The Challenge Program on Water and Food in the Volta Basin

Olufunke CofieBasin Leader, CPWF-Volta

food · water · environment · livelihoods

Outline The CPWF global agenda Research in the Volta

What is CPWF?

An international, multi-institutional research initiative of the Consultative Group on International

Agricultural Research (CGIAR) with a focus on improving how water is managed and used for

improved food production.

Aim of CPWF

CPWF aims to increase the resilience of social andecological systems through better water

management for food production

Through its broad partnerships, it conductsresearch that leads to impact on the poor and

policy change

Phase I: 2003 - 2008

Some Lessons: Integrated strategies are needed for effective innovations Successful projects have multiple partners at several scales Beyond water productivity (more crop per drop), the resilience of social and

ecological system is important

• Rich source of data & information• Emphasis on new partnerships & networks• Capacity building for research• Minimal investment toward influence and uptake

CPWF Phase II: 2009-2014

Fewer projects: 4-5/basin, 6 basins, building on insights from Phase I Focus on basin development challenges, so research for development and

impact Integration of projects across a basin, mindful of on-going activities Aiming to integrate strategies combining policy environment, institutions and

technologies Stronger basin-level coordination building on existing networks, institutions Cross-basin learning through Topic Working Groups

How we workGuided by core principles: working in partnership adaptive management capacity development gender and interdisciplinary integration accountability

Linking research to impact through compelling basin development challenges and ‘outcome pathways’ Seeking insight across projects and basins

Six basin Development Challenges

Operational

Operational

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Operational

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The Volta BasinMain Features Area: apx. 400,000 km2 Riparian Countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali, and Cote d’Ivoire Popn. apx 19 million; 70 % rural; 2.5 % growth rate Population below $2/day: >70 % in 5 out of 6 countries Annual rainfall: 500 - 1,100 mm Total annual water demand: 1.7 billion m3

Water Availability: >2000 m3/cap-yr (south); 900 m3 (North) Reservoirs: 3 Large reservoirs for hydropower; over 1000 small for multiple uses Elevation: 95 % of the basin is below 400 m Natural rangeland: 85 % of the basin Rainfed agriculture : 14 % of the basin Irrigated agriculture: about 0.5 % of cultivated area Institutions: VBA, sub-basin org, WUAs, National water policies and IWRM plans; devt.org.

Main Challenges in the Volta Rainfall variability Land degradation, poor soil fertility Poor water quality Poor access to infrastructure, production inputs and rural

services Inadequate public and private sector investments especially

in rural areas Governance and institutions Low agricultural productivity water related diseases High poverty and hunger

CPWF’s Response: Volta Basin Development Challenge (VBDC)

Integrated Management of Rainwater and Small Reservoirs for Multiple Uses

Objective“Improving rainwater and small reservoir management to

contribute to poverty reduction and improved livelihoods resilience while taking account of downstream and upstream

water users including ecosystem services”.

V2 – Integrated Management of rainwater for Crop-Livestock

Agroecosystems

V1 – Targeting and Scaling Out

V4 – Sub-basin management and governance of RW and SR

V5 – Coordination & Change

•Guideline on rainwater management strategies (RMS) that improve s farmers livelihood targeted to different biophysical and socio-economic domains•Innovation platforms on crop-livestock value chains•Tools for integrated analysis of RMS

Identification of successful agricultural water management (AWM) interventions in specific locations and under specific conditions

•SR management options that improves the livelihood of reservoir water users•SR management that improves the functioning and the resilience of reservoir

•Information on governance decisions that combine sustainability, planning concerns and livelihood priorities

V3 – Integrated Management of Small Reservoirs (SR)

for Multiple Use

•high quality integrated research results effectively com

municated to next and end users provides enabling

environment for RW

and SR managem

ent

BasinCom

munity

Watershed

VBDC Research

V1: Targeting and scaling out

Project V1 develops a decision-support tool that will identify likely sites to introduce agricultural water management (AWM) interventions for smallholder

farming systems

Lead Institution: SEIPartners: INERA, UoO, SARI, KNUST

V2: Integrated management of rainwater for crop-livestock agroecosystems

V2 will Identify, evaluate, adapt, and disseminate best-fit integrated rainwater management strategies (RMS),

comprising of technological solutions, directed at different domains of the agroecosystems, strengthened by enabling institutional and policy environments and linked to market

incentives that can drive adoption

Lead Institution: ILRIPartners: IWMI, WUR-PPS, INERA, WRI & SNV

V3: Integrated management of small reservoirs for multiple uses

Integrated management options at local scale for small reservoirs (SR) in a multiple use context. These include

maintaining infrastructures, protecting and improving water quality for the various uses; enhancing water productivity

potentials; and seeking for equity.

Lead Institution: UMR G Eau / Cirad Es,‐ ‐Partners: IRD, 2iE, TU-Delft, WRI, INERA, SARI

V4: Sub basin management and governance of ‐rainwater and small reservoirs

Provide understanding of the processes that govern IWRM policy-making, practice and research in the Basin and identify

demand-driven opportunities for the management and the governance of rainwater and small reservoirs at the

watershed (sub-basin) level.

Lead Institution: IWMIPartners: CIRAD; UPR-Green, SP-PAGIRE, WRC, WRI, UDS

V5: Coordination and Change: learning for innovation and adaptive management

Ensure coherence amongst the VBDC Projects and aligned BDC research to stakeholders need so as to

contribute to poverty reduction and improved livelihood resilience in the Basin

Lead Institution: VBAPartners: GWP, IWMI and INERA

Study Areas

Network of Partners

In other words…Several projects and partners contribute to achieving the Volta basin development challenge

Our whole CPWF team is in place to support integrated research in the Volta

This will contribute to improving livelihoods of the poor.

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If the VBDC is successful, then:

A decision support tool will be available to guide the out-scaling of successful AWM initiatives in appropriate locations

Rainwater will be managed more appropriately leading to positive impacts on crop and livestock productivity, farm profitability, environmental resilience, and human well-being

Community-level institutions will be strong enough to manage small reservoirs to maximise the benefits from multiple uses.

The interaction between various institutions will be strengthened and mutually supportive

Governments and development agencies would have more evidence to support investment in small reservoir for multiple uses