Micro-agricultural water management technologies for food security in southern Africa: part of the solution or a red herring?

Water Policy ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas J. Merrey ◽  
Hilmy Sally
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Rural Poverty ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Agricultural Water Management ◽  
Agricultural Growth ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sub Saharan

This paper is based on a review of experiences with a wide range of micro-agricultural water management technologies in sub-Saharan Africa with a special emphasis on southern Africa. The major finding of the study is that these technologies have the potential to make major contributions to improving food security, reducing rural poverty and promoting broad-based agricultural growth. However, there are serious policy impediments to successfully scaling out the use of these technologies at both national and regional levels. The paper makes seven specific policy recommendations whose implementation would enable promotion of wider uptake.

Cassava Processing in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Implications for Expanding Cassava Production

1994 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Izu Nweke
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Intensive Use ◽  
Cassava Production ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Processing Techniques ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
Poor Soil

Cassava makes an important contribution to improving food security and rural incomes in sub-Saharan Africa, as it is tolerant of drought and poor soil and its cultivation does not require much labour. However, the fresh roots are bulky and perishable and need to be processed before they can be marketed; processing also removes the cyanogens which make many varieties poisonous in their raw form. Cassava roots are turned into granules, flours, pastes and chips, with a wide range of flavours and appearances for different areas and markets. Many different processing techniques are used, some of which make intensive use of fuelwood while others require a plentiful water supply. These requirements, as well as the need for a good transport and marketing infrastructure, limit the expansion of cassava production in sub-Saharan Africa, but technical solutions are being found.

The scientific activity of ICID to improve the irrigation in arid environments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piergiorgio Manciola ◽  
Stefano Casadei
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Flood Management ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
International Commission ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Agricultural Water Management ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Scientific Technical ◽  
Irrigation Drainage

<p>The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) was set up in 1950, with support from 11 countries as Founder Members, including Italy. Ital-ICID is the Italian National Committee of ICID founded in 1971, and is a scientific, technical, and professional not-for-profit organization working in the field of irrigation, drainage, land reclamation, and flood management, in accordance with the topics of the International Commission.</p><p>In this moment the environmental protection and the green economy are a very important goals, in this contest the ICID promotes and achieves equitable and sustainable development in agriculture water management. The actions of ICID are dedicated to improving the status of agricultural water management practices including rain-fed agriculture, supplemental irrigation, deficit irrigation and full irrigation, with a particular attention to the areas involved in extreme climate events, such as flood and droughts. ICID approach suggests cooperation rather than competition, and collaboration rather than individual actions to pave the way towards effective water management for securing the right of each and every individual to attain a fair share of water, food, energy, and stressed on the need to promote environment-friendly traditional wisdom.</p><p>ICID develops many annual and special publications promoting its activities, but “Irrigation and Drainage Journal” is the official international journal, and the flagship publication of ICID. It is a prestigious, peer-reviewed specialized publication that publishes papers on all scientific, technical, environmental and socio-economic issues associated with irrigation, drainage and flood management. The journal covers a wide range of subjects centering on dissemination of experience and new ideas in the quest for the sustainable use and protection of water and land to meet the World's increasing demand for food. Only in the last issues more than ten papers have been published concerning study on arid and semi-arid area, which involve the human intervention in the control of water for sustainable agricultural development.</p><p>For the future, ICID works towards enabling balance between agricultural and water policies, improving publicly operated irrigation schemes, advocating increased public and private investment in expansion of irrigated land, and modernizing existing infrastructure. The knowledge-based sharing of all aspects of agricultural water management, including collation of irrigation statistics, data and information exchange, sharing of successful management strategies, best practices, and local community involvement will be supported by ICID. It supports and encourages the multiple use of water, the use of non-conventional waters and the promotion of goods and services provided by irrigation systems, also supported by Information and Technology Communication tools. The cooperation mechanisms in ICID’s network are based on simple exchange of information through annual meetings, where practitioners, researchers and planners from all over the world share latest research and innovations. However, ICID also organizes triennial world irrigation and drainage congresses, world irrigation fora, regional conferences and workshops to address and discuss agricultural water management issues at global or regional level.</p>

scholarly journals Exploring ways to increase public investments in agricultural water management and irrigation for improved agricultural productivity in Southern Africa

Water SA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Nhemachena ◽  
Greenwell Matchaya ◽  
Sibusiso Nhlengethwa ◽  
Charity R Nhemachena
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Agricultural Water Management ◽  
Agricultural Investment ◽  
Public Investments ◽  
Land And Water Management ◽  
African Agriculture

This paper explores ways to increase public investments in agricultural water management and irrigation for improved agricultural productivity in Southern Africa, with a specific focus on Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. The analysis was based on a critical review of literature and assessment of the national agricultural investment plans and agricultural/water policies in the study countries. Despite the potential to improve agricultural productivity, irrigation does not currently play a significant role in Southern African agriculture. There have been efforts and formal commitments at the continental, regional and countrylevels to promote investments in agricultural water management and irrigation to improve and sustain agricultural productivity. However, despite these commitments, actual implementation has been a challenge and the first 5 years of national agricultural investment plans have passed or are now coming to an end without much progress having been made regarding actual investments. Lack of adequate resources and institutional capacity have been some of the challenges affecting implementation of the investment plans to meet commitments in sustainable land and water management. Overall, as countries plan for the second phase of the CAADP programme, there are opportunities to ensure that investments in agricultural water management and irrigation and complementary technologies are prioritised and allocated adequate resources for implementation.

Rice and irrigation in West Africa: Achieving food security with agricultural water management strategies

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 75-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela G. Katic ◽  
Regassa E. Namara ◽  
Lesley Hope ◽  
Eric Owusu ◽  
Hideto Fujii
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Food Security ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Agricultural Water Management

Livestock water productivity: implications for sub-Saharan Africa

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Peden ◽  
G. Taddesse ◽  
A. Haileslassie
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Sub Saharan

Water is essential for agriculture including livestock. Given increasing global concern that access to agricultural water will constrain food production and that livestock production uses and degrades too much water, there is compelling need for better understanding of the nature of livestock–water interactions. Inappropriate animal management along with poor cropping practices often contributes to widespread and severe depletion, degradation and contamination of water. In developed countries, diverse environmental organisations increasingly voice concerns that animal production is a major cause of land and water degradation. Thus, they call for reduced animal production. Such views generally fail to consider their context, applicability and implications for developing countries. Two global research programs, the CGIAR ‘Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management and Agriculture’ and ‘Challenge Program on Water and Food’ have undertaken studies of the development, management and conservation of agricultural water in developing countries. Drawing on these programs, this paper describes a framework to systematically identify key livestock–water interactions and suggests strategies for improving livestock and water management especially in the mixed crop–livestock production systems of sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast to developed country experience, this research suggests that currently livestock water productivity compares favourably with crop water productivity in Africa. Yet, great opportunities remain to further reduce domestic animals’ use of water in the continent. Integrating livestock and water planning, development and management has the potential to help reduce poverty, increase food production and reduce pressure on the environment including scarce water resources. Four strategies involving technology, policy and institutional interventions can help achieve this. They are choosing feeds that require relatively little water, conserving water resources through better animal and land management, applying well known tools from the animal sciences to increase animal production, and strategic temporal and spatial provisioning of drinking water. Achieving integrated livestock–water development will require new ways of thinking about, and managing, water by water- and animal-science professionals.

scholarly journals Is High Whitefly Abundance on Cassava in Sub-Saharan Africa Driven by Biological Traits of a Specific, Cryptic Bemisia tabaci Species?

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 260
Author(s):  
Habibu Mugerwa ◽  
Peter Sseruwagi ◽  
John Colvin ◽  
Susan Seal
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Bemisia Tabaci ◽  
Development Time ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Population Development ◽  
Species Classification ◽  
First Instar ◽  
Sub Saharan

In East Africa, the prevalent Bemisia tabaci whiteflies on the food security crop cassava are classified as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) species. Economically damaging cassava whitefly populations were associated with the SSA2 species in the 1990s, but more recently, it has been to SSA1 species. To investigate whether biological traits (number of first instar nymphs, emerged adults, proportion of females in progeny and development time) of the cassava whitefly species are significant drivers of the observed field abundance, our study determined the development of SSA1 sub-group (SG) 1 (5 populations), SG2 (5 populations), SG3 (1 population) and SSA2 (1 population) on cassava and eggplant under laboratory conditions. SSA1-(SG1-SG2) and SSA2 populations’ development traits were similar. Regardless of the host plant, SSA1-SG2 populations had the highest number of first instar nymphs (60.6 ± 3.4) and emerged adults (50.9 ± 3.6), followed by SSA1-SG1 (55.5 ± 3.2 and 44.6 ± 3.3), SSA2 (45.8 ± 5.7 and 32.6 ± 5.1) and the lowest were SSA1-SG3 (34.2 ± 6.1 and 32.0 ± 7.1) populations. SSA1-SG3 population had the shortest egg–adult emergence development time (26.7 days), followed by SSA1-SG1 (29.1 days), SSA1-SG2 (29.6 days) and SSA2 (32.2 days). Regardless of the whitefly population, development time was significantly shorter on eggplant (25.1 ± 0.9 days) than cassava (34.6 ± 1.0 days). These results support that SSA1-(SG1-SG2) and SSA2 B. tabaci can become highly abundant on cassava, with their species classification alone not correlating with observed abundance and prevalence.

scholarly journals Addressing Pediatric HIV Pretreatment Drug Resistance and Virologic Failure in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Diagnostic-Based Strategies in Children ≥3 Years Old

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 567
Author(s):  
Mutita Siriruchatanon ◽  
Shan Liu ◽  
James G. Carlucci ◽  
Eva A. Enns ◽  
Horacio A. Duarte
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Virologic Failure ◽  
Pediatric Hiv ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Switching Strategy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Living With Hiv

Improvement of antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen switching practices and implementation of pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) testing are two potential approaches to improve health outcomes for children living with HIV. We developed a microsimulation model of disease progression and treatment focused on children with perinatally acquired HIV in sub-Saharan Africa who initiate ART at 3 years of age. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic-based strategies (improved switching and PDR testing), over a 10-year time horizon, in settings without and with pediatric dolutegravir (DTG) availability as first-line ART. The improved switching strategy increases the probability of switching to second-line ART when virologic failure is diagnosed through viral load testing. The PDR testing strategy involves a one-time PDR test prior to ART initiation to guide choice of initial regimen. When DTG is not available, PDR testing is dominated by the improved switching strategy, which has an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of USD 579/life-year gained (LY), relative to the status quo. If DTG is available, improved switching has a similar ICER (USD 591/LY) relative to the DTGstatus quo. Even when substantial financial investment is needed to achieve improved regimen switching practices, the improved switching strategy still has the potential to be cost-effective in a wide range of sub-Saharan African countries. Our analysis highlights the importance of strengthening existing laboratory monitoring systems to improve the health of children living with HIV.

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