigation. Future water management plans require identification and evaluation of strategies that can address multi-year shifts in lake levels and the uncertainty inherent in future climate and hydrological model outputs.
12 Arulingam, Indika; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Debevec, Liza. 2019. Youth participation in small-scale fisheries, aquaculture and value chains in Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems. 66p. (CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems Program Report: FISH-2019-14)
Small-scale fisheries ; Youth employment ; Participation ; Aquaculture ; Value chains ; Fishers ; Gender ; Women's empowerment ; Access to information ; Education ; Land access ; Financing ; Income generation ; Policies ; Strategies ; Technology ; Living standards ; Decision making ; Social status ; Working conditions ; State intervention ; Stakeholders ; International organizations ; Economic aspects ; Political aspects ; Agricultural sector ; Ecosystems / Africa / Asia and the Pacific / Egypt / Nigeria / United Republic of Tanzania / Zambia / Bangladesh / Cambodia / Myanmar / Solomon Islands
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049615)
https://digitalarchive.worldfishcenter.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12348/3937/5872a0e98fae8e846953753d08558376.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049615.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049615.pdf
(10.00 MB) (10.0 MB)
IWMI, a managing partner of FISH, conducted an assessment of youth participation in SSF, aquaculture and value chains between November 2017 and May 2018. The assessment was conducted in Africa and the Asia-Pacific, with a particular focus on the FISH focal countries of Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia in Africa and Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Solomon Islands in the Asia-Pacific. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the participation of youth in fisheries and aquaculture, including opportunities and challenges for participation, (ii) understand what WorldFish and key partners (government organizations, nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] and others) are doing in the focal countries in relation to youth participation, and (iii) (based on the former two points) provide potential areas for further research that could support improved youth participation in aquaculture, SSF and value chains. In this report, definitions of SSF and aquaculture are adopted from WorldFish.
13 Assefa, T.; Jha, M.; Reyes, M.; Worqlul, A. W.; Doro, L.; Tilahun, S. 2020. Conservation agriculture with drip irrigation: effects on soil quality and crop yield in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 75(2):209-217. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.75.2.209]
Conservation agriculture ; Drip irrigation ; Soil quality ; Crop yield ; Forecasting ; Agricultural policy ; Conventional tillage ; Crop production ; Environmental modelling / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Ghana / Ethiopia / Dangishita / Robit / Yemu / Mkindo
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049628)
(0.66 MB)
The traditional agriculture production system in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) caused significant soil erosion and degradation of soil quality. In addition, dependability of rainfall for irrigation needs limits the crop production. Advanced agricultural practices are thus needed at the local level to sustain the livelihood of smallholder farmers in the region. In this study, conservation agriculture (CA) practice with drip irrigation technology was compared (using field experiments and watershed modeling) with the traditional conventional tillage (CT) practice for its potential in improving soil quality and crop productivity in the region. Biophysical data were collected (2015 to 2017) from a total of 43 paired plots (CA and CT) at four study sites in SSA: Dangishita and Robit in Ethiopia, Yemu in Ghana, and Mkindo in Tanzania. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model was calibrated and validated with reasonable efficiency in simulating crop yields for both CA and CT practices; average PBIAS =±12% and =±11%, for CA and CT. The impact of the CA system on soil quality (soil carbon [C] and nitrogen [N]) was analyzed based on the well-tested model prediction results. The total C and N were increased under CA across the study sites on average by 6% and 4.1%, when compared to CT over the study period. Both the experiment and model prediction showed that crop yield was significantly improved by CA—on average 37.4% increases across the sites when compared to CT. Conservation agriculture with drip irrigation was an efficient local strategy to improve crop production in the region while enhancing the ecosystem.
14 Warinda, E.; Nyariki, D. M.; Wambua, S.; Muasya, R. 2020. Impact of smallholder farmers’ welfare through participation in on-farm regional projects in East Africa. Agrekon, 59(1):16-29. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03031853.2019.1653203]
Development projects ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Social welfare ; Participatory approaches ; Food security ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Gender ; Women's participation ; Farm income ; Agricultural products ; Livestock ; Crops ; Households / East Africa / Burundi / Kenya / Rwanda / United Republic of Tanzania / Uganda
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049651)
(1.40 MB)
This paper uses panel data from 1,160 smallholder farmers, especially participants and non-participants in twenty-three regional projects from five countries in East Africa – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. In this paper, regional projects mean projects implemented jointly in at least three countries, thereby providing sustainable regional public goods. Propensity score matching analysis is used to determine the difference in net benefits accrued to the on-farm participants compared to non-participants. The propensity scores show that participants have overall higher crop and livestock productivity, enhanced household income, increased soil and water management, and access to biofortified foods compared to non-participants. These findings indicate that regional projects can catalyse the achievement of smallholder farmers’ food and nutrition security, besides enhancing achievements of the African Union Commission's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
15 Osewe, M.; Liu, A.; Njagi, T. 2020. Farmer-led irrigation and its impacts on smallholder farmers’ crop income: evidence from southern Tanzania. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5):1512. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051512]
Farmer managed irrigation systems ; Smallholders ; Farm income ; Irrigation practices ; Irrigated land ; Water user groups ; State intervention ; Households ; Models / Africa South of Sahara / United Republic of Tanzania / Kilolo / Mbarali
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049679)
(0.83 MB) (848 KB)
Irrigation projects in sub-Saharan Africa are mostly unsustainable because of lack of maintenance by their users or government planners. By contrast, evidence shows that the smallholder farmers are developing and expanding the irrigated land, using their initiatives. Farmer-led irrigation, a revolutionary agricultural intensification approach, is already in progress with the magnitude to significantly transform the living standards of smallholder farmers. However, a rigorous assessment of its impact on household welfare to ascertain this is lacking. This paper bridges this gap by assessing factors influencing the adoption of this particular approach as well as its effects on the farmers’ per capita net crop income. Our data set consists of 608 smallholder farmers in Southern Tanzania and used propensity score matching to estimate the effects of adoption on the per capita net crop income. Our results indicate that the uptake of farmer-led irrigation practices is influenced by drought experience, water user group membership, farmer organization membership, and government extension, as well as the sex of the household head. Further, there was a positive and significant effect on the adopters’ per capita net crop income, thus encouraging the need to promote farmer-led irrigation as a complement to externally promoted innovations in achieving sustainable food security. This study, therefore, recommends that the government should support the farmers’ initiative by improving roads, removing market barriers, and helping farmers who have not yet taken up the initiative. Also, the government should enact regulations to make sure farmer-led irrigation initiatives do not harm the eco-environment such as protecting domestic water users. Finally, the government should leverage microservices to the farmers such as promoting affordable and appropriate credit facilities. It is necessary to continue pursuing this vein of research to gain information regarding the definite impact of the farmer-led irrigation on household welfare.
16 Hanjra, Munir A.; Williams, Timothy O. 2020. Global change and investments in smallholder irrigation for food and nutrition security in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Gomez y Paloma, S.; Riesgo, L.; Louhichi, K. (Eds.). The role of smallholder farms in food and nutrition security. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp.99-131. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42148-9_6]
Food security ; Nutrition security ; Smallholders ; Irrigation schemes ; Public investment ; Rural urban relations ; Urban agriculture ; Peri-urban agriculture ; Intensification ; Small scale systems ; Poverty ; Business models ; Public-private partnerships ; Wastewater irrigation ; Water reuse ; Water policy ; Solar energy ; Surface water ; Groundwater development ; Sustainability / Africa South of Sahara / West Africa / East Africa / Southern Africa / South Africa / Zimbabwe / United Republic of Tanzania
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049733)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-030-42148-9_6.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049733.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049733.pdf
(0.63 MB) (640 KB)
Investments in irrigation contribute to poverty reduction and enhance food security. This paper considers irrigation investments more broadly in the context of rural–urban linkages and thus examines rural irrigation schemes and peri-urban and urban agriculture using freshwater, groundwater and wastewater. We present case studies from East, West and Southern Africa, while focusing on the imperative of smallholders and of food security and nutrition. Evidence from Big Data and telecoupling show that, amid global change and sustainability issues, irrigation development strengthens connections between humans and nature with notable benefits to food security. Transforming investments to feed the future generation require priority investments in irrigation, solar energy for groundwater pumping, groundwater development policy, and integration of peri-urban and urban agriculture into food systems. Equally important will be no-regret interventions in wastewater reuse, water storage and groundwater buffer, micro-irrigation, and wholesale reconfiguration of farming systems, through anticipatory investments, to safeguard food security and sustainability into the distant future.
17 Theis, S.; Lefore, Nicole; Meinzen-Dick, R.; Bryan, E. 2018. What happens after technology adoption?: gendered aspects of small-scale irrigation technologies in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania. Agriculture and Human Values, 35(3):671-684. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-018-9862-8]
Irrigation ; Small scale systems ; Technology transfer ; Agriculture ; Gender ; Women's empowerment ; Use rights ; Women's participation ; Decision making ; Households ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Communities / Ethiopia / Ghana / United Republic of Tanzania
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049870)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10460-018-9862-8.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049870.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049870.pdf
(1.01 MB) (1.01 MB)
Diverse agricultural technologies are promoted to increase yields and incomes, save time, improve food and nutritional security, and even empower women. Yet a gender gap in technology adoption remains for many agricultural technologies, even for those that are promoted for women. This paper complements the literature on gender and technology adoption, which largely focuses on reasons for low rates of female technology adoption, by shifting attention to what happens within a household after it adopts a technology. Understanding the expected benefits and costs of adoption, from the perspective of women users in households with adult males, can help explain observed technology adoption rates and why technology adoption is often not sustained in the longer term. Drawing on qualitative data from Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania, this paper develops a framework for examining the intrahousehold distribution of benefits from technology adoption, focusing on small-scale irrigation technologies. The framework contributes to the conceptual and empirical exploration of joint control over technology by men and women in the same household. Efforts to promote technology adoption for agricultural development and women’s empowerment would benefit from an understanding of intrahousehold control over technology to avoid interpreting technology adoption as an end in and of itself.
18 Mwinuka, P. R.; Mbilinyi, B. P.; Mbungu, W. B.; Mourice, S. K.; Mahoo, H. F.; Schmitter, Petra. 2021. Optimizing water and nitrogen application for neglected horticultural species in tropical sub-humid climate areas: a case of African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.). Scientia Horticulturae, 276:109756. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2020.109756]
Water use efficiency ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Fertilizer application ; Fruit vegetables ; Eggplants ; Horticulture ; Solanum aethiopicum ; Crop water use ; Water requirements ; Drip irrigation ; Crop growth stage ; Crop yield ; Performance indexes ; Subhumid climate ; Soil chemicophysical properties / Africa / United Republic of Tanzania / Rudewa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050012)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423820305847/pdfft?md5=f79f2516a52f7afe55f8cb9d3fb8a4d2&pid=1-s2.0-S0304423820305847-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050012.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050012.pdf
(2.42 MB) (2.42 MB)
African eggplant, a traditional and important nutrient-dense crop to Tanzania’s nutrition and food security. However, yields remain low as a result of sub-optimal irrigation and fertilizer practices. To reduce the yield gap, a randomized split-plot design set up with irrigation as a main and nitrogen (N) treatments as a sub-factor. The irrigation regimes were 100 % (I100), 80 % (I80) and 60 % (I60) of crop water requirements whilst nitrogen levels were 250 kg N/ha (F100), 187 kg N/ha (F75), 125 kg N/ha (F50) and 0 kgN/ha (F0). The study evaluated the effect of irrigation water and N on crop growth variables and yield, fruit quality, WUE and NUE. The study showed the importance of combining different irrigation performance indicators which responds to different levels of water and nitrogen to evaluate and assess suitable irrigation and fertilizer strategies for African eggplant. The crop growth variables (plant height and LAI) had a good correlation with fruit yield (R2 = 0.6 and 0.8). The fruit quality was best performed by 100 % water in combination with 75 % N treatment. The best WUE and NUE was attained at 80 % and 100 % levels of water in combination with 75 % N. However, minimizing trade-offs between the various indicators, the optimal application for African eggplant would likely be around 80 % of the total irrigation requirement and 75 % of the N requirement in sandy clay loam soils under tropical sub-humid conditions.
19 Bjornlund, H.; van Rooyen, A.; Pittock, J.; Parry, K.; Moyo, M.; Mdemu, M.; de Sousa, W. 2020. Institutional innovation and smart water management technologies in small-scale irrigation schemes in southern Africa. Water International, 31p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2020.1804715]
Water management ; Technology ; Agriculture ; Innovation platforms ; Institutions ; Small scale systems ; Irrigation schemes ; Communal irrigation systems ; Soil moisture ; Monitoring ; Stakeholders ; Infrastructure ; Decision making ; Models / Southern Africa / Zimbabwe / Mozambique / United Republic of Tanzania
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049982)
(8.58 MB)
This paper reports on the introduction of SWM technology, soil moisture and nutrient monitoring tools, alongside Agricultural Innovation Platforms (AIP) in three small-scale irrigation schemes in southern Africa. Quantitative and qualitative data are presented on the changes and benefits that have resulted, including increased yield and profitability. The findings emphasize that information prior and subsequent to adoption is needed, and the importance of understanding and enhancing the incentive framework for behavioural change, including both economic and physical returns. The findings illustrate SWM technology is strengthened when introduced with credible multi-stakeholder processes, such as an AIP, that facilitate institutional innovation.
20 Mwinuka, P. R.; Mbilinyi, B. P.; Mbungu, W. B.; Mourice, S. K.; Mahoo, H. F.; Schmitter, Petra. 2021. The feasibility of hand-held thermal and UAV-based multispectral imaging for canopy water status assessment and yield prediction of irrigated African eggplant (Solanum aethopicum L). Agricultural Water Management, 245:106584. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106584]
Water stress ; Eggplants ; Canopy ; Water requirements ; Crop yield ; Forecasting ; Infrared imagery ; Multispectral imagery ; Unmanned aerial vehicles ; Remote sensing ; Irrigated farming ; Irrigation water ; Performance evaluation ; Moisture content ; Vegetation index ; Plant developmental stages ; Temperature / Africa / United Republic of Tanzania / Rudewa Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050054)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377420321314/pdfft?md5=25877087dd8e72a2377978976c8abc33&pid=1-s2.0-S0378377420321314-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050054.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050054.pdf
(6.03 MB) (6.03 MB)
This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of a mobile phone-based thermal and UAV-based multispectral imaging to assess the irrigation performance of African eggplant. The study used a randomized block design (RBD) with sub-plots being irrigated at 100% (I100), 80% (I80) and 60% (I60) of the calculated crop water requirements using drip. The leaf moisture content was monitored at different soil moisture conditions at early, vegetative and full vegetative stages. The results showed that, the crop water stress index (CWSI) derived from the mobile phone-based thermal images is sensitive to leaf moisture content (LMC) in I80 and I60 at all vegetative stages. The UAV-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (OSAVI) correlated with LMC at the vegetative and full vegetative stages for all three irrigation treatments. In cases where eggplant is irrigated under normal conditions, the use of NDVI or OSAVI at full vegetative stages will be able to predict eggplant yields. In cases where, eggplant is grown under deficit irrigation, CWSI can be used at vegetative or full vegetative stages next to NDVI or OSAVI depending on available resources.
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