IWRM, Agriculture and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

Makonnen Loulseged and Matthew McCartney

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/global_freshwater_withdrawal_agricultural_industrial_and_domestic_use Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Sub-Saharan Africa: Current 60-70 % of population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for livelihoods

Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy for many countries (up to 45% GDP in Tanzania)

Agriculture supports 67% of employment in the region

Since mid-1960s per capita food production has declined by 20%. ~ 210 million people (in SSA) are undernourished

In most countries irrigation typically occurs on < 5% of cultivated land.

Irrigated area as % of irrigation potential

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

South Africa

Mauritius

Madagascar

Swaziland

Comoros

Zimbabwe

Lesotho

Kenya

Malawi

Tanzania

Namibia

Botswana

Zambia

Burundi

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Mozambique

Uganda

Angola

Rwanda

Seychelles

Investments in irrigation and drainage

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80 81-85 86-90 91-95 96-00

US$

(bill

ion)

Sub-Saharan Africa South Asia

Sub Saharan Africa: Future Population is expected to rise by ~3% annually to year 2025

To achieve food security agricultural production must increase at6% annually

FAO estimate that 75% of increase will have to come from intensification --- yield increases and higher cropping intensities

Substantial investment is required in agriculture to meet MDGsfor poverty alleviation and food security

World Bank and UN are calling for an African Green revolution ---this will require investment in water infrastructures

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_availability_in_africa

Irrigation-poverty links

• In sub-Saharan Africa access to reliable water is a fundamental factor influencing level of poverty

• Good irrigation:• enables the poor to improve food security • enhances opportunities for income generation • reduces vulnerability to climate variability

• Poverty reduction is not automatic – failure to foresee and mitigate negative environmental and health impacts can undermine sustainability and worsen poverty

Agricultural Water Development

Environmental Change

• abiotic + biotic • local + distant• immediate + long-term

Social Change

• food security • poverty • institutions• global trade

Health Impacts

• positive & negative

Oct-DecJul-SepApr-JunJan-Mar

Cas

es/1

000

pers

on-m

onth

s

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Km to re servoir

<3

3-6

6-9

Example of the impact of water resource infrastructure on health

Enhanced malaria in the vicinity of Koga dam, Ethiopia

Environmental and Health Assessment Tools

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)Health Impact Assessment (HIA)

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

• Environmental Management Plan (EMP)

• Environmental Audits and Appraisals (EAAS)

IWRM • IWRM is a means of achieving three key strategic objectives:

Efficiency; Equity; Environmental sustainability

Holistic approach for water management that links:Land and water development Social and economic development with protection of natural ecosystemsFocused on sustainability

• Principles for Effective Water GovernanceOpen and Transparent Inclusive and CommunicativeCoherent and Integrative Equitable and Ethical

Benefits of IWRMImplications of water use by other sectors on agriculture made clear

More rational decision-making – implications of different options of water use properly assessed

More adaptable and effective utilization of water resources –that enables coping with climate variability and change

Improved environment – improved sustainability

Overall: more effective and equitable water use

Requirements for Successful IWRM in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Participatory management

• Improved institutional capacity in IWRM

• Incentives for maximizing water productivity

• Improved evaluation of environmental and health impacts

• Application of appropriate decision-support tools

IWRM tailored to Sub-Saharan Africa

• Livelihoods need to be more central within IWRM

• Less focus on demand management and saving water and more on: • Increasing productivity • Reducing risk (including health impacts) for the poor • Increasing resource protection (land and water)• Ensuring economic viability• Ensuring social acceptability

• How to bring additional water to enable communities to improve livelihoods (inc. productive uses)

Constraints

No consensus on practical application of IWRM principles

Lack of monitoring and reliable data required for management

Very little data on economic value of incorporating health and environmental safeguards in planning and management

Full cost-benefit analysis is dependent on much better understanding of linkages between health and environmental impacts in water resource development

Weak institutions - at local levels and river basin scales

Incompleteness in water management policy and legal and regulatory frameworks

Conclusions• Strong links between irrigation and poverty reduction

• Irrigation essential to increase food production and meet MDGs

• Ensuring sustainable development in an integrated approach to land and water resources management

• Health and Environmental aspects need to be at the forefront of water resource development and management

• IWRM needs to have a greater livelihoods focus

T H A N K Y O U