Davie Kadyampakeni and Petra Schmitter Experiences and opportunities for small-scale irrigation and agricultural water management interventions: Innovation Lab for SSI in Ghana and Ethiopia Davie Kadyampakeni and Petra Schmitter International Water Management Institute

Ilssi overview Focal Feed-the-future countries: Tanzania , Ghana and Ethiopia ILSSI goals: Identify promising SSI technologies and practices that have the potential to improve agricultural productivity, reduce farmer risks, improve nutritional quality and diversity, reduce poverty, and empower women farmers; Develop farm-level recommendations, technologies, and strategies for improving access to irrigation technologies and related knowledge throughout SSA; Train agricultural and development students, educators, and professionals to analyze the farm- and watershed-level biophysical, economic, nutritional and labor implications of these technologies and strategies.

introduction Ghana irrigation potential up to 2.9 million ha Only about 0.26% irrigated Suitable irrigation technologies packaged according to source, storage, lifting, conveyance and application include: Source/storage: river, spring, stream, shallow well, permanent well, dugout, lake, water reservoir Lifting: motor pump, solar pump, treadle pump, electric pump, rope and washer pump, bucket Irrigation method: surface irrigation (furrow, flood, border), seepage irrigation, drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, bucket irrigation

objectives Identify optimal irrigation technologies for shallow groundwater wells and rainwater harvesting with regards to lifting, conveyance and application; Assess the potential and sustainability of shallow groundwater well extraction and roof water harvesting at watershed scale for various water saving scenarios; Investigate shallow groundwater well capacity/recharge for vegetable and irrigated fodder production; Reduce on-field water losses during irrigation through introducing water saving irrigation techniques and simple soil moisture monitoring techniques to farmers to reduce excess irrigation;

Objectives Cont. Investigate the feasibility of technologies in relation to land use rights, labor, investment costs and maintenance at homestead level; Identify farmer preferences (and cultural beliefs/customary rules) and incentive systems for use of various irrigation technologies and practices, including both men and women; Develop suitable business models, including land lease arrangements and credit/insurance packages, to increase economic value of shallow wells, roof water harvesting and irrigation technologies; Investigate impact of various technologies and practices on nutrition at household level.

Ilssi Intervention sites in ghana

Specific Research questions

1. SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF AWM TECHNOLOGIES – ALL SITES Identify gender disaggregated farmer perception, preference and knowledge on dugouts, shallow in-field groundwater wells, roof water harvesting, water lifting and in field saving techniques, land use rights, land rental agreements, and other institutional arrangements; Assess willingness to invest in potential technologies and practices (including shallow groundwater wells, roof water harvesting, water lifting and saving techniques); Assess feasibility of establishing small (2-5 homestead) groups to invest in the defined technologies; Assess farmers preference for specific irrigated vegetable and/or fodder production; Assess feasibility of organizing farmers using shallow groundwater irrigation and other practices into commodity value chains to improve output marketing system.

2. Shallow groundwater well potential for irrigation practices Zanlerigu & Duko Assess cultural-social and economic context of in-field shallow groundwater wells including the value chains of inputs and produce; Assess land user rights framework supporting a more sustainable management of these shallow wells. Assess spatial distribution of shallow in-field groundwater wells at the project sites using remote sensing to provide easy to comprehend groundwater maps for assessing the precise sitting of wells; Assess suitable and flexible manual and motorized water lifting technologies;

2. Shallow groundwater well potential for irrigation practices Zanlerigu & Duko (2) Assess well recharge for irrigation potential and understand connectivity with existing reservoir/dugouts; Assess sustainability throughout the dry season for irrigated vegetable production by assessing their water productivity, micro-nutrient uptake & the associated cost-benefit analysis; Assess the potential for transition to a more permanent system for wells to decrease costs of investing in seasonal digging of wells, and more suitable water lifting devices, conveyance and application technologies; Assess potential climate resilience for rainfed crops from permanent wells.

3. ROOF RAIN WATER HARVESTING Zanlerigu Assess potential for homestead gardening using rainwater harvesting and water saving techniques; Assess strengths and weaknesses of different water application and saving technologies and practices; Assess costs of homestead gardening using various water harvesting, storage and application options; Assess ‘Best practices’ for training on and sustaining optimal water management and agronomic practices on homestead gardens; Evaluate potential for upscaling homestead gardening based on the pilot results; Evaluate potential for improving household nutrition status.

4. TESTING WATER SAVING TECHNIQUES DIMBASINIA Assess the potential for a low cost filter/filter materials with the water lifting device before the water is lifted into the tank used for drip irrigation to reduce biofilm development in the tank and reduce maintenance costs as a function of sediment texture. Evaluate market chains related to local materials to produce cheap drip irrigation kits. Asses a combination of drip with other lower cost water saving technologies. Assess trade-offs for farmers for using mulch for feed. Evaluate irrigation scheduling options for optimizing water usage using wetting front detectors. (will also be done at Duko and Zanlerigu) Assess costs related to labor, investment and maintenance in relation to income from irrigated crops. (will also be done at Duko and Zanlerigu)

5. ASSESSING THE TECHNOLOGIES AT WATERSHED SCALE-All Sites Assess spatio-temporal variation of hydro-meteorological data in each of the project sites Assess seasonal variation of the water balance as affected by prevailing climatic conditions, crops irrigated and technology used Assess spatio-temporal recharge rates and overall groundwater potential within each of the sites with respect to the total irrigable land Assessment on water quality, micro-nutrients and health as many water sources are multi-purpose and contamination of groundwater or vector borne diseases (e.g. malaria) due to increased irrigation activities should be mitigated Assess agronomic crop performance indicators, crop micro and macro nutrient uptake, and water productivity for the various irrigated crops selected as affected by the source, storage, conveyance and usage aspects Assess water use and labour efficiency of the various irrigation and water saving technologies Assess water productivity for the water saving techniques monitored = water footprint of vegetable production in Ghana and its implication for irrigation expansion

6. IRRIGATION AND FODDER PRODUCTION Duko and Zanlerigu Investigate supplementary irrigation to grow dual purpose fodder crops in Ghana; Evaluate the potential for adoption of forage irrigation by male and female farmers; Identify market opportunities for forage and the added value of forage irrigation to the livestock value chain during the dry season.

Irrigation Technologies GHana

Bucket-Drip Irrigation (BDI) System with pumping or roof top water harvesting or manual water lifting

IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR GHANA BDI System for a double bed with pumping or roof top water harvesting or manual water lifting

IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR GHANA Sprinkler irrigation with pumping

IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR GHANA Technology Tank overhead irrigation Bucket Water lifting technology Manual/Bucket Storage volume 150-200 L 50-70 L Conveyance Hose Water source/storage Shallow wells/tank Shallow wells Water application Crops Vegetables

Irrigation scheduling : Wetting front detectors

Site-specific interventions

Specific site interventions NORTHERN REGION-SAVELEGU DISTRICT: DUKO COMMUNITY (24 farmers) Dry season vegetable irrigation Bucket + irrigation scheduling tool Bucket without irrigation scheduling tool Overhead irrigation with tank and hose + irrigation scheduling tool Overhead irrigation with tank and hose without irrigation scheduling tool Target group: 2 clusters of 12 members with access to shallow wells and having buckets Ensure equal participation of men and women. Irrigated fodder production Supplementary irrigation of fodder Target group: 10 to 20 farmers per site with access to shallow wells Ensure equal participation of men and women

UPPER EAST REGION – NABDAM DISTRICT: ZANLERIGU Dry-season vegetable irrigation Bucket + irrigation scheduling tool Bucket without irrigation scheduling tool Overhead irrigation with tank and hose + irrigation scheduling tool Overhead irrigation with tank and hose without irrigation scheduling tool Target group: 2 clusters of 12 members with access to shallow wells and having buckets Ensure equal participation of men and women Dry-season vegetable irrigation at homesteads using roof top water harvesting (RWH) Control group without drip UDS irrigation system Bucket-drip irrigation Target group: 5 farmers practicing roof top water harvesting

UPPER EAST REGION – NABDAM DISTRICT: ZANLERIGU (continued) Irrigated fodder production Supplementary irrigation of fodder Target group: 10 to 20 farmers per site with access to shallow wells Ensure equal participation of men and women

UPPER EAST REGION-KASSENA NANKANA EAST DISTRICT: DIMBASINIA Control group with no drip/sprinkler Control group with irrigation scheduling tool Drip + irrigation scheduling tool Drip without irrigation scheduling tool Modified sprinkler irrigation + irrigation scheduling tool Modified sprinkler irrigation without irrigation scheduling tool Target group: 3 clusters of 12 farmers who own motorized pumps with access to permanent wells or reservoirs. Ensure equal participation of men and women

Technologies and intervention sites-ILSSI in Ghana ( Technologies and intervention sites-ILSSI in Ghana (*Implemented with Africa Rising project) Region Northern* Upper East District Savelugu Nabdam Kassena Nankana East Intervention site (community) Duko Zanlerigu Dimbasinia Water source/storage Shallow wells/tank RWH/tank Permanent wells/reservoirs Crops Vegetables Number of target farmers Irrigated vegetable 24 5 36  Irrigated fodder 10-20  10-20  - - Water lifting  Bucket  Bucket    Bucket Motorized pump Water application Bucket UDS, Drip, farmer practice Drip, sprinkler, farmer practice

Understanding the bigger picture: modeling field interventions from farm to watershed scale

IDDS (Integrated Decision Support System) FARMSIM (socio-economic evaluation of interventions) APEX (field based evaluation of interventions) SWAT (sustainability of interventions at watershed scale)

Decision Support System models- APEX AND SWAT data requirements 1. Cropping systems 2. Weather data: kinds and duration 3. Historical land use data (or change in cropping systems with time), if available 4. Soil properties 5. Stream flows, sediment loads, and other water quality parameters at or near the site, if available 6. Topographic maps other than SRTM 90 m resolution, if they exist 7. Reservoirs used for irrigation, if they exist 8. Wells used for irrigation, if they exist 9. Location and storage capacity of small ponds and wetlands used for irrigation or livestock water 10. Grazing practices

Decision Support System models-farmsim Data requirements 1. Crop information 2. Livestock information 3. Purchased food by the family and quantity of food relief 4. Fixed costs for extended family 5. Assets 6. Liabilities

Experiences and lessons from Ethiopia

ILSSI - EThiopia Project runs in 4 sites (with 1 site overlapping with Africa Rising) Suite of household irrigation technologies that are tested: Motorized or non-motorized pump: Improved pulley Rope and washer Diesel/petrol pumps Solar pumps Irrigation scheduling: Based on soil moisture readings (TDR) Based on the wettting front detector Crops irrigated based on farmer selection: Onion Tomato Oats and Vetch (fodder) Napier grass (fodder) Desho grass (fodder)

Improved pulley and tank Pulley which costs only 350 ETB + 760 ETB for the tank and the rope costs 10 ETB for 1 meter. This technology has a capability of lifting from any well depth.

Rope and washer Normal rope and washer: Height of rope and washer: normal height ~ 120cm Cement base plate to be installed Capable of lifting up to 10m depth. With connection piece to connect to a hose Elevated rope and washer: Height of the rope and washer ~ 60 cm Elevated slab to prevent runoff from flowing into the well Total cost price (including VAT, excluding transportation US$185) Total cost price (including VAT, excluding transportation US$207)

Solar pumps

Irrigation scheduling : Wetting front detectors

PROCESS FOLLOWED = Stakeholder engagement Literature review and field assessment Prepare discussion paper Organize stakeholder consultation workshop to discuss proposed technologies Consult woreda/district agricultural offices on proposed technologies and target kebele/communities (implementation sites) Consult community leaders, extension staff and prominent personalities in respective kebele/communities (implementation sites)

PARTNERSHIPS Two universities (Bahir-Dar and Arba-Minch University) 9 MSc and 3 PhD students Two Agricultural Research Institutes (for fodder) One NGO Two multipurpose farmers cooperatives-for technology procurement, credit administration and managing revolving fund

LESSONS AND CHALLENGES Livelihood systems of the site affect implementation of the intervention (e.g. chat in Robit) Some technologies/interventions are less popular depending on site and past experiences or failures with irrigation technologies Some technologies are found challenging by farmers for women/kids (e.g. rope and washer pumps) Data recording using the field books as it is very intensive and farmers are facing challenges, need for data collectors but also here they need to be well trained and visit the farmers frequently Lack cooperation from some national partners Inability to get gender balanced groups of farmers as planned No female student Long time taken for agreements to be finalized

Moving ILSSI forward in Ghana

Next steps Household selection Finalize agreement with partner (UDS) Identify data availability and gaps Identify potential graduate students and research areas Gather existing data for ex-ante modelling Procurement of instrumentation for data collection Installation of equipment for data collection

TARGET HOUSEHOLD SELECTION CRITERIA Willingness to participate Availability of land for demonstration Access to water source Must be willing and agree to grow the same crop (vegetable or fodder) and variety Use the same type and amount of input (e.g. fertilizer, crop variety, etc.) Willing to record and keep data related to irrigation and agronomic activity Agree to sign credit agreement and repay loan Equal number of women and men farmers

Acknowledgements Dr. Nicole Lefore (Project Leader, IWMI-South Africa) Dr. Pamela Katic (IWMI-Ghana) Dr. Gebrehaweria Gebregziabher (IWMI-Ethiopia) Dr. Prossie Nakawuka (IWMI-Ethiopia) USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation Project

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