Sabine Douxchamps Augustine Ayantunde 

Jennie Barron

Evolution of AWM in rainfed crop‐livestock systems of the Volta Basin

(Sou

rce: P. Cecchi) 

introduction evolution of AWM projects’ outcomes conclusions

▪ 395 000 km2 across six countries, 80% in Burkina Faso and Ghana 

▪ 20.106 people:

▪ Degraded soils (38 and 11 %)

▪ N‐S gradient of rainfall and of farming systems

▪ Basin level above threshold of water scarcity (1700 m3 yr‐1 per capita), but North Burkina at 900 m3 yr‐1 per capita.

Burkina Faso Ghana

Poverty (>1$/d) 61% 45%

Growth rate 3.4% 2.1%

Rainfed crop‐livestock systems

90% 76%

introduction

(Source: GLOWA) 

Evolution of cereal yields, livestock heads and agricultural area from 1961 to 2009 (Source: FAO) and potential yields (ICRISAT  2009).

introduction

Potential yield in the moist semi‐arid tropics

Potential yield in the dry semi‐arid tropics

▪ demographic pressure ↑▪ pressure on natural resources ↑

introduction

(Source: CILSS) 

(Source: CILSS) 

introduction

(Source: CILSS) 

(Source: CILSS) 

AWM strategies in rainfed systems are different ways to influence rainwater flows in order tomaximize infiltration in the soil, retain run‐off and minimize losses, and range from field‐scaletechniques like stone bunds or manure application to watershed‐scale structures like smallreservoirs.

introduction

(Source: CILSS) 

(Source: CILSS) 

Objective

To synthesize existing knowledge, interventions,lessons, and gaps in knowledge regarding AWM

Questions addressed

▪ who did what, how, where, with which resultsand why

▪ what are the lessons learned for longer termdevelopment efforts and interventions

▪ what are the knowledge gaps

Sources of information

▪ 25 key resource informants

▪ more than 250 documents from peer‐reviewedresearch papers to grey literature and projectsdocuments, and from 1969 up to now

▪ AidData (most complete aid database publiclyavailable)

introduction

evolution of AWM

evolution of AWM

Evolution of aid investments for AWM projects and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects inBurkina Faso and Ghana (Source: AidData).

Burkina Faso Ghana

Aid projects (total nb) 8192 7023

AWM projects (total nb) 195 46

Investments AWM (million US$) 641 258(Source: AidData) 

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1975

‐197

9

1980

‐198

4

1985

‐198

9

1990

‐199

4

1995

‐199

9

2000

‐200

4

2005

‐200

9

Aid investmen

ts (m

illions $US)

Burkina Faso

AWM

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1975

‐197

9

1980

‐198

4

1985

‐198

9

1990

‐199

4

1995

‐199

9

2000

‐200

4

2005

‐200

9

Aid investmen

ts (m

illions $US)

Ghana

AWM

evolution of AWM

Evolution of aid investments for AWM projects and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects inBurkina Faso and Ghana (Source: AidData).

Burkina Faso Ghana

Aid projects (total nb) 8192 7023

AWM projects (total nb) 195 46

Investments AWM (million US$) 641 258(Source: AidData) 

From research projects

▪ numerous technical solutions

▪ benefits of AWM strategies for the agricultural system largely studied

▪ farmers’ perceptions and factors limiting adoption documented

From development projects

▪ 200 000 to 300 000 ha restored (zaï and stone bunds), yielding extra 80 000 tons of food annually

▪more than 2500 small dams constructed or rehabilitated in Burkina and Ghana

▪ thousands of farmers trained, thousands of households in water users associations

projects’ outcomes

Controversy

▪ actual impact on livelihoods

▪ investments were ineffective 

▪ environment in fragile areas of the Basin continues to degrade

Some recommendations for AWM projects

Local capacities

▪ play on factors triggering adoption

▪ local capacities and agendas should be better accounted for

Resources management

▪ combine water and nutrient management

▪ improve interactions between water, crop and livestock management

Infrastructures management

▪ participatory management of water infrastructures, integration of maintenance costs in projectbudget,…

Capacity building

▪ assumption of more responsibility, ways to deal with turnovers within management committees,…

▪ farmers’ capacity building for enlightened risk management and constant adaptation to newvariable conditions

conclusions

(Source: Deserto Verde Burkinabé) 

conclusions

Knowledge gaps and research topics

▪ Integrated management and system perspective to improve water‐crop‐livestock interactions, todevelop off‐season cultivation options and market access

▪ Landscape approaches and ecosystem services to understand ecological landscape processes andtrade‐offs between ecosystem services

▪ Socio‐economic studies to assess economic viability of mechanized techniques, to develop marketsand to balance gender benefits repartition

▪ Governance and adoption to facilitate management of AWM structures, to raise awareness and tolever the factors limiting adoption

▪ Climate change and risk management to foresee the best strategies for adaptation to climatechange and manage risk in the variable environment of the basin

▪ Development aid and impact assessment to evaluate the return of aid investments on wateravailability, food security and livelihoods; to develop common indicators for monitoring and impactassessments of AWM projects

(Source: Deserto Verde Burkinabé) 

Thank you!

AWM

AGRIC DEVELOPMENT

LIVESTOCK

FORESTRY

FISHING

AGRIC RESEARCH

EXTENSION AND TRAINING

AGRIC POLICY

WASH

9%

26%

1%5%

0%3%1%

9%

46%

Burkina Faso

6%

36%

0%4%

1%1%

5%

17%

30%

Ghana

Repartition of aid investments in the area of agriculture and water, for the timeframe 2000‐2009, in (a) Burkina Faso and (b) Ghana (Source: AidData). The category “Agric development” account for all projects that are not part of another category (e.g. linked to post harvest, crop management, industrial crops, or financial services).