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Water for a food-secure worldwww.iwmi.org

Improved Management of Agricultural Water in

Eastern and Southern Africa

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Water for a food-secure world

Learning alliance on AWM in the ESA region

Projects from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Swaziland and Zimbabwe agreed on the key issues for cross project learning.

Identified main challenges across projects that they would work to meet, learning together, exchanging experiences and sharing solutions.

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Water for a food-secure world

Improving community-based water management

Key challenges for action and learning1. How to improve the effectiveness

of community-based organizations in managing water?

2. What methods and tools can improve engagement between project and communities, and within the communities?

Activities• Capacity building in community

engagement, policy advocacy• Documenting community

engagement, participatory methods and tools

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Water for a food-secure world

Challenges to strengthen WUAs and FBOs. How to:1. Facilitate conflict management

and group development2. Strengthen project capacity to

lobby and influence policy on WUAs and related FBOs

3. Facilitate participation, inclusiveness and representation within farmer organizations

4. Monitor, document and evaluate institutional processes

5. Build capacities of the beneficiaries to manage change and improve participatory planning

6. Facilitate ownership and self-reliance

7. Coordinate and harmonize service providers on projects

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Water for a food-secure world

Improved community engagement will lead to farmer organizations and water user associations that do things differently:1. Have a clear, shared vision and

strategic plans they develop2. Do operation and maintenance 3. Have inclusive representation4. Have by-laws, constitutions and

legal status within their country framework

5. Operational plans developed and in use by farmers

6. Manage water allocation fairly7. Link to and work with stakeholders

and service providers8. Farmers own and contribute to

their development

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Water for a food-secure world

Approaches and lessons –observations so far• Participatory methods exist, but are

often not used. Needs: support from decision makers, time, resources.

• Where used, participatory tools are often not used for a clear purpose.

• Participatory extension approach can improve community-level innovation

• Farmer field school is promising, but requires: strong facilitation skills; consideration of the varied interests of farmers and multiple use needs; to be part of a process that continually revisits community needs and demands

• Training and advocacy in community engagement is required at all levels, from community to regional institutions to national decision-makers

• Farmer-led documentation, video clubs complement extension services

• Need to share what tools work, where

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Water for a food-secure worldwww.iwmi.org

For more information on participatory methods and engagement tools, and on

AWM research in the region: www.imawesa.info