Improving the Performance of Southern African region in the CAADP/Malabo Declaration Biennial Review Process through Transformed Irrigation System

The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU), University of South Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Instituto Nacional de Irrigação (INIR), Mozambique, Ardhi University, Tanzania and ICRISAT, Zimbabwe, are pleased to invite you to a Webinar that seeks to establish the importance of transforming irrigation systems to improve the performance of the Southern African towards achieving the CAADP/Malabo Declaration commitments.

Overview

In Africa, agriculture is mostly rainfed and characterized by low productivity. Irrigation presents an opportunity for sustainable intensification, increasing crop yields and improving resilience to climate shocks: especially in southern Africa, which is experiencing increased rainfall variability. However, the efficiency, sustainability and productivity of irrigation schemes in the region, particularly those owned by the government, need to be improved. Institutional and system rigidity inhibits crop diversity and flexible water delivery, which contributes significantly to a deterioration in crop water productivity.

To meet the African Union (AU) Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP)/Malabo Declaration targets, especially of Ending Hunger by 2025 (Commitment 3) and Halving Poverty through Agriculture 2025 (Commitment 4), smallholder irrigation schemes need to transition productivity from lower to higher-yielding systems, which are profitable, sustainable and provide food security for growing populations. In fact, expanding irrigation potential can improve agricultural productivity on existing land and extend growing seasons throughout the year, which would reduce poverty, food insecurity, and import dependency across the continent (Malabo Montpellier Panel, 2018). The transition from inefficient subsistence systems towards market-oriented production systems requires a paradigm shift amongst irrigators, irrigation management committees and policymakers.

Currently, the Southern African region is not on-track in any of the seven Malabo commitments, with an overall average score of 4.27 out of 10 against the 6.66 benchmark for 2019, and performance on Commitments 3 and 4 are far from desirable. To bring about meaningful change in the irrigation schemes, there is an urgent need for both state and non-state actors to increase the quantity and quality of investments that improve and sustain the performance of the agriculture sector for ending hunger and poverty reduction, focusing on access to agriculture inputs and technologies.

Against this backdrop, FANRPAN with the Australian and African partners, are co-convening a Webinar that seeks to establish role of irrigation in improving the performance of the Southern African region in the CAADP/Malabo Declaration BRR.

TISA Intervention

The Transforming Small-scale irrigation in southern Africa’ project (TISA) project , funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), focuses on increasing irrigation water productivity in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Over the past seven years, TISA (implemented by a consortium of Australian and African research partners) has used two complementary entry points – (i) soil moisture and nutrient monitoring tools and (ii) Agricultural Innovation Platforms (AIPs), which through a process strengthen social networks – to achieve a transformational change in target smallholder irrigation schemes towards profitable and sustainable irrigation communities.

Scope of Webinar

The Webinar will mainly focus on how transforming irrigation systems in Southern African Member State can improve performance in the BRR. Perspectives from farmers, researchers, CSOs, donors, development partners and the government will be explored, and country case studies will be presented and discussed.

Expected Outcomes

• Understanding of the importance of transforming irrigation systems in improving the performance
  of the region in the BRR
• Key strategies for scaling up and out TISA interventions to improve the performance of member
  states against the CAADP/Malabo targets

Facilitator: Dr Njongenhle Nyoni, FANRPAN

Please click here to register: https://bit.ly/3vG1ovu

Partners

For further information, contact: NNyoni@fanrpan.org or krazafimandimby@fanrpan.org