FAO helps improve food security of rural households in the West Bank

FAO introduces sustainable employment opportunities to assist poor rural households.

Key facts

Limited access to water is one of the most pressing problems Palestinian farmers and herders face in the West Bank. Without constant access to water, farmers are unable to achieve the productivity gains that are conducive to broader rural economic growth. This threatens the food security of rural communities and can ultimately limit the available employment opportunities for landless workers and other vulnerable groups living in rural areas. In particular, in Jenin and Hebron Governorates, because of little or almost no rainfall, access to water resources has become increasingly sporadic and scarce. The poorest farming households are the most affected, due to their reliance on rain-fed agriculture. In order to address water scarcity and promote rural employment, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, with the support of FAO and the European Union, launched a US$1.9 million project in 2011. The project assisted communities rehabilitate old water cisterns and build new ones as well as provided training to local beneficiaries on good agricultural and water management practices.

Promoting food security and decent rural employment through a dual-track approach
A dual-track approach was applied to tackle water scarcity and generate decent rural employment opportunities.

In its first phase, the project implemented a “cash transfer” programme through which 456 new cisterns were built. Moreover, 35 more cisterns were rehabilitated with the help of villagers who were hired to carry out the work. The project provided short-term employment opportunities through public work schemes, while also involving the targeted communities in the construction and rehabilitation of their water tanks.

In the second phase, the project provided training to local farming households and agronomists on good agricultural and water management practices to ensure that households were able to effectively utilize, manage and maintain their new cisterns. As a result, beneficiaries improved the skills and knowledge needed to drive productivity and income gains.

Overall, 500 of the most vulnerable farming households in the West Bank gained access to steady water resources. Project monitoring revealed that these families also benefited from an increase in agricultural income, as well as improved food security.

The investments in infrastructure also generated significant short-term employment opportunities for poor rural workers. This provided an influx of income for the targeted communities, which is likely to have positive spill over effects.  

In these communities, women-headed households face considerable challenges in accessing productive and decent employment opportunities. To bridge the gender gap, the project focused on 158 households ran by women (32% of all project beneficiaries), and supported them gain alternative income-generating opportunities.

“I would like to thank the European Union for supporting and funding this project and FAO for successfully implementing it in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture” said Waleed Asaf, Palestinian Minister of Agriculture. He also explained that the effective completion of this project “stimulated resource partners to put the agricultural and water sectors at the centre of their investment strategies”.

Long-term Sustainability
According to Yousef Abu-Safieh, Palestinian Minister of Environmental Affairs, “the use of non-conventional water for irrigation in Palestine is considered a promising and important option in order to adapt to climate change. Cautious planning should be ensured in order to minimize its suitability and sustainability, while eliminating any potential negative environmental impacts.”

Indeed, long-term sustainability of decent jobs and livelihoods was one of the main objectives of the dual-track approach. The 500 water tanks built over the course of the project have an expected lifespan of 40-50 years. More than that, by providing training to beneficiaries, the project ensured the infrastructure is adequately used, managed and maintained over time, generating long-term employment opportunities.

Cisterns are by their very nature a resilience-enhancing type of infrastructure: they can act as a water reserve during times of crisis to reduce poor families’ exposure to risks related to fluctuations in rainfall. By involving members of the community in the construction of their own water tanks, the project helped ensure greater local ownership of the infrastructure.

A good practice model that can be scaled-up
The project’s approach could be replicated in other water-scarce rural areas with high levels of poverty and food insecurity. Combining infrastructure development with teaching methods can help unlock the productive potential of local farming households.

The project’s approach of bridging social protection in a way that also generates necessary rural infrastructure could be further up-scaled to promote decent rural employment and sustainable development. 

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