Introduction to the Volta & Niger Focal Region Program

Dr. Olufunke CofieFocal Basin Coordinator

Key WLE Issues: Opportunities

A large endowment of land and water resources.

Renewed public and political interest in food security, agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Hard working farming communities that are willing to improve their practices and farming business

Several concluded and on-going initiatives (CG & non CG) that offer complimentary support/data to WLE

WLE partners’ research capability and presence in the sub region

Key WLE Issues: Challenges -1

Poor living condition: WA lags behind in its bid to eradicate poverty and hunger

• Low productivity & low opportunities for income generation through rural agriculture

Source: World Bank. World Development Indicators, 2008

Changing demography

• high urbanization rate• gender inequity in farming

Key WLE Issues: Challenges -2

Key WLE Issues: Challenges -3

Increasing degradation of natural resources• Lack of information on adaptation to climate and resource

variability• Poor production/management practices

Poor governance, poor planning and investments in agriculture• Weak institutional environments, limited human and financial

capacity, political fragility

WLE Response

Currently in Volta-Niger basins:

36 projects across all WLE Flagships

8 countries

Led by 9 CGIAR centers with distinct partnership

network.

The Focal Region Program• Complimentary to other WLE projects• Central point for integration; • For moving research to outcome at the local and national levels

• Complimentary to other WLE projects• Central point for integration; • For moving research to outcome at the local and national levels

Goal of the Volta-Niger focal program

Bolster opportunities for increased agricultural productivity

through key ecosystem services by generating and sharing

knowledge that support change agents (local, national,

regional levels) to strengthen local capacities and their

ability to adapt to environmental and economic changes.

Focus on:

A. Providing evidence of successful innovative practices to influence investments and interventions in agriculture and pastoralism

B. Solutions for increasing the productivity and sustainability of ecosystems and the services they provide, and increasing women and youth’s access to them.

C. Supporting basin-level infrastructure investments that sustain and enhance ecosystem services and improve livelihoods

A. Guiding investments into farming C. Supporting

basin level infrastructure investments

B. Guiding the management of ESS under demographic

pressure

How?

Sound research involving partnership and engagements

with next users to generate knowledge, tools, methods,

strategies and guidance so that we can have high impact

interventions and investments in agriculture and other

ecosystem services that are sustainable, equitable and

lead to greater food security and poverty reduction.

Implies:

Demand-driven research that responds to the issues on the ground and aligned with the strategic investment plans of local/national governments, regional organizations (e.g ECOWAS; CORAF, Basin Authorities), major donors and development investors.

Strategic partnership and alliances in the design and implementation of research activities – for local buy in and shared vision

Portfolio of interlinked research and research-related activities implemented in an integrated manner at field, landscape and basin levels (system perspective)

Capacity building (e.g of graduate students and professionals in public/private institutions and NGOs)

Research results not only published in journals but also developed into recommendations, manuals, policy/investment briefs etc.

Effective (non-linear) communication to promote greater engagement with change agents and enhance adaptive management & learning

Selected R4D EoIs Topics Projects L

ead 

1 A, B Supporting investment decisions in water and land management across the rural-urban continuum in the Volta - Niger focal region

 

IWMI

2 A Enhancing sustainable ecosystems services for smallholder farmers in the Northern and Afram plains regions of Ghana through an integrated BHUNGROO based research program

 

CA

3 A, B Realising the full biomass potential of mixed livestock-crop systems in rapidly changing Sahelian agro-ecological landscapes

 

ILRI

4 A, C Giving ‘latecomers’ a head start: Reorienting agricultural water management interventions to improve livelihoods of women and youths

GIDA

5 A, B Improving livelihoods in landscapes in the Volta Basin through strengthening farmer-led approaches to ecosystem- based management

 

CIAT

6 A, B, C Managing water infrastructure for equity and ecosystems CIRAD

BF, GH

GH

BF, NG

GH

GH

BF,

Focus Area?

Need a shared vision of the future!

This week: A shared vision An agreed regional / project impact pathway Understanding of roles, responsibilities and contributions of each

project

Agriculture and nature are united for poverty reduction.

This has been achieved through the generation and

sharing of knowledge that prevent the degradation of

natural resources, especially in semi-arid regions allowing

agricultural landscapes and their services to support a

growing urban population.

Example of a Regional Vision for 2025

Example of Regional Outcome(s) by 2019

Government agencies: At least X government agencies are applying the knowledge and tools to bring an ecosystem based approach in planning and investment decisions to improve the livelihoods of men and women while ensuring environmental health in the next X-Y years.

Development organizations: Up to Y development organizations are using briefs and tools to target and prioritize ecosystem based investments and interventions to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods of rural communities and employment opportunities for youth that is both ecologically and economically sustainable in year Z

Local Institutions: Up to X local institutions are using the knowledge, methods and frameworks for governing ecosystem services in their collective management of farming landscape.

Programme support to Projects

Backstopping on WLE Framework and Strategies: Ecosystems, Gender and Communications/Uptake

Key documents on past research Networking Cross project/flagship linkages at the regional level Cross Focal Region linkages within the IES M&E and Admin support

In the short term to further enhance funding opportunity for long term R4D regional program.