Smallholder Irrigation

ACTION PLAN:

Smallholder Irrigation Promotion in Semi-arid Areas

Vision

To promote smallholder irrigation in semi-arid areas, initially based on low-pressure drip irrigation and treadle pumps.

Draft Type 2 partnership: Main Objectives

To promote small-holder irrigation in semi-arid areas in order to attain:

Increased food security at house hold, local and national levels

Increased capacity for adaptive research and extension

Increased and diversified incomes for resource poor farmers

Proposed outcomes

	A inter-disciplinary steering committee by Dec. 2002 (See below for membership)
	Concrete project proposal for donor consideration by June 2003 (Specific chapters and actions involved already identified) Pilot project location: Kenya Target outreach: 10-20 million resource poor households

Initial work programme:

December 2002:

	Establish steering committee and interdisciplinary partners – representing all stakeholders
	Establish individual / organisational roles for steering committee members

Oct 2002- May 2003: Project development and drafting of funding proposal

	Kenyan stakeholders and Agri SA to draft initial funding proposal
	IFAP – KNFU to co-ordinate with research centres
	NORAGRIC and University of Wageningen to integrate socio-economic aspects and interdisciplinary approaches
	CGIAR: To address links with the its Future Challenge Programme (Francis)

Early 2003; IC Follow-up and planning meeting for steering committee to be held for project partners

June 2003: Submission of project funding proposal

December 2003: Approvals and submission to donors have been achieved

Initial steering committee partners:

Agric SA, CARE Kenya, IFAP, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Kenyan National Farmers Union, Kenyan Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development, Noragric Centre for Environment and Development Studies, University of Wageningen and Winrock International

Additional Background Information

Lessons Learnt: The resultant action plan was developed on the basis of lessons learnt from a review of the following case studies:

	Kenyan Small-Scale Irrigation Programme
	SAPWAT Initiative
	Sustainability of Multi-stakeholder platforms for integrated catchment management (MSPICM)
	ISNAR’s approaches to multi-stakeholder partnerships
	Nigeria’s irrigation schemes
	Improving rural incomes for smallholder irrigation farmers in Kibwezi, Kenya, through rural enterprise agro-business promotion (REAP) (CARE Kenya)

The following Project guidelines and challenges were identified:

	Participatory research and development
	Holistic approach
	Multi-stakeholder collaboration and joint ownership
	Transparent, accountable and understood policy and governance
	Sustainability: environmental, financial and managerial
	Conflict management capacity
	Stakeholder empowerment
	Ensuring participation throughout the process
	Influencing the policy agenda

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