IWMI Research in WEST AFRICA

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1 IWMI Research in WEST AFRICA Sustainable agricultural water management in cereal-based farming systems Increasing food production in healthy and resilient environments Business opportunities for resource recovery and reuse Enhancing livelihood security through irrigated rice cultivation Improving the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment Biotechnology for sustainable agricultural water supply Rainwater management to improve crop-livestock productivity Optimizing the benefits of shallow groundwater irrigation

2 IWMI in West Africa West Africa faces a number of water management challenges. These are due to rapid urbanization, high climate variability, the potential effects of climate change, and farmers limited access to water and their limited capacity to cope with changes in water availability. Research carried out by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in West Africa particularly targets poor farmers in rural and peri-urban areas by helping to develop evidence-based strategies and solutions for using water more productively and sustainably under changing conditions of availability. The specific focus is on identifying and developing biophysical, socioeconomic and institutional interventions to address local constraints to achieving food security, improved human and ecosystem health, and economic empowerment of smallholder farmers. In addition, the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecoystems (WLE), which IWMI leads, has identified the Volta and Niger basins as the most promising focal regions in West Africa where it can help meet development potential. WLE is currently in the process of assessing the research needs of these two river basins in collaboration with partners across the region. Donors African Development Bank Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Department for International Development (DFID) European Commission Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) IWMI s guiding principles Reducing rural poverty Increasing food security Improving nutrition and health Sustainable management of natural resources Gender equity Understanding how agriculture interacts with ecosystems Enabling adaptation to climate change impacts Providing research-based evidence for policymakers and other decision-makers Fostering uptake for development impact Regionally aligned collaboration At a regional level, IWMI aims to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) - the instrument for the coordination of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) within the region - through collaboration with national, regional, subregional and international partners. IWMI s research activities aim to support the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAP) towards achieving increases in agricultural productivity, and sustainability, of at least 3% annually. IWMI s research portfolio is aligned with four of the six components of the Regional Agricultural Investment Programme (RAIP): Improvement of water management; improved management of other shared natural resources; development of agricultural value chains and the promotion of markets; and institutional strengthening ( programmes/raip/455-revision-11-2). Supporting national development objectives At a national level, IWMI collaborates with government ministries, parastatals and national agricultural research organizations to support national development priorities, including the development and implementation of the CAADP National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs). The Institute also works closely with a wide array of development partners, civil society organizations and private sector enterprises. IWMI s research uptake work is backed up by detailed output and impact pathways, targeted at key stakeholders, including farmers, farmer and water user associations, national and regional as well as Pan-African decision makers, donors and the private sector, to demonstrate changes in their actions, attitude, knowledge and skills. Front cover photo: Nana Kofi Acquah

3 IWMI research Increasing food production in healthy and resilient environments Agricultural productivity in Africa has only slightly increased in recent years, but the demands for food are rapidly increasing. In the coming years irrigation will gain importance to help meet these demands, but at the same time the availability of freshwater and the sustainable use of soil resources is under increasing pressure. New approaches are required to increase food production in irrigated areas in Africa, while ensuring healthy and resilient environments. The EAU4FOOD project seeks to help address these challenges by conducting research in four irrigated areas in Africa. In West Africa, the project is focused on communities in Mali (Kimbirila/Tissana and Kamaka). A healthy maize crop in Ada, Ghana. Photo credit: Nana Kofi Acquah IWMI researchers are developing, testing and implementing locally appropriate, robust and affordable soil and water management innovations that will enable African farmers to increase food production and achieve the sustainable use of irrigation water, conserve soil fertility and reduce pollution of freshwater reserves. These innovations build on existing, farmer- and key stakeholder-driven, traditional practices and irrigation strategies. At each research site, key indicators, farm strategies and biophysical parameters are monitored to identify the current constraints to food production, and to evaluate agroecological and socioeconomic impacts of improved practices and/or innovations after their implementation. Results of the EAU4Food project are distilled into tailor-made support tables and guidelines for different user groups. These support tables and guidelines assist in the consideration of alternative practices by overseeing shortand long-term opportunities and risks, and hence facilitate decision-making processes at a local level. The project uses a trans-disciplinary approach, which involves the active participation of stakeholders (farmers, water managers, retailers, policymakers, nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] and others) in all relevant disciplines (biophysics, economics, sociology and agronomy) as part of the research process and also as part of fostering awareness and uptake of research results. To enlarge and maintain the impact of the EAU4Food project, capacity building programs are being developed. These range from farmer-to-farmer exchange to reciprocal transfers of scientific personnel. Business opportunities for resource recovery and reuse Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR) is a Strategic Research Portfolio (SRP) within WLE. IWMI s research conducted under the RRR program is piloting a novel, market- and reuseoriented approach to sanitation called Design for Reuse. It is specifically centered on market analysis, institutional support and business model analysis, while maintaining a focus on applied technologies, agronomic impact and safety. This focus has emerged from more than two decades of applied and multi-disciplinary research on safe wastewater reuse and organic waste management in low-resource settings. This approach, for example, puts the demand for wastewater effluent or fecal sludge for productive use (in irrigation and aquaculture or as fertilizer or fuel) at the center of the planning and treatment process. Desludging Pre-treatment Post-treatment Valorization Reuse Latrine or septic tank Sludge drying bed Co-composting Blending and Pelletization

4 West Africa regional partners Association Régionale pour l Irrigation et le Drainage (ARID), Ouagadougou Center for African Wetlands (CAW), Accra Centre Régional pour l Eau Potable et l Assainissement à faible coût (CREPA), Ouagadougou Comité permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS), Ouagadougou Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - Water Resources Coordination Unit (WRCU), Ouagadougou Institut Africain de Gestion Urbaine (IAGU), Dakar Institut International d Ingérnierie de l Eau et de l Environnement, Ouagadougou Volta Basin Authority (VBA), Ouagadougou West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), Dakar In West Africa, this approach is being pursued through a number of research projects: The From Waste to Food (WaFo) project, co-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), is exploring ways to make fecal sludge reuse an attractive and profitable business proposition for local entrepreneurs. Researchers are using science, appropriate business models and strategic partnerships to examine the commercialization potential of safe fecal sludge-based, pelletized fertilizers (Fortifer). The overarching aims of the project are to improve the sustainability of the sanitation value chain by making an asset out of waste, and to generate a positive revenue stream which measurably improves the fecal sludge management of cities while providing access to a safe, organic fertilizer. Following two pilot plants on co-composting and pelletizing in Kumasi and Accra, respectively, an industrial production unit is now being set up in Ghana. The technology that will be used in the plant has been verified by past IWMI-led research on resource recovery and reuse. The WaFo project runs from April 2013 to March The Reuse-oriented Approach to Improving the Long-term Operation of Sanitation Facilities in Ghana project, funded by the African Water Facility, is examining ways to develop and implement value chains between treatment plants and those who can use waste in agriculture. The idea is to generate revenue which can be used to improve the longterm operation, maintenance and integrity of wastewater and fecal sludge treatment plants in urban Ghana. Viewing waste treatment systems from the reuse perspective opens up new possibilities for the sanitation sector to become an active contributor to the local economy by linking sanitation service providers, communities and the private sector. The project is being implemented through a participatory approach, including consultation and active engagement with key stakeholders from farmers to policymakers. Pilot plants of the project are located in Greater Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi. The project comprises three components, which look at different value chains: Wastewater reuse in irrigation (includes redesigning a treatment plant). Aquaculture in wastewater maturation ponds. The use of compost and biogas. Pelletization process. Photo credit: Josiane Nikiema Various experimental formulations of Fortifer pellets drying in the sun, Ghana. Photo credit: Josiane Nikiema

5 Effluent reuse for irrigation Farmers/labor, inputs $ Cultivated farmland Wastewater treatment plant $ $$ Food Potential management models: 1) Single entity owns and operates wastewater treatment plant + farmland. 2) Wastewater treatment plant proprietor leases land to private farmer. Consumers Also under the Design for Reuse approach, IWMI is leading two related Resource Recovery and Reuse projects funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). These projects examine 150 Resource Recovery and Reuse cases across the globe, which all use domestic or agroindustrial waste, to establish and test the best business models for water, energy and nutrient recovery at scale. Outcomes from this research are being used to develop practical training materials for business schools and investment catalogues for donors, to help promote new entrepreneurial opportunities at the nexus of sanitation and agriculture. Feasibility studies for business models are being conducted in Kumasi, Accra and Tamale, in Ghana (as well as in five other countries in Africa, Asia and South America). These activities are accompanied by the development of Sanitation Safety Plans under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO). Biotechnology for sustainable agricultural water supply Biotechnology has the potential to play an important role in treating polluted water resources in West Africa and thereby help respond to the challenge of water scarcity. Successfully using biotechnological solutions to address some of West Africa s pollution challenges requires creating greater awareness of the benefits of these technologies, as well as further adaptation of them to local circumstances. West Africa national partners Comité National d Irrigation et de Drainage (CNID-B), Burkina Faso Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana Direction des Aménagements et du Développement de l irrigation (DADI), Ministère de l Agriculture et de l hydraulique, Burkina Faso Direction Générale des Ressources en Eau (DGRE), Ministère de l Agriculture et de l hydraulique, Burkina Faso Direction Générale du Génie Rurale (DGGR), Niger Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) Institut de l Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Burkina Faso Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Ghana Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Ghana Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sierra Leone Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Ghana Secrétariat Permanent du Plan d Action pour la Gestion Intégrée des Ressources en Eau (SP/PAGIRE), Burkina Faso University for Development Studies, Ghana University of Ghana Volta Basin Development Foundation (VBDF), Ghana Water Research Institute (WRI), Ghana Water Resources Commission (WRC), Ghana

6 International partners Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) ETC Foundation Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) ide Ghana International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF) Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education World Health Organization (WHO) IWMI is a key partner in the project, Biotechnology for Africa s Sustainable Water Supply, funded by the European Union (EU). This project provides stakeholders in Africa with access to biotechnology options and management solutions such as lagooning, land treatment, phytodepuration or constructed wetland systems. These can be applied as secondary or tertiary purification treatment processes, allowing the removal of pathogenic microorganisms and degradation of the organic pollutants, so that wastewater can be recycled for irrigation and domestic use and thereby reduce the pressure on the hydric resources. Other biotechnological techniques being considered in this project include biofiltration, membrane bioreactors and algae, and the application of other aquatic plants for wastewater purification. In West Africa, the countries targeted by the project are Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ghana. Specific areas where the project aims to have an impact include: Reducing the pressure on freshwater resources. Reducing the contamination of water resources and regenerating polluted natural water bodies. Promoting sustainable and environmentally sound technologies. Improving public health. Farmers in Ghana reaping the benefits of shallow groundwater irrigation. Enhancing food security through increasing the availability of water for irrigation and food production, and productivity. Optimizing the benefits of shallow groundwater irrigation Shallow groundwater resources are significantly underused as a source of water for irrigated agriculture in many parts of sub-saharan Africa, including the White Volta River Basin. As part of efforts to explore the key challenges to sustainable use of these resources, IWMI is leading the Enhancing Uptake and Socio-economic Benefits of Shallow Groundwater Irrigation in the White Volta Basin project, which is supported by the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) through a grant from IFAD. The project focusses on the Atankwidi catchment of the White Volta River Basin with research aimed at identifying and introducing affordable technologies (adapted to local conditions) for accessing shallow groundwater resources. The project is working towards improving market access and profitability of shallow groundwater irrigated agricultural products. It also aims to improve the uptake and out-scaling of shallow groundwater irrigation technologies and management practices. By establishing participatory Innovation Platforms, the project has enabled stakeholders to assess, discuss and pinpoint the most appropriate and effective shallow groundwater irrigation options, technologies and business models for their circumstances. Project partners are now exploring ways to expand awareness of this knowledge to other parts of Africa. Photo credit: Nana Kofi Acquah

7 Rainwater management to improve crop-livestock productivity In the Volta River Basin, water scarcity and variability create economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities which impact significantly on livelihoods. Finding solutions to these vulnerabilities partly requires improved rainwater management. The project, Integrated Management of Rainwater for Croplivestock Agroecosystems, funded by the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF), is identifying, evaluating, adapting and disseminating best-fit integrated rainwater management strategies to increase crop and livestock productivity. The ultimate aim is to enhance livelihoods and foster positive environmental impacts. Rainwater management strategies are designed to cover diverse biophysical and socioeconomic situations, and are aimed at ensuring that smallholders can effectively participate in, and benefit from, emerging crop and livestock market opportunities in the Volta River Basin. The strategies include technological solutions directed at different components of agroecosystems and backed by institutional and policy analysis and assessment of appropriate market incentives to drive adoption. With rural smallholders in mind, the project is focused on the Tolon- Kumbungu and Lawra districts in Ghana, and the Koubri and Ouahigouya districts in Burkina Faso. IWMI is a key partner in the project along with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which leads the project. The research conducted by the project has already had a number of beneficial impacts on farmers in both countries. For example, initial results indicate that soil and water conservation methods used in the project have resulted in increased water capture and storage within the root zone. This has resulted in higher crop productivity which should translate into improved livelihoods. Farmers and extension agents have taken part in training and capacity building exercises, and the project is also acting as a practice platform for student interns from both countries. It is anticipated that innovation platforms established through the project will further enhance crop-livestock value chains and address other socioeconomic and institutional issues such as access to micro-finance, affordable farming inputs and market access. Enhancing livelihood security through irrigated rice cultivation Rice has become a staple food for many people in West Africa and the demand for it continues to increase. Around 70% of this demand is met through rice imports, but largescale rice production in the region, under irrigation, is also on the increase. Nonetheless, past and current implementation of large-scale irrigation has met with mixed levels of success in West Africa. Thus, there is an urgent need to examine the economic and livelihood impacts of large-scale irrigation in West Africa, as a means to improve the way in which ongoing and future irrigation development projects are undertaken. The Irrigation Impacts in West Africa project is examining three aspects in order to identify how and why there is considerable variation in the performance of large-scale irrigated rice production in the region. First, the project is reviewing broad trends in investments in, and benefits derived from, large-scale irrigation in West Africa. Second, it is measuring the degree to which predicted economic returns from irrigation development have in fact been realized across a range of irrigation schemes. Third, it aims to determine the impacts of large-scale irrigation development on livelihood security, at the household level, in West Africa. Livelihood security dimensions examined include income and poverty levels, nutrition and access to health care. The results of this work will provide guidance to improve the way in which large-scale irrigated rice cultivation is undertaken in West Africa. This will prove useful in promoting greater equity, productivity and effective returns on investment in this sector, thereby contributing to improvements in both food and livelihood security. CPWF (Volta) web page: Sharing experiences video Mr. Damian Tampuuri, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Lawra, Ghana watch?v=cdszegh3axi&feature=c hannel&list=ul Sharing experiences video Mr. Gaeten Zuur, Nabrunye Community of the Lawra District, Upper West Region, Ghana feature=channel&list=ul Ghanaian farmers tending their rice paddies in Ada, Greater Accra Region. Photo credit: Nana Kofi Acquah

8 Sustainable Agricultural Water Management in Cereal-based Farming Systems The overarching aim of the IWMI-led component of the Africa RISING Project: Sustainable Agricultural Water Management in Cereal-Based Farming Systems of Northern Ghana is to identify and promote approaches and technologies that foster improved water use and management in cereal-based farming systems. The research hypothesis is that using a systems approach that integrates water resources, nutrient, soil and crop management coupled with farmer training will result in significant on-farm benefits. Three main field-level activities were conducted in Tolon-Kumbungu and Lawra districts of Northern Ghana. Water productivity estimates. Scaling-out of proven small-scale irrigation technologies. Training and capacity building on small-scale irrigation, and soil and water conservation. Using a combination of scientific and participatory action research approaches, field activities were implemented by a multidisciplinary team of research and development partners drawn from IWMI, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Animal Research Institute (ARI) and Water Research Institute (WRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Results showed that higher yields were obtained in plots where an integrated approach to soil, water, crop and nutrient management interventions was carried out. In addition, best practices on agricultural water management and soil and water conservation were shared with four communities in the study areas. Regional participatory videos were produced in which farmers shared their experiences across different regions. The videos contain further recommendations to promote wider adoption of soil and water conservation and viable irrigation practices. The project was funded through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of the US government s Feed the Future initiative. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) leads the Africa RISING project in collaboration with other CGIAR Centers and national research institutions. Building on initial work conducted in 2012 during the quick win phase, the Africa RISING project and the IWMI-led component will now be extended from 2013 to 2016 focusing on six work packages geared towards improving food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable natural resource management in Northern Ghana. About the International Water Management Institute Vision: Water for a food-secure world. Mission: To improve the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a member of the CGIAR Consortium, is a non-profit, scientific research organization focusing on the sustainable use of land and water resources in developing countries. The Institute is headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with regional offices across Africa and Asia. IWMI works in partnership with governments, civil society and the private sector to develop scalable agricultural water management solutions that have a real impact on poverty reduction, food security and ecosystem health ( IWMI leads the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) which combines the resources of 11 CGIAR Centers and numerous partners, bringing together innovative thinking on agriculture, natural resource management and poverty alleviation to deliver effective solutions for food security and environmental protection to the rural poor. In Africa, WLE is working towards impact on rural poverty, improved food security, better nutrition and health, and greater environmental security in five river basins: Volta, Niger, Nile, Limpopo and Zambezi ( In West Africa, IWMI is also involved in the CGIAR Research Programs on Dryland Systems, and the Humidtropics. IWMI Regional Office for Africa and West Africa Office CSIR Campus, Martin Odei Block Airport Residential Area Accra, Ghana Mailing address: IWMI, PMB CT112 Cantonments, Accra, Ghana Tel: +233 (0) /4 Fax: +233 (0) IWMI Headquarters 127 Sunil Mawatha Pelawatte Battaramulla Sri Lanka Mailing address: P. O. Box 2075 Colombo, Sri Lanka Tel: Fax: Director, Africa: T. Olalekan Williams (t.o.williams@cgiar.org) Printed: July, 2013