Thematic studies in the Sahel Irrigation Initiative (S2I) framework

19.06.2015
Undefined

In December 2014 AFC started 2 Studies in framework of a future regional project “Sahel Irrigation Initiative”. Financed by the World Bank, the Sahel Irrigation Initiative is issued from the High Level Forum on “Beating the odds, building resilience in the Sahel”, which took place in Dakar in October 2013. Six countries are part of this initiative: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. This Forum resulted in the Dakar Declaration which sets the goal of at least doubling the irrigated area over the next five years, bringing the total to the ambitious target of 1,000,000 Ha by 2020.

The objective of the consultancy is to carry out the necessary analyses to draft the Strategic Framework (SF), the Global Action Plan (GAP) and the Regional Project Document (RPD). Preparing the provisional and definitive versions of these documents entails working closely with the Task Force, the thematic Working Groups, the National Focal Points and National Consultants as well as with various Thematic Consultants in the context of a participatory process with all stakeholders.

To achieve the objectives we conducted six thematic studies, which are:

1) Value chains: value chain mapping in each country including analysis of opportunities and challenges and ongoing trends.

2) Policies and Strategies: comparative analysis of policies, strategies, institutional framework and investment plans across the 6 countries and analysis of each country’s respective M&E system for policies and strategies.

3) Investment Planning: analysis of both public and private investment for hydro-agricultural development and for country and river basin project portfolios.

4) Financing: analysis of problems linked to public and private funding in the development of irrigation; identification of alternative financing methods such as leasing, group credit, contract farming etc.

5) Capacity Building: Identification of capacity building and training needs (both public and private sectors); analysis of current supply in training and competencies of training and research institutions and gap analysis; establishment of a capacity building plan for training and research institutions encompassing both private and public actors.

6) Knowledge Management: Identification of main actors involved in research on irrigation and value chains for irrigated products (public and private); inventory of research topics, capacities and R&D priorities.


For further information please contact Marie-Laetitia.Catta [at] afci.de