Small-scale Irrigation – Initiative to support resilience through irrigation and the appropriate management of resources (IPRO-IRRIGAR)

Detailed description of project:

The project supports the National Programme for Small-scale Irrigation (PNIP) focussing on the development of the irrigable agricultural potential in the regions of Koulikoro and Sikasso, with an antenna in Bougouni. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to strengthening food security and the nutritional state of the population through increasing and diversifying agricultural production and improving the accessibility of goods produced on small-scale irrigation schemes. More than 28,000 farmers have benefited from the various measures to date.

The following activities have been carried out since 2014 (start of funding):

  • Construction of 70 small-scale irrigation infrastructure, such as micro-dams and water-spreading weirs, for a potential area of 3,942 ha ;
  • Consolidation/rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure on 17 sites totalling almost 1.000 ha;
  • Construction of complementary infrastructure such as 130 km of rural roads, 10 storage warehouses for a total capacity of 500 t;
  • Implementation of environmental protection and anti-erosion measures on 680 ha (reforestation, stone barriers, water and soil conservation measures);
  • Pilot fish farming in the reservoirs of 42 micro-dams (ponds, floating cages, fry feeding, smoking ovens, etc.);
  • Mobilisation and support for the population, including water user associations and farmers' organisations (e.g. dam management committees and cooperative societies for storage facilities) throughout all project phases, incl. during construction, for operation and maintenance of these infrastructures, as well as for improved agricultural production and processing techniques and commercialisation. In total, trainings have been provided for more than 40,000 participants to date;
  • Improvement of the nutritional status of the population through capacity building of local technical services and their agents as well as of project beneficiaries.

The implementation of the project has inter alia been characterised by the following principles:

  • Co-management of all measures: The Project Implementation Units are managed by a Regional Coordinator and an International Coordinator, and the project collaborates with the decentralised technical services for the implementation of several activities;
  • The participatory approach, which guarantees the empowerment of the beneficiary populations and the appropriation of the infrastructures by their users;
  • The promotion of women through special attention to gender (e.g. minimum quotas for the use of land developed by women, for members of the management committees, and training).

Under the project, the Permanent Technical Secretariat of the PNIP (STP-PNIP) is supported by a Technical Advisor for the administrative and financial management and the harmonisation and alignment of procedures of the various projects and donors.

Type of services provided:

Infrastructure / Engineering component:

  • Mobilisation and organisation of the population;
  • Development and implementation of a participatory approach for the construction, maintenance and development of the infrastructure;
  • Participatory planning of investment measures with local authorities and decentralised technical services, inclusion of requests in the Social, Economic and Cultural Development Plans (PDSEC);
  • Organisation and management of tenders for feasibility studies and design including environmental and social impact studies/notices (NIES); for construction/rehabilitation works, construction supervision as well as and supplies (preparation of tender documents, evaluation, award of contracts) and supervision of contract execution;
  • Supervision and acceptance of works;
  • Organisation of the beneficiaries' contribution (financial and physical contribution as unskilled labour).

Accompanying measures / Valorisation Component (2 years per site):

  • Organisation and management of calls for tender for service providers such as NGOs and local consultants; management of contracts and supervision of services; preparation, management and supervision of collaboration protocols with decentralised technical services;
  • Support to the structuring, capacity building and functioning of water user associations and farmer organisations (farmer cooperative societies and dam management committees), including e.g. on administrative and financial management, operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure, realisation and maintenance of anti-erosion measures, etc.;
  • Supply of agricultural and fish farming inputs and equipment;
  • Trainings and advice to farmers on agricultural and fish farming production techniques, processing and marketing (agronomy, technical itineraries, conservation, value chains, etc.), including farmer field schools ;
  • Development of rules / operating agreements for newly developed land;
  • Implementation of pilot methods for fish farming in small dams’ reservoirs;
  • Capacity building of local technical services in charge of agricultural extension in the field of good nutrition, sensitisation/training of beneficiary households and the general public to good nutritional practices, setting up/strengthening of Nutrition Support Groups (GSAN);
  • Specific studies (e.g. on characteristics of storage warehouses);
  • Identification of agroecological approaches and practices within IPRO projects and recommendations to strengthen these aspects.

Technical assistance to the STP-PNIP:

  • Harmonisation of procedures among the various small-scale irrigation projects in Mali;
  • Coordination of sub-sector stakeholders (government/administration on national, regional level, international donors, private sector);
  • Coordination of financial management of the projects and the financing of the PNIP, incl. support to preparation of funding;
  • Reporting on the advancement of the PNIP, including updating the M&E system for PNIP and the development of a sectoral budgetary data base;
  • Secretariat of the National Orientation and Monitoring Committee (CNOS);

Other activities:

  • Development of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for all IPRO projects, including a Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) in accordance with World Bank, KfW and Malian standards;
  • Provision of sanitary and hygienic equipment and implementation of an anti-COVID19 awareness and information campaign;
  • Management of various disposition funds;
  • Monitoring and evaluation of project activities, results and impacts, including remote monitoring based on drone images and capacity building of client staff in drone technology;
  • Capitalisation of experiences and communication and visibility activities;
  • Reporting.
Ministry of Agriculture, National Directorate for Rural Development

BMZ / European Union / USAID, through KfW

04/2017 – 07/2022
Contract value: 8,494,427 €