Promoting a new participatory approach to irrigation development

Since the late 1990s, IFAD has been financing smallholder irrigation development in the United Republic of Tanzania. Although there were successes, there were also problems, not least of which was the traditional top-down approach prevalent at that time.

However, lessons learned ‘the hard way’ are now influencing the Government towards a new participatory approach to irrigation development. This approach reflects a main characteristic of the ‘New Rurality’: decentralized governance inspiring a higher degree of ownership, which coincides with privatized agro-services.

Working to construct high-quality irrigation systems

Intervening from the top down in smallholder irrigation development always involved difficulties: too many implementing agencies, long delays caused by bureaucratic tendering procedures, and a lack of counterpart contributions from the Government of Tanzania. Compounding these administrative problems were difficulties in establishing rural financial services for farmers, a focus on irrigation infrastructure rather than on the participants, and extension that was research-driven.

This was IFAD’s early experience in investing in smallholder paddy rice irrigation in semi-arid, marginal areas. Drought and uncertainty still dominate the lives of poor rural people. However, some irrigation schemes did prosper.

Average paddy rice yields increased from 1.8 to 2.3 tons per hectare (ha) and farm incomes grew as a result.

The investment needed was modest – US$1,000-2,000/ha – in sharp contrast with the approximately US$10,000/ha required at that time to build larger irrigation schemes. This was enough to demonstrate that supplementary irrigation of paddy could be financially viable and economically attractive. Yet how could it be made to work for the majority of schemes and not just the few? A serious shift in thinking was needed to move investment away from the top-down approach to one that encouraged farmers to take responsibility for irrigation development, so that schemes reflected their needs and not those of planners.

Guiding principles

IFAD set about outlining some guiding principles. The first and most important principle was to harness the strengths of communities to enable them to fully participate in the planning, construction and, ultimately, the operation and maintenance of the schemes. This was a key ingredient missing from most past investments.

However, local capacity needed strengthening to make the best use of participatory methods and to set up and run water user associations (WUAs). Improved technical knowledge and skills were also needed – to permit the Government and the private sector to provide good design and construction services. The second principle was to choose simple designs and construction methods so that farmers could easily operate and maintain the irrigation networks – design for management. This would also limit the investment costs per hectare of irrigated land. Earlier experience had shown that village artisans and local contractors could construct irrigation systems to a high standard under the supervision of government engineers. So this mode of construction was continued and more private-sector involvement encouraged.

The third principle was to ensure a good return on investment in terms of productivity and income. This required a mix of crops to meet both local food needs and the demand for high-value cash crops for urban markets, such as rice and vegetables.

Finally, there was the principle of cost recovery. Participants would be expected to pay the full cost of scheme operation and maintenance, and possibly part of the capital investment. This would not only relieve the Government of its financial burden, but would also help ensure local ownership and management of the schemes, and hence their financial viability and sustainability.

Principles into practice

In 2000, applying these principles, IFAD embarked on a six-year programme with the Government, whose policy was now to support the development of smallholder irrigation schemes. The goal was participatory irrigation development in the central plateau and rehabilitation of some 12,000 ha of land, to the benefit of more than 15,000 people. The programme targeted the poorest farming families, particularly those headed by women. The families possessed small landholdings and few resources. Their crop yields were low and they depended on income from casual labour for up to eight months a year.

Practice into results

Some 42 irrigation schemes have now been completed successfully, while others are under construction. Great care was taken to fully involve WUAs at each step. Over 327 kilometres of roads have been constructed and some 50 village road groups formed to oversee road maintenance. First, the capacity of 12 district councils and of government officers was developed. These in turn trained farmers’ representatives in such topics as bookkeeping, paddy husbandry, HIV/AIDS awareness, and operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes. The farmers’ representatives then trained farmers’ groups so that, in all, some 24,000 farmers received training.

A programme review in 2005 recorded improvements in household food security for the most impoverished as a result of increased crop yields. Most schemes reported average rice yields of 4 tons/ha for the 2003/04 season.

Road transport costs also went down after completion of improvements to the farm road network.

The proportion of women with plots and membership in WUAs is now over 30 per cent. The women manage shallow wells and benefit from the time saved in water collection. Some have taken leadership roles in WUAs and district councils and participate in savings groups and credit associations.

The programme has contributed to changes in the Tanzanian agricultural development policy. At the national level, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has given the highest priority to smallholder participatory irrigation development. Throughout the country, districts now include irrigation in their planning and can take advantage of the capacity-building of district professionals and technicians that was undertaken in this programme.