Improving Livelihoods by Improving Water Productivity, Access and Use Doug Merrey 2 September 2008

Limpopo River Basin Focal Project

Limpopo River BasinFocal Project

Improving Livelihoods by Improving Water Productivity, Access and Use

Doug Merrey

2 September 2008

FANRPAN Regional Dialogue, Lilongwe


Outline

Limpopo Basin Project Goals and Structure The Team Partners Approach Preliminary Findings—Opportunities for

Interventions



Limpopo Basin Overview Area: 412,938 km2 Population: 14 million Percentage urban: 43 Percentage rural: 57 Percentage of population below poverty line: 56% Mean annual rainfall: 200-1,200 mm (average 530 mm) Climate: Ranges from tropical dry savanna and hot dry

steppe to warm and cool temperate Contribution of agriculture to GDP in the basin: 6.5% Net irrigated area: 244,000 ha Land use: Crops, 234,000 ha;

pasture, 1.78 million ha; forestry, 455,000 ha Multiple water uses: mining, urban, industry, tourism Institutional arrangement for managing water: Limpopo

River Basin Commission [to be ratified] Environmental conservation areas: 2 Ramsar sites,

important game parks, coastal areas


The Team-1

FANRPAN and ARC-SA joint venture IWMI and GWP-SA* regional partners

GWP and FANRPAN co-lead stakeholder consultations

*Global Water Partnership-Southern Africa


The Team-2 National universities: Botswana,

Eduardo Mondlane (UEM, Mozambique), Pretoria, Zimbabwe and Malawi

Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM)

Team is large and diverse, but highly experienced and professionalcomplemented by students


Project GoalsTo identify agricultural water interventions whose implementation will reduce poverty and enhance food, health, and environmental security in the Limpopo Basin and beyond

To identify gaps in knowledge about agricultural water management options in the basin requiring further research


Work Packages (WP) & Lead Institutions

1. WP 1 Water and Poverty- U. Malawi

2. WP 2 Water Availability and Access- ARC

3. WP 3 Water Productivity- IWMI

4. WP 4 Institutional Analysis- FANRPAN Sec.

5. WP 5 Interventions Packages- FANRPAN Sec.

6. WP 6 Knowledge Management- ARC


Research Approach Make use of existing data bases

Build on outputs from CPWF and other on-going research projects

Use students strategically to fill gaps, provide analytical support


Strategic interventions for the basin

1. Identify possible intervention packages

2. Test through consultations with key stakeholders (managed jointly by GWP and FANRPAN)

3. Assess through case studies

Stakeholder Consultation seen as central to success


A Methodological Innovation: The Intervention Matrix

InterventionPackage

Associated Institutions

Infrastructure Technology Policies & Institutions

NewKnowledge

intervention(contributor)

Name of institution,contact info, links torelated web sites or documents

Check any of the boxes below that apply

Check boxes below that apply



availability productivity access avail prod acc avail prod acc avail prod acc

Treadle Pump IrrigationD Merrey

IDEhttp://www.ideorg.org/ Kick Starthttp://www.kickstart.org

XX

Small Reservoirs

CP 46http://

www.smallreservoirs.org

XX

CatchmentManagement Forums

DWAFhttp://www.dwaf.gov.za

XX


Example: Application of the Intervention Matrix

But RWH works only under certain conditions


The “Black Hole” of Limpopo Basin


Limpopo “Black Hole” From Kevin Scott, leader of water availability work

package Serious Implications:

Water going in does not come out—no outflow (Mozambique take notice!)

Limited options for productive use of water—need irrigation but not much water available

Rainwater harvesting probably not appropriate in the Black Hole!

Would a massive upstream dam enable regulated year-round flows downstream?

One option under investigation


Huge Irrigation Potential in Mozambique

Massingir Dam—Lower Limpopo irrigation potential is +/- 90,000 ha

Chókwe Irrigation Scheme largest in Mozambique: rice, sugar cane, maize, vegetables, etc.

Complex history, victim of colonial exploitation and impacts of civil war

Presently low productivity, under-use, poverty

Chókwe Main Canal


Team Visit to Chókwe Recent team visit and stakeholder consultation

demonstrated that getting policies, input and output markets, support systems, and institutional framework right would make very high agricultural productivity and poverty reduction possible

Government now encouraging capital-intensive multi-national investments

What is potential for supporting a prosperous smallholder-based agriculture?

Documents

Improving Livelihoods by Improving Water Productivity, Access and Use Doug Merrey 2 September 2008