World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022

March 2022
IFAD’s achievements
in the water sector
Sub-regional office for West Africa
On the occasion of the 9th
World Water Forum | Dakar 2022

Editing :
Sahel Subregional Office Team
Design and layout :
Nana Sylla - Knowledge management consultant / IFAD
Photos :
© IFAD
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opinion whatsoever on the part of IFAD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The designations of «developed» and «developing» countries are intended for statistical convenience and
do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached in the development process by a particular country area.~~
© 2022 International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFAD’s achievements
in the water sector
On the occasion of the 9th World Water Forum | Dakar 2022
March 2022

Introduction
“ The value of water is elusive and complex.
There is no aspect of sustainable development that is not
fundamentally about water.”
This statement by Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, on the occasion of World
Water Day on March 22, 2021, perfectly describes the deep convictions of the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The global issue of access to water, highly prominent in developing countries, has been at the center of
the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) activities and reflections since its creation
in 1977.
Within IFAD, the financing of agricultural and rural development projects is, in most cases, synonymous
with access to :
• Agricultural water for small and large-scale irrigation;
• Livestock water for livestock and poultry;
• Domestic water for rural families
Thus, «improving the living conditions of populations could not, in our view, be done without access to
this precious liquid essential to life and livelihoods», as stated by Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of
UN-Water and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
For IFAD, the World Water Forum in Dakar is a unique opportunity to advance the cooperation agenda,
with the support of all stakeholders. To show our commitment to rural development and not to miss this
important event, we offer you this collection of stories and case studies, mirroring our different actions
related to the theme of water.
Aware of the global stakes and concerned about good South-South cooperation,
we have integrated case studies that go beyond our Sahelian borders.
Through these different studies, our ambition is to share, beyond the projects initiated
and implemented, the impact of the latter on the lives of the beneficiary populations.
From Niger to Burkina Faso, in the Sahel region, I hope that this collection will inform you more about
our different actions but above all will enlighten you on the necessity and importance of water in this
world in the grip of climate change.
Good reading,
BenoitTHIERRY
IFAD Sahel Subregional Office Representative

Summary
INTRODUCTION
WATER IMPACT INTHE SAHEL
• Introduction
• How improved access to water can bring the Sahel closer to sustainable development
• To “green” the Sahel, we need big plans and small actions
COMPILATION OF IFAD STORIES
• Why water is crucial for sustainable food systems
• A future for students with water, vegetables and roses
• How an innovative ‘sand’ dam is causing a rush for water in Somalia
• Small, but innovative, investments in water infrastructures, transform livelihoods in
Mozambique
• Water and the SDGs – the crucial common denominator
COMPILATION DE IFAD PUBLICATIONS
• Water harvesting systems for smallholder producers, tips for selection and design
• Impact of modern irrigation on household production and welfare
• The Dryland Advantage: Protecting the Environment, Empowering People
• The marine advantage: empowering coastal communities, safeguarding marine
ecosystems.
• Reducing women’s domestic workload by investing in the water sector
• The Water Advantage: In Search of Sustainable Solutions to Water Stress
• The Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT)
COMPILATION OFTHE SAHEL HUB CASE STUDIES
• Cabo Verde : Analysis of the impact of horticultural microprojects based on the
promotion of effective and efficient water mobilization and management technologies
• Mali : Irrigation by solar pumping in Bandiagara, Mopti region, with the Touma Barma
cooperative
• Mauritania : Introduction of solar-powered pumping in the oases of Mauritania
• Senegal : Analysis of the impact of small market gardening perimeters Irrigated with
solar pumping
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Introduction
The Sahel, which means
«shore of the desert»
is a vast area stretching
6,000 kilometers
from East to West
Africa. It covers many
geographic and agro-
ecological systems, 12
countries, and is home
to 400 million people.
The Sahel political
region, as defined by
the United Nations
Integrated Strategy
for the Sahel (UNISS),
covers a smaller area:
10 countries and 250
million people (Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria).
The region faces many challenges such as crises, conflicts and climate change. Climate change threatens to
further degrade land, vegetation, water resources, and food systems through increased drought, desertification,
and flooding, and the projected shortening of the rainy season. The ecological zone of the Sahel has shifted 50
to 200 kilometers southward over the past three decades, resulting in losses of biodiversity and arable land.
The region suffers from political instability, which has weakened household livelihoods, threatened state
sovereignty and stability, and undermined social peace.
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the economic burden on countries and slowed food production systems,
putting the most vulnerable at risk.
The population of the Sahel is expected to grow from 250 to 500 million by 2050. The
region is also where the world’s youngest population lives, with 65% under the age of 25.
With appropriate support, this offers market growth opportunities for local producers.
Improved governance and cross-border cooperation between countries and local communities can foster
development and integration of countries and a better trade pattern. To achieve this, it is important to tap the
potential of the region’s abundant human, cultural, and natural resources.
IFAD’soverallstrategyintheSahelisalignedwiththeUN’sintegratedstrategyfortheSahel,whichaimstoaddress
the root causes of the Sahelian crisis in ten countries, with particular attention to women, youth, and the disabled.
IFAD is strengthening its presence and support in the Sahel, with 27 ongoing projects representing $2 billion
in investments in the 10 countries. The current portfolio is strengthened by green financing with the Green
Climate Fund flagship program. IFAD’s green financing efforts aim to serve the Great Green Wall (GGW)
umbrella initiative and will build the resilience of small-scale farmers and producers to mitigate the effects of
climate change.
8 9th World Water Forum | IFAD’s achievements in the water sector

In Louga, region of Senegal, Dienaba Sow travels
three and a half kilometers each day from her
village of Hodio to Toung, where she fetches
water for her family. She travels there three
times a day with her husband and brother-in-
law, braving the semi-arid Sahelian climate on a
donkey cart.
«It’s exhausting,» she says.
In Toung, Dienaba often has to queue at the
water point, where she draws about 1,000
liters of water for her household of 11 people
and her herd of seven goats and two donkeys.
How improved access to water can bring the
Sahel closer to sustainable development.
I will have much more time to spend with my family and community
“
”
Much of Dienaba’s daily work involves fetching water, an activity that can take her more than ten hours a day.
For some time now, however, she has not even felt the fatigue, as she keeps thinking about the system that
is going to be put in place and that should improve access to water in the entire Toung region. Thanks to the
IFAD’s Projet d’appui aux filières agricoles - extension (PAFA-E), a water tower is currently under construction.
It will extend the distribution network to the villages around Toung. Once it is completed, Dienaba will be able
to fetch water one kilometer from her home.
Looking for water
—
A profound transformation is taking place in the Matam region of Senegal, where pastoralists and their families
once had to travel dozens of kilometers a day to find water in this semi-arid land. In this sandy Sahelian
landscape, modern systems of wells, pipes, reservoirs, and water towers have begun to bring water to villages
of traditional dryland mud houses. Thanks to these investments by IFAD and its partners under the PSupport
to Agricultural Development and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (PADAER), 7,400 people can now rely
on a water supply system that allows them to better cope with the effects of climate change in the Sahel.
The community of Loumbi Sanarabé, which depends on livestock for its livelihood, has benefited from the
water systems put in place in recent years. Before the PADAER program initiatives, families in Loumbi Sanarabé
had to travel 24 kilometers to find water. Now they have a water point in the village. The health of the animals
has improved, thanks to a water trough that allows them to drink more often. The impact on milk and meat
production has been positive, and the market value of the animals has increased, significantly improving the
© IFAD / Barbara Gravelli
9
9th World Water Forum | IFAD’s achievements in the water sector
IFAD - March 2019

Loumbi Sanarabé has become a water supply point for its villagers, but also for neighboring communities.
A 20-meter high water tower supplies water to people within a 12-kilometer radius. Together with related
equipment, this structure has linked a group of villages into a system called the «pastoral unit», which provides
water to residents and migrants passing through the Matam and Louga regions, and into neighboring Mauritania.
The Loumbi Sanarabé pastoral unit covers 13 villages and is one of 28 pastoral units that the IFAD program is
creating or strengthening in the region.
With improved access to water, development initiatives have multiplied in the communities, which have been
able to start growing vegetable gardens, for example. Pastoral units have strong institutions that meet regularly
and partner with neighboring units. Their members have set up local management committees to oversee the
main structures (water tower, well, water trough); and in each unit, as many as six villagers have been trained to
use the drilling equipment. «These places have become well-structured centers where people have developed
a sense of community,» says Abou Raby Ba, president of the federation of pastoral units in the Matam region.
The water systems of local pastoral units are helping villagers and nomads adapt to the increasingly frequent
droughts in the Sahel. Building on IFAD’s initiatives in Senegal through projects and programs such as PADAER
and PAFA-E, relatively small investments in water infrastructure and capacity building have made huge strides
in providing rural populations, particularly vulnerable to climate change, with access to water and making their
development more sustainable.
villagers’ income. To access the watering hole, villagers and nomadic herders pay a monthly fee of 200 CFA
francs (US$0.35) per head for large animals (e.g., cattle) and 50 CFA francs (US$0.08) per head for small
animals (e.g., goats). The revenues are used to maintain the infrastructure.
10
© IFAD / Barbara Gravelli

To “green” the Sahel, we need big plans and
small actions
The best way to make the desert bloom is to dig a hole. Not a well, but a shallow pit in
the sandy soil about as wide as the length of your forearm. Then add some dung, plant
your seeds, and wait for the rains.
The use of planting pits is an ancient farming technique. It is also an excellent way to harvest moisture – and
recently, it’s being revived across the drylands of Africa, especially the Sahel, a vast, semi-arid belt of land that
separates the Sahara Desert from the more humid grasslands to the south.
Climate modeling indicates the Sahel is getting drier. The desert is advancing, taking over tens of thousands
of square kilometres of land every year and rendering them unfit for crops and livestock. The region has also
experienced frequent droughts, making harvests unreliable – and the resulting food shortages have contributed
to widespread poverty and malnutrition. To make matters worse, deforestation has left the region short of tree
and shrub cover, worsening soil quality and depleting groundwater stores.
To combat land degradation, in 2007 the African Union launched the Great Green Wall initiative to plant
a dense belt of trees from ocean to ocean across the continent. In 2015, ten African countries signed the
African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, which calls for the restoration of 100 million hectares
of land by 2030.
Programmes like these are indispensable for large-scale action. But they can sometimes miss a crucial element:
the small-scale farmers who live with the effects of this desert encroachment every day – and who often have
their own time-tested methods that should not be overlooked.
IFAD has been working with farmers in Africa to fight back against desertification since the 1980s. And we have
evidence that community-focused efforts can reap big dividends.
In the Tahoua region of south-western Niger, for example, traditional water harvesting methods have been used
for decades to effectively and sustainably restore degraded land. Between 1988 and 1995, IFAD encouraged
farmers in the area to plant their crops in shallow pits or in half-moons – water catchments made by creating
11
© FIDA / Barbara Gravelli
IFAD - January 2021

Farmers from nearby areas, seeing the success of their neighbors, adopted the planting techniques for
themselves. Crop yields increased, encouraging the villagers to buy additional degraded lands for restoration,
raising its value and creating a demand for dry land. Meanwhile, many families that once could grow only half of
their cereal crop needs are now reliably producing surpluses.
Perhaps more importantly, these gains have persisted for decades. In 2019, a visit to Illela in the Tahoua region
found local farmers using the water-harvesting practices implemented many years ago, and that the practices
are still being adopted by other farmers.
There is widespread international agreement that something must be done to stop the desertification of the
Sahel. The loss of crop and pasture land is not only a threat to the survival of local communities – it is a threat to
the entire planet. With improved tree cover and rehabilitated farmland, a green Sahel can become a heatlhier
landscape, which will be more resilient to climate shocks, which will have more biodiversity, and will be able to
produce more food and generate more water for the local population.
For these efforts to succeed, we need a combination of large-scale commitments and a multitude of small-
scale, local actions. IFAD recognizes the central role of the region’s family farmers in this process, and we look
forward to working with them and supporting their efforts in the years ahead.
raised semi-circular barriers of soil on sloped land. During the project’s eight years of operation, nearly 6,000
hectares of severely degraded land was restored.
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© IFAD, FAO, PAM (RBA) / Barbara Gravelli

Compilation of IFAD stories
2016 - 2021

1. Agriculture is a major user of freshwater withdrawals
Irrigated crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry, account for roughly 70 per cent of total freshwater
withdrawals globally and for over 90 per cent in the majority of Least Developed Countries, of which almost
67 per cent is estimated to be used by irrigation. Nevertheless, enhancing irrigation efficiency is not a priority
in policy agendas, being overshadowed by the global issue of access to drinking water and sanitation. IFAD is
incentivizing practices that enhance irrigation efficiency and increase water productivity, adoption of climate
resilient irrigation infrastructure, adopt adequate on farm soil and water management practices, and use high-
yielding and drought-tolerant crop varieties.
2. Most of the population in the world depends primarily on rainfed agriculture for food
production
Rainfed agriculture produces
more than 60 per cent of the food
consumed globally. When effective
rainfall is lacking, food security is at
risk. For some countries, the decline
in yield from rain-fed agriculture
could be as much as 50 per cent.
Adoption of resilient water resource
management, soil and water
conservation, drought-tolerant
varieties, and supplemental irrigation
would benefit rainfed smallholder
farming. IFAD’s investments to
enhance the livelihoods of poor
rainfed farming communities include
rainwater harvesting, soil and water
conservation measures, conservation
agriculture and agro-forestry.
3. Food production and processing can lead to pollution of water bodies
The food production and processing sectors are both a victim of pollution from industrial waste and municipal
sewage discharged into freshwater bodies, and an agent of pollution and a significant amount of wastewater.
Agriculture water return flow carries fertilizers and pesticides, oxygen-depleting substances, and pathogens.
To address water pollution and protect ecosystems, less polluting practices have to be applied and enhanced
technologies and efficiency of wastewater treatment, management and reuse, have to be promoted. IFAD
promotes the safe reuse of non-conventional water including wastewater as a reliable source of water that can
be safely reused to offset growing water scarcity. It can also be used as a cost-effective and sustainable source
of energy, (e.g. through biogas), and nutrients (e.g. through compost).
4. About 30 per cent of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted every year
In developing countries food waste and losses occur mainly at early stages of the food value chain, and can be
traced back to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques, and storage and cooling
facilities, and the lack of processing facilities for perishable products. Food loss and waste also amount to a major
squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produced greenhouse
Why water is crucial for sustainable food
systems
14
IFAD - March 2021

gas emissions. To increase efficiency in agricultural areas, IFAD invests in logistics and infrastructure, such as
roads, cold chains, storage, processing and market facilities, as well as in more sustainable farming systems.
5. Dietary choices affect water resources management.
As the buying power of the population in the emerging economy countries improve, they are demanding
more nutritious, high-quality and meat-based diets. On a unit weight basis, production of meat-based food
ingredients requires more input resources, including water and energy as compared to production of plant-
based food products. This dietary change enhances the pressure on water resource constraints.
6. Without planetary stewardship for water resilience we will not eradicate poverty and hunger
Food and water are the most basic needs essential for human life. Water plays a cardinal role in all aspects
of food systems, from production, processing, preparation, consumption, and in part, distribution. Access to
essential volumes of water of appropriate quality is fundamental to the existence of secure food systems and a
stable society.
7. Mismanagement of water across sectors has intensified water scarcity, endangering water
security
Current policies in water use systems across the food system are economically and environmentally
unsustainable. Many of the policies and investments that would improve access to safe water and sanitation
as well as sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems, would also support broader food-sustainability
targets. Yet, public policies, such as subsidies that support industrialised monocultures, or subsidies to water
and energy, as was the case in India, can distort the relative prices of food markets and affect the health of
natural ecosystems.
8. Over 2 billion people currently live in countries experiencing high water stress
All of the Middle East and South Asia, and significant parts of China and North Africa are particularly affected by
water stress. About one out of six people on the planet face severe water shortages or scarcity in agriculture.
Over three billion people live in agricultural areas with high to very high levels of water shortages (affecting
rainfed agriculture) or scarcity (affecting irrigated agriculture), of whom 1.2 billion people live in severely water-
constrained areas.
With clean water supplies and sanitation remaining a major problem in many parts of the world, IFAD invests
in multiple water use strategies in rural areas, in addition to productive uses, such as livestock watering facilities
or reservoirs, and canals for irrigation. We recognize the importance of ecosystem services with respect to
the natural water cycle and invest in watershed conservation and rehabilitation to enhance the sustainability of
food production.
15

For Kenya’s Nyeri county,
the motto of the Mukurwe-
ini Technical Training
Institute – “technology to
empower humanity” – has
become reality.
In this rural area, sustainable
water system technologies
have substantially improved
the lives of students, staff and
surrounding communities
and have opened up a
brighter future for many.
Successes like theirs are what
this year’s World Water Day
celebration is all about.
For years, water had been a real problem for the Institute and the neighbouring farming communities. The
pre-existing distribution system was gravity-fed, forcing the Institute, located at the top of a hill, to ration
water among its 1,200 staff and
students. Meanwhile, the nearby low-
lying villages struggled to cope with
the massive surface runoff caused
by heavy rains, leading to ongoing
conflicts with the Institute.
The area needed a solution that
would even out the water distribution
and mitigate the effects of those
heavy rains. And thanks to the IFAD-
supported Upper Tana Catchment
Natural Resource Management
Project (UtaNRMP), they found it.
“We felt we needed to do something and we should not have to continue suffering like that,” says Peter Kiama,
UtaNRMP project engineer and member of the Institute’s board.
UTaNRMP aims to reduce poverty through sustainable natural resources management. For the Institute, that
meant help with investing in a new roof water harvesting system, including a channelling and piping system, a
pan with 3,000 cubic meters of capacity, a water tower and a solar-powered pump. Now, instead of simply
running off, the rainwater that falls on the roof is channelled into the pan and then pumped to the tower for
storage.
A future for students with water, vegetables
and roses
Vue partielle du réservoir d’eau, une des composantes du système de gestion de l’eau de l’Institut.
16
IFAD - March 2020

The new water system has also benefited the
local environment. The Institute has planted
400 trees to stabilize the soil and contain the
runoff water that used to flood the nearby
villages. The perennial conflicts with community
members have thus ended, too.
The Institute has also built a tap where
neighbouring farmers can collect fresh water.
Amos Maina, a 47-year-old father of four, now
uses this water on his farm. Without it, he would
have to get water from the river two kilometres
away.
He is also employed at the Institute to maintain
the water management system.
The project’s success has brought new hopes and ambitions to many. The Institute’s management now plans
to expand the roof water catchment system to two classroom blocks in the neighbouring primary school and
also to irrigate an adjacent plot of land.
Peter Kiama hopes that water roof harvesting technology will spread further. “Farmers are very curious and
supportive. We hope they will pick up our technology,” he says.
“We don’t want to stop here,” he adds. “We want to go 100 per cent green and use biogas instead of wood
to cook at the canteen.” As a first step, the Institute has already planted napier grass as fodder for livestock,
whose dung will be used to produce biogas.
In the meantime, the principal, his team and his students will continue enjoying good sanitation, fresh vegetables,
a nice lawn – and plenty of roses.
The results have been overwhelmingly positive.
We don’t have to worry about water anymore. Now we have water continuously – even
enough to water my roses.
Hygiene and sanitation have vastly improved. This is a much more conducive environment
to learning.
— Patrick Muchemi, principal of the Institute
“
”
The improvement in water management has brought many more benefits, too.
Thanks to the solar-powered pumping system and the capacity to store water, the Institute was able to plant
a vegetable garden. The crops grown here allow them to improve the nutritional value of meals served in their
canteen and even create jobs.
Fifteen casual workers now help to maintain the water system and cultivate the vegetables. This includes 10
students from lower-income backgrounds employed on a work-for-study scheme.
I can now earn some money and this eases pressure from parents.
Having my own money gives me a lot of confidence, in particular to interact with people.
— Joseph Kaaria, 25 years old, who stays at the school even during holidays to work in the vegetable garden.
“
”
Benson et d'autres étudiants en train de s'occuper du potager
17

Said is a farmer in Dhubato, Somaliland, he is married with 10 children. As part
of an IFAD-supported project an innovative water management solution was
put in place, and now the construction of sand water storage dams guarantees a
steady supply of water.
Drought and failed rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon have sparked a dramatic rise in the
number of people going hungry in northern Somalia.
Self-declared independent Somaliland along the Gulf of Aden has been especially hard hit.
However, in the sub-regions of Maaroodi-Jeex and Awdal, in the arid and semi-arid region of Somaliland, an
innovative water management solution is helping small farmers stay in business despite the changing weather
patterns.
Inhabitants who previously left to look for work opportunities are flocking back to the area to return to farming,
which they now see as profitable.
Even people from other communities in the area are lured by the promise of rapid returns on investment. After
years of war, drought, political instability and famine, the construction of sand water storage dams, as part of
the programme known as the North-Western Integrated Community Development Programme
(NWICDP), supported by IFAD and funded by the OPEC Fund for International Development
(OFID) and the Belgian Fund for Food Security (BFFS), guarantees a steady supply of water.
How an innovative ‘sand’ dam is causing a
rush for water in Somalia
18
IFAD - March 2016
© IFAD / Marco Salustro

Although the project was completed in March 2015, the substantial benefits of the dams and associated shallow
wells – along with other project investments to improve agriculture and livestock productivity, the quality of
rural health and sanitation facilities – have triggered socio-economic change that is likely to be sustained in the
future.
Getting to the source
—
Sand dams store water accumulated upstream during flooding which then lies beneath the sand layers in
aquifers. The dams help to provide a crucial water supply, particularly during the dry season, when extreme
water shortages are common.
Water is extracted either by digging a waterhole until the water level is reached and using a jerry can or goat
skin to scoop up the water; equipping a waterhole with a pump to bring the water to the surface; or creating a
hand-dug well from which water can be collected in buckets.
Fifteen sand water storage dams were constructed in 10 years as a result of NWICDP, which was implemented
in two phases. It worked with 43,000 households of whom 240,000 women, men and children were among the
poorest of the 124 communities in the project area.
Transforming dry arid rural areas
—
Sacad Ali Esse, a 24 year-old farmer and father of two from the Dhubato community in the Maroodijeex region,
is one of many reaping the rewards. He is now able to draw water from his wells which remain full, even in the
dry season. He no longer produces poor harvests and has to travel far from home in search of casual labour to
supplement his income.
Thanks to the training in improved agricultural practices and extension service support Sacad received through
NWICDP, last year he was able to enjoy a bumper harvest. He produced 120 boxes of tomatoes (instead of
the previous 20), 30 sacks of onions and 20 sacks of green pepper.
With the profit from the sale of his produce, he purchased 30 sheep and goats for livestock rearing. The extra
income has enabled him to feed his family and pay medical expenses.
Sacad is not alone. With the construction of the sand dams, families have returned to their lands to resume
farming all year round.
With the amount of irrigated land rapidly expanding, in Dhubato and Agamso for example, farmers growing
rainfed crops located one to two kilometres from the river, are switching to more profitable irrigated cash crop
production. Since the construction of sand dams there, the number of active farmers has increased threefold,
and cash crop production has gone up fivefold.
Moreover, Agamso, where the sand dam was built earlier, has become an agricultural hub and major food
supplier to the neighbouring city.
19

With an average annual rainfall of just 380 millimetres, Mapai is one of the driest districts of Mozambique.
Situated in the northern part of Gaza province, Mapai has an arid and semi-arid tropical climate where water
for consumption, cattle and agriculture is the major challenge for the people living there.
The community depend on animal husbandry for their livelihoods and have benefitted from a multifunctional
water system built with support from the PROSUL project. Previously they sometimes had to travel over 20
kilometres to collect water. Now they have four innovative multifunctional boreholes in different communities
in the district. These are composed mainly
of water collection points for the community
and watering troughs for cattle, powered
by solar panels. The increased availability
of water has improved animal health,
which in turn has positive impacts on meat
production, improving the market value of
the livestock and hence boosting incomes.
Each household pays a monthly fee to use
the water, based on how many animals
they own. These revenues are then used
for infrastructure maintenance and repairs.
These and other investments by IFAD and
other partners have benefited nearly 18,000
households, who can now rely on safe,
accessible water and better cope with the
dry climate.
Thanks to the increased access to water, communities have also started vegetable gardens around the boreholes.
This has greatly improved the availability of nutrient dense vegetables and income for the producers.
Small, but innovative, investments in water
infrastructures, transform livelihoods in
Mozambique
We used to buy vegetables from other districts, now we are producing locally and also have
a source of income for us. I produce cabbage, tomato, onion, lettuce and other vegetables.
Currently I am harvesting and selling tomato and lettuce, which gives a monthly income for
my family. With my profits I am able to pay my household expenses and bought a cattle and
goat.
— Amélia Simango, a member of the management committee of one of the boreholes in Mapai
“
”
20
IFAD - October 2019
Mapai is one of the main centres for cattle and meat trading in the country. The district hosts cattle fair events
each week with producers, cattle and meat traders from different districts, including the capital, Maputo.
To improve trading conditions and supply the market with good quality and healthy meat, PROSUL, with a
European Union project (PRODEL), is co-financing the construction of a modern slaughterhouse in the district.
PROSUL constructed a modern cattle fair infrastructure, a half-hectare demo plot, fodder bank with drip
irrigation and crush pens.

Water and the SDGs – the crucial common
denominator
When a human baby is born, 75 per cent of its body mass is water. We are made of
water and, like all living creatures on our planet, we would wither and die without it.
Today, more than 2 billion people lack access to safely managed water services. Around 4.5 billion
children, women and men live without safely managed sanitation services. As a result, it is estimated that more
than 340,000 children die every year.
The world’s ecosystems, economies, energy and human settlements – all are at risk if we fail to achieve SDG 6:
water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Here are three ways that progress on SDG 6 will drive progress in energy (SDG 7), cities (SDG 11), sustainable
consumption and production (SDG 12), and protecting life on land (SDG 15).
1. Water and sanitation make cities safer and nicer places to live
—
The global urban population is set to grow from around 4 billion today to over 7 billion by 2050 (UNESCO
2012).
The ancient city of Rome was able to sustain a population of around 1 million people in 1 AD largely because
its citizens had access to water that was kept separate from a large-scale sewer system. But as we know all
too well, when people live without safe, affordable, reliable water supply and sanitation, the consequences are
devastating.
If towns and cities of the future are to be inclusive, safe, and sustainable, their inhabitants need safe drinking
water and sanitation. This is not only a social good; investing in safe water also offers economic opportunities.
For example, the introduction of innovative and affordable water technologies can create employment in new
services and industries.
21
© IFAD, FAO, PAM (RBA) / Michael Tewelde
IFAD - July 2018

2. Clever use of water and waste will help energy and economies
—
Today, an ever-increasing and more affluent global population is demanding an ever-increasing amount of stuff.
Manufacturing requires water, from around 2,500 litres to make a cotton t-shirt to around 12,000 for a smart
phone. And because of the way we produce energy, roughly 75% of all industrial water withdrawals are used
for energy production (UNESCO, 2014). There will need to be much more support for the development of
less water-intensive renewable energy, such as hydropower and wind.
Agriculture is a major consumer of water. The safe reuse of wastewater – for agricultural irrigation, municipal
purposes, industrial washing and cooling etc – can help us create more circular, sustainable production and
consumption patterns. Also, improved sanitation systems and treatment plants can generate fertilizer from
human and animal waste that could be used in farming or turned into biofuels.
3. Using nature-based solutions helps humans and the environment
—
Water’s journey begins and ends in nature. So, any threat to the source of all our water is a mortal threat to
human health.
Globally, over 890 million people practise open defecation, and more than 80% of wastewater flows back into
the environment without being treated or reused.
In addition there is the growing issue of the degradation of our natural environment. At a time when climate
change is resulting in more extreme weather events and disasters, we cannot afford to further degrade our
environment. As things stand, the number of people at risk from floods is projected to rise from 1.2 billion
today to around 1.6 billion in 2050.
One way to protect life and water supply is to harness nature itself – restoring forests, grasslands and natural
wetlands, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, creating buffers of vegetation along water courses.
These nature-based solutions are not a panacea but, alongside human-made water and sanitation infrastructure,
they can help us live in harmony with the ecosystems that literally keep us alive.
As we look ahead to 2030, the much-talked-about 4th industrial revolution offers opportunities never seen
before in our sector, such as blockchain-based technologies that can improve water use in agriculture; the
‘Internet of Things’ that will enable more connections and a greater exchange data; and satellite images that can
help us track the quality of our ecosystems and implement strategies to reduce the risk of disaster.
New technologies will be essential in creating positive and sustainable relationships between seemingly disparate
areas – such as economies, energy, human settlements and ecosystems – to allow for a more sustainable future.
Underlying the apparent intricacies of the 2030 Agenda is one simple truth, underscored by SDG 6, that every
person on our planet will always need water and sanitation to survive and thrive.

Compilation de IFAD publications
2014 - 2022

Release date : February 2022
-
Overview :
Rainwater harvesting is the direct
collection of rainfall or the collection
of runoff and storage to increase the
availability of water for domestic,
agricultural and industrial use. Most of
the time, rainwater harvested is clean
and can be used either after treatment,
as drinking water or water for domestic
use, or directly for crop irrigation,
livestock or poultry rearing, post-harvest
crop enhancement activities and energy
production.
The areas of the world with the greatest
potential for water harvesting are in East
and West Africa and Southeast Asia,
where water harvesting is possible on 40-
70% of the agricultural land; the greatest
increase in agricultural production (60-
100%) is in Uganda, Burundi, the United
Republic of Tanzania and India.
appropriate collection systems.
The purpose of this technical brief is
to raise awareness of available water
harvesting systems and to describe a
range of tools to help design water
harvesting interventions. It is intended to
inform stakeholders on assessing water
needs, recoverable volumes and selecting
appropriate collection systems.
Water harvesting systems for smallholder
producers, tips for selection and design
Scan to access the document

Combining a primary household survey
and geographic data, this work estimates
the impact of the project on agricultural
production and household expenditures using
a new identification strategy.
Beneficiary gains include improved crop yields
and greater diversity of crops grown. These
gains have the potential to increase incomes
and shift from subsistence to buying more
food in the market.
The lessons learned from this study, by
highlighting the need to focus on strengthening
market access, in conjunction with support
for irrigation infrastructure, have the potential
to improve the design and implementation of
future small-scale irrigation projects.
A greater emphasis on market access would
provide greater opportunities for project
beneficiaries by maximizing farmers’ improved
production capacity.
Impact of modern irrigation on household
production and welfare
Release date : October 2018
-
Overview :
Investments in irrigation systems have been shown to significantly improve farmer productivity and thus
reduce poverty. This study provides an example of such an investment: the Participatory Small Scale Irrigation
Development Program.
The project institutionalized water user associations, developed small-scale irrigation systems, and provided
agricultural training activities to small-scale farmers in drought-prone and food-deficit areas in four regions of
Ethiopia.
25

Release date : November 2016
-
Overview :
Foundoneverycontinentandcoveringmorethan40%oftheplanet,drylandsgenerallyrefertoarid,semi-arid,and
drysub-humidareas,andarehometomorethan2billionpeople,oroneinthreepeopleworldwide.Drylandsare
critical to the food and nutrition security of the entire planet. The world’s farming systems are located in drylands.
Drylands are also home to important
ecosystems, ranging from rangelands and
grasslands to semi-deserts, and contain 1.1
billionhectaresofforests,morethanaquarter
of the world’s forest area.1 Rangelands
support 50 percent of the world’s livestock
and provide habitat for wildlife, while livestock
production and cropland dominate in the
drier and sub-humid drylands, respectively.
Drylands are under threat worldwide.
Despite their importance, drylands are being
degraded by a complex combination of
climatic factors (e.g., decreasing precipitation
and water evaporation) and human
constraints, such as unsustainable agricultural
techniques, mining, and overgrazing. Water
scarcity is increasing and, in many areas,
desertification is spreading with serious
human and environmental consequences.
Investing in drylands therefore pays important
human and environmental dividends.
Environmentally friendly and water-efficient
smallholder agriculture is essential for
poverty reduction, strengthening smallholder
adaptation to climate change, as well as
poverty reduction.
The Dryland Advantage: Protecting the
Environment, Empowering People

The marine advantage: empowering coastal
communities, safeguarding marine ecosystems.
In June 2017, the UN Oceans Conference in
New York focused on Sustainable Development
Goal 14 (SDG 14): conserve and sustainably use
oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable
development.
The call to action is urgent and includes increased
support to small-scale and artisanal fishers in
developing countries to strengthen their access to
marineresourcesandmarketstoimprovethesocio-
economic situation of fishers and fisheries workers
in the context of sustainable fisheries management.
Agriculture and fisheries, pillars of
food security and nutrition for coastal
communities and the world, are under threat.
Climate change and environmental degradation
in coastal areas, including small island
developing states, are already affecting the
natural resource base on which smallholders
depend for their food security and livelihoods.
Future projections point to an increasingly urgent
need to help communities adapt to these changes
and protect these fragile resources.
Release date : November 2017
-
Overview :
Agricultureandfishery,thebackboneoffoodsecurityandnutritionforcoastalcommunitiesandtheworld,areunder
threat.Climatechangeandenvironmentaldegradationincoastalareas,includinginsmallislanddevelopingstates,are
alreadyaffectingthenaturalresourcebaseonwhichsmallholderfarmersdependfortheirfoodsecurityandlivelihoods.
Future projections underscore an increasingly urgent need to help communities adapt to these changes and
protect these fragile resources.
27

As a result, water collection, usually carried
out by women, is one of the most tedious
and burdensome tasks in daily rural life. It
also leads to health and nutrition problems
in the family and limits the productive
potential and mobility of rural women.
There is a need for more accurate data
on access to sufficient water to meet the
needs of all household members, including
distances traveled, time required for
collection, and division of labor within the
family or group. More information is also
needed on how the time burden, which
most often falls on women, is associated
with other socioeconomic or demographic
factors, such as economic status and age.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve
development outcomes of investment
programs, a study1 was conducted to assess
the impact of water sector investments in IFAD
project areas. The study focuses on access to
water, time saved by household members,
their use of that time and their workload.
Reducing women’s domestic workload by
investing in the water sector
Release date : April 2016
-
Overview :
To transform rural economies, IFAD supports projects that improve rural women’s and men’s access
to and control over water resources. It also helps them free up their leisure time through the use of
labor-saving technologies that make laborious tasks (at home or at work) easier and more efficient
or change the way they are performed. The projects also aim to address the gender inequalities
that often result in women doing much of the unpaid, time-consuming and less productive work.
Access to a sustainable supply of safe and sufficient water for domestic and productive purposes is still limited
in many rural areas, especially for the most marginalized groups.

The Water Advantage: In Search of Sustainable
Solutions to Water Stress
But this precious resource is under strain,
with potentially far-reaching consequences
for the livelihoods of poor rural
communities. More than 1 billion people
live in water-scarce regions, and 3.5 billion
people could face water scarcity by 2025.
It’s not just about having enough water;
water stress includes the inability to access
clean, good quality water. Population
growth, urban expansion, and unsustainable
natural resource management are increasing
water stress in rural communities,
while climate change and shocks are
exacerbating flooding, landslides, and
saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems.
The five case studies presented, highlight
different dimensions of IFAD’s water
investments, from irrigation to climate
risk reduction in drylands, disaster
risk management and access to safe
water for nutrition and sanitation.
They provide an overview of how IFAD
is working to improve the management
of this fundamental natural resource for
smallholders in different contexts. selection
of IFAD’s portfolio over the years.
Release date : March 2018
-
Overview :
Among ecosystem services, freshwater is one of the most fundamental to life. For smallholder
farmers, water makes the difference between a decent life and poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
The majority of the rural poor depend on rain-fed agriculture systems for their livelihoods: the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that rain-fed agriculture
is practiced on 83% of the world’s cultivated land and provides over 60% of the world’s food.
29

The Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool
(MPAT)
Release date : February 2014
-
Overview :
The Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT) is the result of an international collaborative
initiative launched in 2008 and led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The objective was to develop, test and pilot a new tool for local-level rural poverty assessment.
The tool has undergone extensive field testing in several countries, independent validation, and peer review.
The MPAT is relatively easy to use, requires
few resources to implement, and provides
users with a reliable and comprehensive
picture of a community’s poverty situation.
Rural poverty has many dimensions that are
often country and context specific, which
can make it difficult to assess and measure.
The MPAT was developed to enable project
managers, government officials, researchers,
and others to determine which dimensions
of rural livelihoods need to be supported
and whether an enabling environment is
in place for beneficial rural development.
The MPAT is a survey-based thematic
indicator designed primarily to support local-
levelprojectdesign,monitoringandevaluation
(M&E), targeting and prioritization efforts.
The MPAT indicators provide an overview of
10 core and interrelated dimensions related
to human well-being and rural livelihoods.
The first six dimensions can be considered
basic needs, and the remaining four address
core aspects of livelihoods, life and well-
being.

Compilation of the Sahel Hub
case studies
2015 - 2022

Analysis of the impact of horticultural microprojects based on the promotion of effective
and efficient water mobilization and management technologies.
Release date : December 2019
-
Overview :
The problem of water is one of Cape Verde’s greatest
challenges. Characterized by a significant and recurrent
drought since the 1960s, the country receives a limited
rainfall of 230 mm per year, where only 13% of this
rainfall contributes to groundwater recharge while 87%
circulates on the surface or evaporates (ADB, 2015).
As a result, Cape Verde is increasingly dependent on
desalinated water for consumption. Approximately
80% of water for domestic consumption in Cape
Verde is desalinated and at a high energy cost, with
a direct implication on the water tariff considered
one of the highest in Africa {...} Surface water
mobilization, rational use of groundwater, wastewater
recycling, and water conservation are all potential
solutions especially in the agricultural sector, which
uses nearly 90% of the water withdrawn (INE, 2017).
Thecostofthecubicmeterofwater,whichisstronglycorrelatedtotheenergysystemusedtoextractit,negatively
influences the valuation of the water resource. This limitation hinders the development of the agricultural sector,
thus increasing the precariousness and food insecurity for the rural populations that depend on this sector.
The POSER financed in 2014 by the Government of Cape Verde, IFAD and the Spanish Trust Fund, is
the successor to the Rural Poverty Reduction Program (PLPR) which lasted 12 years (2000-2012). With
the 2012 mid-term evaluation mission, strategic changes took place in the implementation of the POSER,
putting more emphasis on the implementation of structuring projects, in line with the strategic vision
(2014-2018) of the government’s «Agricultural Sector Transformation» policy. From an institutional
From an institutional point of view, this has resulted in the change of supervision from the Ministry of
Labor, Vocational Training and Social Solidarity to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment.
This study allowed for the analysis of the impact of horticultural micro-projects based on the promotion of
effective and efficient water mobilization and management technologies. Through a comparative analysis of
the different market gardening systems implemented in Cape Verde, we study the socio-economic and agro-
environmental performances of market gardening models implemented with solar systems and irrigated with
drip irrigation. This capitalization of experiences and innovations will aim to identify productive and sustainable
models for scaling up.
Cabo Verde
Scan to download case study

Irrigation by solar pumping in Bandiagara, Mopti region, with the Touma Barma
cooperative
The TOUMA BARAMA cooperative is a mixed cooperative of 58 members (26 women and 32 men) specialized
in the production and processing of onions. The cooperative is a partner of the INCLUSIVE project since 2020
on the component B related to the productive partnership. It is on the simple partnership component in which it
works closely with an SME. With the support of NGOs and office partners of the Project, the couple OPA and
PMEA has developed a business plan that sets the support needs of the two actors by the INCLUSIF project.
Within the framework of the implementation of this business plan, the TOUMA ABRAMA cooperative has
benefited from the INCLUSIVE project for the acquisition of a store but also and especially for the acquisition
of a solar pumping water tower with its related equipment (distribution basins, mii pipes, and plastic fittings).
The acquisition of this solar pumping water tower is in line with an important axis of the project: the greening
of business plans whenever possible.
Today, TOUMA BARAMA works correctly on the 122 hectares developed on which the speculations alternate
according to the market and the partnership with the SME is doing well because the cooperative manages to
honor its commitments with the regular provision of good quality onions.
Mali
33

Introduction of solar-powered pumping
in the oases of Mauritania
An oasis is a fertile area in an otherwise arid region - such as a desert - due to the local
availability of water.
It may be a spring or a shallow water table located along a wadi (i.e., a riverbed that fills with water
only during rainy periods). The natural availability of water can be improved by human action (i.e., by
collecting water from the riverbed, called water harvesting), or by using wells to extract groundwater.
Theavailabilityofwateranditsefficientuseareessentialforagriculturaldevelopmentintheseparticularecosystems.
Oases are often ancient human settlements; some have become modern cities. The typical Mauritanian desert
oasis consists of a series of small clusters of dwellings along a wadi that is flooded only a few days a year.
An oasis can be more than 10 kilometers long and is usually composed of scattered groups of cultivated
perimeters, covering an average of 500 hectares per oasis. A cultivated perimeter is generally small (less than
0.5 ha in 70% of cases) and has an average of 85 date palms (JICA, 2001).

→ The hydrographic system of the oasis
In the Saharan ecology of Mauritania, surface water is available in only a few oases. In terms of agricultural
Mauritania
Release date : July 2015
-
Overview :
Under the Sustainable Oasis Development Program (SODP), the Government of Mauritania, the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) introduced and tested
solar water pumping for agricultural use in oases. The overall objective of this program was to establish a solid
development base, to create the conditions for oasis inhabitants to free themselves from poverty and to fight
against environmental degradation. The introduction of solar-powered pumping - a clean technology with
the potential to foster inclusive growth - has played an important role in achieving this goal. The WDP is now
complete: this paper describes some of the valuable experiences and provides a critical review of the impact
of this new technology on sustainable water resources management.

production and livelihoods, therefore, oasis farmers
must rely primarily on groundwater. The depth of the
water table depends on the hydrogeological properties
of the subsoil, as well as on the recharge from the
extremely irregular rainfall and flooding in the wadi.
To increase the reliability of groundwater sources for
irrigation purposes, the PDDO has supported efforts
to increase water infiltration and enhance irrigation
efficiency. Infiltration dams have been constructed across
the wadi to slow floodwaters when they occur, allowing
more water to infiltrate and be stored underground.
Measures to promote efficient use of water resources
have focused on distributing water from the source to each plant, thereby limiting evaporation losses.
In some areas, the water table is only a few meters below the surface, and the roots of the palms can reach
the water directly. In other areas, the water table is deeper, and means of drainage are needed to make the
water accessible for the plants. This was traditionally done by shadufs (i.e. rope and bucket systems). With
the support of the PDDO, oasis farmers now have more powerful and less strenuous means at their disposal.

→ Water pumping
In the Sahel, droughts in the 1970s and 1980s caused groundwater levels to drop, forcing farmers to switch
from manual water extraction to the use of diesel pumps to draw water from deeper underground. At the
time, the diesel pumps available on the market had a much higher capacity than traditional methods (30
cubic meters per hour for a diesel pump versus 3 cubic meters per hour for a shadouf). Moreover, their
capacity was far in excess of irrigation needs
(a farm of 100 palm trees would need
about 15 cubic meters per day). Without
proper management, this overcapacity
often led to overuse and wastage, causing
the level of the wells to drop and often
dry up after only a few hours of pumping.
In this context of increasingly unsustainable
use of natural resources in oases, the PDDO
aimed to rehabilitate land productivity
and reduce poverty through targeted
investments in sustainable land management.
One such investment was the introduction
of solar-powered pumping, in combination
with improved water storage and distribution systems (i.e., cost-effective, clean technologies that provide
opportunities for inclusive growth).
35

Analysis of the impact of small market gardening perimeters
irrigated with solar pumping
Release date : December 2019
-
Overview :
Senegal is a major importer of rice. In less than a decade, rice
imports into Senegal have increased by 38% to 705,891 tons
in 2006 and 973,745 tons in 2016.
In terms of value, the rice import bill increased by 56% between
2006 and 2016, corresponding to nearly $208,808 thousand in
2006 and $325,604 in 2016 (FAO, 2018). Although rice production
in Senegal has doubled since 1985, rice consumption has increased
even faster because it is an important source of food for more
than 95 percent of the population. As a result, Senegal relies
heavily on rice export markets to meet domestic demand.
For years, rice yields in Senegal have remained low at an average of 2.5
t/ha despite considerable agronomic potential for rice production.
Although rice yields in Senegal can be considered high compared to neighboring countries, they are
significantly lower than those of major rice exporting countries for the same range of production
costs. Most of the increase in rice production has come from an increase in harvested area, from
45,405 hectares (ha) in 1998 to 80,312 ha in 2007, and 169,614 ha in 2017 (FAO, 2019). Despite this
average growth rate in rice area, domestic production remains insufficient to meet national demand.
The 2008 shock highlighted the country’s fragility and the need for Senegal to be self-sufficient in
rice. The 2008 food crisis had a severe impact on household food security and led to an increase in
the prevalence of food insecurity in urban areas. Import prices for rice rose sharply. The value of
imports in 2008 was $645,057,000 compared to $208,808,000 in 2006 and $369,182,000 in 2007.
Senegalese urban dwellers spend 20-25% of their income on rice.
In response to the crisis, the Senegalese government has taken a series of emergency measures to
help the population respond to the crisis in the short term. In addition, in the long term, a structural
plan with the ambitious goal of achieving self-sufficiency was also adopted (GOANA, PSE, PRACAS).
The results of the commitments made by the government are promising. Data reveal that between 2014 and
2015, national rice production increased by 62%, but yields decreased by 8% and rice imports increased by 4%.
However, in 2016, rice imports decreased by 16% from the previous year and yields increased by 2%. In 2017,
yields increased by 8% over the previous year while domestic production continued to increase
Senegal

International Fund for Agricultural Development
Villa 1427, Corniche Ouest - Almadies, Dakar, Sénégal
fidasenegal@ifad.org | wcamailbox@ifad.org
Tel. + 221 33 868 05 87
www.ifad.org

World Water Forum-Dakar-March2022

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