1
Photo: Steve McCurrach/IW
MI
AWM Solutions: Unlocking the potential for
smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and
South AsiaMeredith Giordano
Principal Researcher International Water Management Institute
Washington, DC
2
Presentation Summary
1. Background
2. Key Messages
3. Investment Opportunities
4. Concluding Remarks
3
Presentation Summary
1. Background
2. Key Messages
3. Investment Opportunities
4. Concluding Remarks
4
Identifying AWM Solutions:Water within the larger context of rural livelihoods
• Contributes to smallholder livelihoods
• Benefits women and men• Cost-effective• Suitable for out-scaling• Addresses resource sustainability
AWM solution: technology, practice, institution, policy that…
5
Presentation Summary
1. Background
2. Key Messages
3. Investment Opportunities
4. Concluding Remarks
6
India > 50% of the irrigated area watered by smallholder pumps.
Africa - Smallholder AWM reaches more farmers than public irrigation.
1. Smallholder AWM: A vibrant and growing sector
Agricultural Water Management in Ghana
No. of farmers Irrigated area (ha.)0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
Public irrigation schemes Small reservoirs Motorized pumpsBuckets, watering cans Treadle pumps
7
2. Provides incomes when farmers need it most
Madhya Pradesh - rainwater harvesting - dry season cropping and livestock - incomes up >70%.Burkina Faso: small reservoirs - vegetable and rice production – dry season incomes up by US$200-600.
Tanzania: community managed river diversions (CMRD) increase yields and incomes.
Mkindo Hembeti Dakawa0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Irrigated Non irrigated
Inco
me(
US$
/ha.
/sea
son)
Estimated income in CMRDs in Mvomero, Tanzania
Improved Traditional Scheme
Unimproved traditionalscheme
Formal Scheme
8
3. Leverages an existing farmer-driven trend
• Farmers increasingly initiate and finance.
• Technologies exist and adoption rates are increasing.
• Investment costs typically low and profit margins high.
Madhya Pradesh, India: Farmer investment in individual rainwater harvesting
9
4. Potential to impact millions
SSA: motor pumps • 185 million potential rural beneficiaries• Net revenues up to US$22 billion/yr.
Tanzania: motor pumps could benefit 2-4 million people (8-12% of rural households).
10
BUT…
11
5. Risks from unchecked spread of the sector
Challenges – equity, efficiency and sustainability
Access: women and resource poor farmers face challenges accessing affordable AWM.
Market Inefficiencies: negatively affect farmer decision-making and technology access.
Sustainability: uncontrolled spread of small-scale AWM can lead to environmental damage.
12
6. Lacks supportive institutional structures
Smallholder AWM lacks an institutional ‘home’.
Nariarlé Basin, Burkina Faso: Local informal actors fragmented, preventing collective bargaining.
13
7. Targeted investments can help address AWM constraints and enhance the agricultural sector's potential
Improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers
Increase access to water
Rainwater harvesting• Create suitability maps• Show farmers the benefits• Garner local support• Offer smart subsidies• Provide technical support
Shallow groundwater• Map groundwater resources• Develop affordable drilling• Raise awareness and create
demand• Monitor environmental risks
Small reservoirs• Reduce investment costs• Pilot new management
approaches• Acknowledge multiple uses
Catalyze smallholder value chains
Innovative financing mechanisms• Pilot financial instruments• Support rental markets• Explore irrigation service
providers’ model• Link specialist financing to
existing programmes• Encourage women to own
equipment
Helping farmers buy equipment and become profitable• Provide better information• Educate about marketing• Provide crop storage
facilities• Promote ‘try-before-you-buy
scheme’• Use networks to disseminate
information
Create policy synergies between sectors
Addressing the influence of external sector policies• Align energy, import and
water policies• Develop alternative energy
sources• Privatize procurement and
marketing of irrigation equipment
• Review tax policies and import duties
Take a watershed perspective
Managing social and environmental impacts• Consider multiple AWM
investments• Develop systems to promote
cooperation• Improve evaluation of
investments• View impacts in broad
context
14
Presentation Summary
1. Background
2. Key Messages
3. Investment Opportunities
4. Concluding Remarks
15
Invest in water storage: increase dry season production
High demand, increases resilience and opens opportunities.
Individual rainwater harvesting• Wet and dry season farming• Cropping intensity increased
(122% to 198%).• Increased incomes (>70%)• Multiple use options. • Reduced groundwater/ electricity
use.
• Payback period: 3 years• Financial B/C ratio: 1.5-1.9
Changes in crop production in the dry seasonMadhya Pradesh, India
Wheat Gram0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Prod_before Prod_after
Qui
ntal
s
16
Invest in value chain improvements: increase access
Costs and financing constrain farmers; Extension services limited
The Irrigation Service Provider Model – Pump Rental Plus
• Local entrepreneur owns 1+ pumps.
• Paid per hour for irrigation.
Benefits: • Incomes for entrepreneurs.
• Income from dry season crops for farmers.
17
Invest to create policy synergies
AWM solutions can often be found through linkages with other sectors
Smart Solar Power Promotion Program
• Solar power as cash crop with a guaranteed market at attractive price.
• Reduce financial cost of subsidies
• Incentives to sell back solar power rather than pump groundwater
• Reduce the carbon footprint
18
Invest in a watershed perspective
Examining the range of impacts and the institutional capacity to manage trade-offs could help improve the benefits from future AWM investments.
Mkindo Watershed, Tanzania: Participatory impact assessment of AWM solutions
Social Impacts Environmental Impacts
Technology Equity Gender Poverty Reduction
Water Quality
Water Quantity
Natural Resources
Gravity based furrow system for paddy rice production
+/- - + - - -
Diesel pumps – irrigating from rivers +/- + + - - -
Livestock watering ponds + + + NA + +Livestock watering canal - + + NA NA -Large scale irrigation for cash crop production - NA Unclear - - -
19
Presentation Summary
1. Background
2. Key Messages
3. Investment Opportunities
4. Concluding Remarks
20
• Supporting smallholder AWM makes economic sense and leverages farmers’ initiatives and own investments.
• The scale of current trend is astonishing but the potential is even greater.
• Range of opportunities exist (technical, policy and institutional) that can: o leverage the investments already made to unlock this
potential;o safeguard the sector’s proven benefits on food
security and poverty alleviation; o extend the benefits to broader groups of
smallholders; ando address potential adverse effects.
Significant opportunity, great potential
21
Thank you
For more information, please visit: http://awm-solutions.iwmi.org/
Top Related