Small-scale Irrigation – Strengthening Irrigated Agriculture (IPRO-REAGIR) Component Dogon country, Koulikoro and Inner Delta (IPRODI

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 Dogon country and in Koulikoro, along with offices in Ouélessébougou and the Inner Delta (in the regions of Mopti and Timbuktu, IPRODI Component). The objective of the project is to contribute to the development of sustainable and profitable agriculture and to the strengthening of food security, for the benefit of economic and social stability in Mali. In total, more than 81,000 smallholder households have benefitted from the various measures to date.

The following main activities are implemented since 2015 (start of funding):

  • Construction of small-scale irrigation infrastructure on more than 460 sites, e.g. micro-dams, water-spreading weirs, village irrigation schemes, ponds and small-scale market gardening schemes (SMPs), including pilot SMPs with solar pumps, for a potential area of more than 35,000 ha;
  • Consolidation / rehabilitation of infrastructure on more than 480 sites for a potential area of more than 34,000 ha;
  • Construction / rehabilitation of 166 km of rural roads;
  • Construction of 30 storage warehouses with a total capacity of 5,600 t;
  • Implementation of soil and water conservation measures: environmental protection works and anti-erosion measures such as sills, stone barriers and reforestation, implementation of biological protection of the irrigation schemes (windbreaks and hedgerows);
  • Supply of agricultural equipment (bins, carts, motor pumps, etc.) and inputs (seeds, fertilisers, etc.); 
  • Mobilisation and support to the population, including water user associations (WUAs) / farmers' organisations (management committees, cooperative societies), in all phases of implementation and with a view to the operation, maintenance and valorisation of these infrastructures. In total, more than 40,000 people have participated in the various trainings to date.

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 remote management, monitoring and verification (RMMV) of the IPRODI and REAGIR Pays Dogon Components, given the fragile security situation in the intervention zones;
  • 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).
 

Type of services provided:

Infrastructure Component:

  • Mobilisation and organisation of the population and participatory planning of the investment measures;
  • Selection of consulting offices for the development of all necessary studies and documentation for the tender process for the works, including environmental and social impact studies;
  • Selection of contractors for the implementation of works;
  • Attribution of markets and control and reception of works;
  • Organisation of the contribution of the beneficiaries (financial and technical contribution in the form of non-qualified labour);

Infrastructure / Engineering component:

  • Mobilisation and organisation of the population;
  • Participatory planning of investment measures with local authorities and deconcentrated technical services, inclusion of requests in the Social, Economic and Cultural Development Plans (PDSEC);
  • Development and implementation of a participatory approach for the construction, maintenance and valorisation of the infrastructure;
  • 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; IPRODI: Food for Work);
  • Implementation of market garden irrigation schemes for women with solar pumping (pilot schemes);
  • IPRODI: Development of a fodder crop integration concept (Pastoral Irrigation Schemes) to integrate livestock into the IPRO concept); adaptation of reforestation measures for CO² neutralisation.

Accompanying measures / Valorisation Component:

  • Provision of agricultural inputs and equipment, including bio-fertiliser testing, dissemination of results to supervision staff in collaboration with decentralised technical services, and to beneficiaries; promotion of bio-fertiliser use and planning of ongoing innovations; identification of needs and provision of quality seeds of improved varieties adapted to climate change;
  • Organisation and management of tenders for service providers such as NGOs and local consultants; contract management and supervision of services; preparation, management and supervision of collaboration protocols with decentralised technical services;
  • Support to the creation and capacity building of water user associations (management committees) and farmers’ organisations for the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure as well as for anti-erosion measures;
  • Support and advice to farmers in good agricultural production, processing and marketing (agronomy, technical itineraries, conservation, value chains, nutrition), incl. farmer field schools;
  • Elaboration of rules/ conventions for the exploitation of newly developed land;
  • Organisation of producer experience exchange visits;
  • Specific studies (e.g. on the profitability of motor pumps).

Other activities:

  • Management of the various disposition funds, of the and rice and mechanisation trust funds and support to their privatisation;
  • For the IPRODI Component (Inner Delta): Continuous development and implementation of the Remote Management, Monitoring and Verification (RMMV) System, including satellite images and other GIS tools, etc.; continuous adaptation of the security concept;
  • Drone monitoring, development of drone atlases, development and implementation of a knowledge transfer concept in the field of remote sensing and drones;
  • Development of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for all IPRO projects, including the Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) in accordance with World Bank, KfW and Malian regulations;
  • Provision of sanitary and hygienic equipment and implementation of an anti-COVID19 awareness and information campaign;
  • Capitalisation of experiences and communication and visibility activities;
  • Reporting.
 
Direction National du Génie Rural (DNGR) du Ministère de l’Agriculture
Canadian Cooperation and BMZ through the KfW
04/2017 – 12/2022
Contract value: 11,757,419 €