WLE Briefing Notes
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/34751
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Item Reflections on a decade of innovative research-for-development(Brief, 2022-02-01) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsThis synthesis brief captures insights and lessons from the implementation of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) over the past decade. By assessing the program’s performance, thematic scope and its management, governance and structure, as well as the ways in which the program has monitored and communicated its research outputs, this brief aims to consolidate WLE’s experiences and inform the transition to One CGIAR and the development of future research-for-development initiatives.Item State restructuring and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Nepal: lessons learned(Brief, 2021-12-21) International Water Management InstituteItem Data sharing in transboundary waters: current extent, future potential and practical recommendations(Brief, 2021-12-07) International Water Management InstituteData exchange in transboundary waters is fundamental to advance cooperation in water management. Nonetheless, the degree to which data are actually shared is falling short of basin-level and international targets. A global assessment revealed that a reasonable proportion of river basins exchange some data, but the breadth of such exchange is often limited and not regular. More in-depth examination of African basins nonetheless suggests that a real need for, and use of, water data appears to motivate exchange. Indeed, evidence suggests that data exchange needs which are more directly felt enhance exchange, e.g., the direct need to minimize flood impacts or manage transboundary infrastructure. As such, data sharing is much more likely to be considered as being successful if it responds to a palpable need and serves practical uses. Also, in developing data exchange programs, it may be prudent to adopt a focused and sequential approach to data exchange that starts with a short-list of most needed parameters.Item Prices, loans or ambiguity? Factors influencing groundwater irrigation adoption in Ethiopia(Brief, 2021-12-07) International Water Management InstituteGovernments in sub-Saharan Africa promote the expansion of irrigation to improve food security, primarily through the adoption and use of groundwater-based smallholder private irrigation. Using the case of Ethiopia, we examine farmers’ willingness to adopt smallholder private irrigation packages in response to subsidies on pump prices, loan availability and reduction in ambiguities related to borehole drilling. The results of the research highlight that subsidizing pump prices may not be the best use of public funds to expand irrigation. Instead, decreasing ambiguities around borehole drilling is likely to play a significant role and is a cost-effective step toward expanding groundwater-based irrigation and increasing the adoption of pumps by small-scale farmers. The policy implication is that the government should help farmers minimize the uncertainties and cost of unsuccessful drilling. This will require the government to study groundwater hydrogeology, use information on groundwater depth, seasonality and recharge to drill boreholes, and absorb the costs of unsuccessful drilling.Item Circular economy solutions to close water, energy and food loops in West Africa(Brief, 2021-12-06) International Water Management InstituteItem Floods as agents of vitality: reaffirming human-nature synergies(Brief, 2021-11-08) Modak, S.; Ghosh, SurajitThe policy response for flood governance should be based on the premise that floods in monsoon-dominated landscapes such as the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin are inevitable.Item Evaluation du potentiel d’expansion durable de l’irrigation solaire à petite échelle à Ségou et Sikasso, Mali. In French(Brief, 2021-10-28) International Water Management InstituteItem Mapping the suitability of solar energy-based irrigation pumps in Ethiopia(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteIn recent years, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has worked to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods in rural communities in Ethiopia by increasing the value and effectiveness of agricultural water management through small-scale irrigation. However, while the potential to benefit from small-scale irrigation appears significant, it is constrained by access to the energy sources needed to pump water and the limited opportunities for gravity-fed small-scale irrigation systems. Electricity is rarely available to farmers on small, dispersed plots and high fuel costs mean that smallholder farmers cannot rely on diesel or petrol pumps for lifting surface water and shallow groundwater. Building on this, a recent IWMI study determined that solarpowered irrigation pumps offer an inexpensive and effective alternative to electric and fuel-based pumps, enabling farmers to overcome energy-related access and cost constraints to expanding irrigation. The technology also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is, therefore, considered a climatesmart technology. To ensure the feasibility of solar-powered irrigation, researchers also tested a new methodology for mapping the suitability of solar irrigation throughout Ethiopia.Item Business models for solar-powered irrigation in Ethiopia(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteThis brief describes three business models for smallholder solar pump irrigation in Ethiopia, each with the potential to improve agricultural production, productivity and income. The purpose of the brief is to provide prospective investors with evidence that solar pump irrigation can be both suitable and sustainable. Policymakers throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including those in Ethiopia, agree that increasing small-scale irrigation can reduce poverty and support economic growth. Limited access to the energy needed to pump water is a major constraint in most countries. Electricity is an inexpensive and efficient form of energy, but it is rarely available: only 14% of Ethiopia’s population has continuous access to electricity due to poor grid coverage and the wide dispersal of farms (World Bank 2012). The use of fossil fuel motor pumps is constrained by several factors, e.g., high operation and maintenance costs, and also results in negative environmental impacts. Solar-powered pumps offer a low-cost and environmentally-friendly alternative to electric irrigation technologies and motor pumps. Research suggests that investing in solar irrigation can profit smallholders, although the level of profit depends on the type of crops under cultivation, water delivery and application systems, and the size of the cultivated area. Other factors influencing profits include access to markets, and labor and input costs, although these are not unique to solar pump irrigation. Given the number of existing and potential motor pump users in Ethiopia – between 210,000 and 400,000 – the scope for expanding the solar pump market for irrigation appears to be significant. The Ethiopian government is committed to developing solar and other renewable energy resources, as enshrined in a range of policies, laws and regulations. The national government recently offered incentives for engaging in the solar pump sector, including access to finance, and duty and tax exemptions. Yet, there are challenges. The regional states are responsible for covering the full cost of small-scale irrigation projects, but most lack the resources and capacity to respond to farmer demand. In addition, the number of ministries, departments and agencies involved in coordinating solar energy can make it difficult for investors, importers, manufacturers and service providers to understand or respond to opportunities. While some development donors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector actors have already piloted solar pump projects in Ethiopia, these have not been adequate to estimate the potential market. There is a need for smart business models that present attractive opportunities for private sector investment in solar pump irrigation.Item On the road to resilience: A simple protocol for supporting community-led management of natural resources(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Sustainable management of water, land and ecosystems for resilient communities: Community workshop modules(Other, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Building community resilience to climate change in Ghana.(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Monitoring and evaluation of climate resilience for smallholder farming systems: a review of tools and approaches.(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Community dialogues to build resilience: Ethiopia’s policy context(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Community dialogues to build resilience: Ghana’s policy context(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Developing pathways to climate resilience through the sustainable management of water, land and ecosystems(Brief, 2018) International Water Management InstituteItem Insights into the benefits of farmer led approaches in promoting sustainable agricultural intensification(Brief, 2017-01) Snyder, Katherine A.; Dittoh, Saa; Braslow, Juliet; Somda, Jacques; Nchor, Joseph ,; Doke, Dzigbodi; Ayambila, Sylvester ,; Atindana, Sandra; Mohammed, Afi Abujaja; Amoah, Samuel Twumasi; Obenewaah, Mercy Owusu ,; Lolig, Victor; Ansah, Terry; Bawah-Nassam, Juliana; Anfaara, FlorenceFarmers make agricultural decisions based on a holistic understanding of their farm and it’s place in and interactions with the surrounding landscape. Because of this they often resist conventional agricultural intensification practices which they see as negatively impacting agricultural and environmental resources in the medium to long term. Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) practices have long-lasting positive effects on soils, water resources, trees, grasses and agricultural yields, and have multiple economic benefits that go beyond cash, to include ecosystem services, well-being and quality of life EBM should be adopted by women and men farmers and integrated into all agricultural and natural resource management planning and implementation Greater investment by government departments, and the development community, in EBM will have a significant, long term positive impact on food security, livelihoods and ecosystem healthItem Sustainable management of water, land and ecosystems for resilient communities(Brief, 2018) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsItem Poverty-gender-agriculture nexus in the northern region of Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities(Brief, 2017-09) Haque, Sadika; Khan, Mohammed Sahed; Joshi, DeepaItem The Role of the Private Sector in City Region Food Systems(Brief, 2018) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems