In this session, the panelists will provide insights, and highlight examples, of how smallholder farmers can be empowered through the introduction of innovative irrigation and water management technologies and knowledge, combined with innovative education, communication, financing and institutional platforms, to secure sustainable and equitable year-round access to water, put it to productive and profitable use, and adapt-to-climate-change, all while maintaining their water resources.
- Welcome and introduction [10’]
- 5 introductions of 5 mn based on examples [25’]
- Discussion Panel on questions raised in the assembly [50’]
- Key messages and Conclusion [5’]
This item is dealing with innovative technologies to promote a sustainable and equitable access of farmers to the productive water.
A leaflet to resume all the projects included (from speakers and panelists) will be printed. At least, here the list of projects from the 5 invited speakers :
- Martin Fisher (KickStart International, USA)
Scaling low-cost smallholder irrigation across sub Saharan Africa : what works and why
- Henning Bjornlund (IWRA and UniSA, Australia)
Transforming small-scale irrigation schemes in southern Africa’ (TISA)
- Laura Le Floch (Secours Islamique France, Pakistan)
Strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities facing climate change, through sustainable WASH and agriculture solutions (Pakistan, Tharparkar disctrict)
- Romain Dubreuil (VERGNET HYDRO, France; RDC)
Construction of hybrid solar-powered water systems for the NTSIO agroforestry project (DRC)
- Didier Orange (INOWASIA, IRD, France; Vietnam, Laos, Cambodge)
INOWASIA, an innovative education platform promoting the Living Lab approach
KickStart International
IWRA
IRD
KickStart
IWRA
SIF
VERGNET-HYDRO
ESF (Electriciens Sans Frontières)
AMETEN
COSTEA (INRAe, AVSF, BRL ; Algérie, Sénégal, Cambodge)
Santé & Territoires (CIRAD, ISRA, …)
IRD / CERAAS
LATEU (IFAN, UCAD)
INOWASIA (Erasmus+)
Expected outcomes, impacts, and follow-up linkages with events and initiatives after the Forum/Résultats attendus, impacts, et liens de suivi avec les événements et initiatives après le Forum *
This session will advocate for a paradigm change to ensure the sustainable intensification of agricultural, food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa through the sustainable use of surface and groundwater by smallholder famers to enhance their productivity and incomes through introduction of new technologies.
The key political message will be: Empower smallholder farmers in SSA through the introduction of new technologies, new policies, innovative education and systems that enhance sustainable and equitable access to, and use of, groundwater and surface water for productive and sustainable smallholder farming, through the following concrete actions:
1. Introduce country level policies, education, structures and funding that promote the widespread up-take and use of technologies that enable smallholders to sustainably use groundwaters and surface waters to irrigate their farms and increase their year-round yields and incomes.
2. These may include: Adjusting duties/taxes on relevant water/irrigation technologies; Incorporating training on sustainable irrigated farming and water use into agricultural curricular; Widely promoting, with extension and demonstrations, the use of sustainable irrigation and water conservation technologies and practices through innovative education in the universities (Problem Based Learning #PBL, Living Lab #LL, Nature Based Solutions #NBS); Providing ‘smart subsidies’ to increase the uptake and use of relevant smallholder irrigation and water monitoring technologies; Providing ‘loan guarantees’ to financial institutions that finance smallholder irrigation; Creating new policy frameworks and/or institutions that promote, monitor and/or regulate the sustainable use of local water resources, etc.
3. Advocate for the improvement of global and local water governance in conjunction with structures dealing with food and agriculture issues, through the creation of an intergovernmental structure on Water&Food as part of the UN and approved by Member States.
