8.1 Conclusions
The Workshop reached the following conclusions on the status
and relevance of IIA and the establishment of an IIA Network:
(a) On integrated irrigation-aquaculture
- IIA is the integration of existing activities practised by farmers around
the Region. Experience has shown that good water managers tend to have the
necessary skills for IIA.
- IIA field activities were noted in Mali and Zambia while IIA-related research
was reported from Burkina Faso and Ghana, although all countries indicated
a high potential for IIA.
- Even if not specified as "IIA" activities, the great potential of these
activities is reflected in pending IIA projects in Côte d'Ivoire and
Zambia.
- The relatively unknown and little used status of IIA results from several
factors including:
- modern irrigation and aquaculture are relatively new technologies ín
the Region;
- efforts have focused initially on reaching the individual potential
of each technology before considering how they could be integrated, since
both have still to reach their anticipated production levels.
(b) On the need for an IIA Network
- As more pressure is applied to water resources, especially in drought-prone
areas, IIA becomes increasingly important.
- Possible actors involved in IIA activities represent a wide variety of
research and development agencies in each country and collaboration between
these is often lacking; national coordination would be helped by multidisciplinary
national networks.
- Frequently, information to facilitate IIA development is lacking; joining
national networks into a regional network would expedite access to and exchange
of information.
- Networking could be accomplished either by including IIA in existing regional
networks or by establishing a specialized information network targeting IIA
specifically.
- There is a need to seek external resources to support network activities.
- Overcoming language barriers between network members from different countries
is a costly prerequisite.
- The quality of communication infrastructure between countries has a direct
impact on the effectiveness of networking.
8.2 Recommendations
With reference to the proposed regional IIA Network, the
Workshop made the following recommendations:
- Goal: to contribute to improved food security.
- General objective: to promote IIA research and development activities
and to enhance sustainable use of land and water resources.
- Specific objectives
- To improve information exchange.
- To promote capacity building at all levels.
- To promote technology development.
- Themes
- To improve the technical sustainability of IIA.
- To promote the social sustainability of IIA.
- To promote the economic sustainability of IIA.
- To promote the environmental sustainability of IIA.
- To provide extension for IIA development.
- Context of Operation
Languages for networking: English and French.
Membership of the IIA Network:
During the first phase (18 to 24 months long),
membership of the Network shall comprise the following five countries,
each represented by the designated national institutions or
Departments:
Burkina Faso
- Institut du Développement Rural (IDR)
- Ministère de l'Environnement et de l'Eau (MEE and Office
National des Barrages et des Aménagements Hydro-agricoles)
- Ministry of Agriculture (Extension Service)
Côte d'Ivoire
- Agence Nationale pour le Développement Rural (ANADER)
- Centre National de Recherche Agricole (CNRA)
Ghana
- Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA-Irrigation Department, Fisheries
Department and Irrigation Development Authority)
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-Water Research Institute)
- Irrigation Company for the Upper Regions (ICOUR)
Mali
- Institut d'Economie Rurale (IER)
- Direction Nationale de l'Aménagement et de l'Equipement Rural
(DNAER)
Zambia
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (MAFF-Fisheries Department
and Technical Services Branch/Irrigation Section)
- Network structure: most probably according to the rim-effect model;
to change progressively into a clover model as soon as national networks become
operational (see Section 6.2d)
- Linkages: to existing related networks such as WARDA/IVC, IITA/EPHTA,
ARID and ICLARM/Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture Programme as well as to
the FAO SPFS and the regional community-based Aquatic Resource Management
Programme (ALCOM) executed by FAO. An Africa Link should be established with
assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
or other donors.
- Advisory Task Force: an Advisory Task Force (ATF) should be temporarily
nominated to assist in establishing the IIA Network (e.g. to finalize project
proposal, to appoint temporary coordinator and to act in general as a steering
committee). The membership of this ATF was proposed as follows:
- Member countries
- Burkina Faso: IDR
- Côte d'Ivoire: ANADER
- Ghana: MOFA (Fisheries Department)
- Mali: DNAER
- Zambia: MAFF (Fisheries Department)
- Observers: FAO, WARDA/IVC and IITA/EPHTA
- Network Coordinator: to be appointed by the ATF when funding is
obtained.
- Future steps for the establishment of the IIA Network
It was agreed that the establishment of the IIA Network should
be accomplished in the following stages and timeframes:
· Sensitization of
decision-makers on the IIA Workshop recommendations |
|
|
[Workshop participants, FAO] |
December 1999 |
· Establishment and start of the
IIA Africa Link |
|
|
[EPHTA, donor/USAID] |
December 1999 |
· Review of existing IIA
technology |
|
|
[FAO, ICLARM, WARDA] |
January 2000 |
· Establishment of the Advisory
Task Force (ATF) |
|
|
[Workshop participants, FAO, Governments] |
February 2000 |
· Development of a Regional
Project Proposal on IIA in the context of SPFS |
|
|
[FAO Regional Office for Africa, ATF] |
June 2000 |
· Appointment of the Network
Coordinator |
|
|
[Network ATF] |
September 2000 |