The ACTION project concerns the development of irrigable agricultural potential in Mali and consists of constructing and rehabilitating hydro-agricultural infrastructure and complementary agricultural and fish farming infrastructure, as well as providing technical assistance for the sustainable use of irrigated land and the valorisation of its produce. The project supports Mali’s National Small-scale Irrigation Programme (PNIP).

Its overall objective is to improve the economic, food and nutritional security of the rural poor, especially women and youth, who practice small-scale irrigation in the regions of Koulikoro, Kayes and Mopti. More specifically, the project aims at

• equitably increasing productivity, production and income (agricultural, fish farming and small livestock) of male and female producers;
• improving the ecological potential of water and soil and of the resilience of producers to climate change;
• adopting good food and nutrition practices by women and children;
• improving the inclusive institutional governance of the small-scale irrigation sector in Mali.

The following activities are planned to be carried out:

• Construction and/or rehabilitation of 77 hydro-agricultural infrastructures (AHA), such as micro-dams, water-spreading weirs and dam-bridges (total irrigation potential of 2,355 ha);
• Construction of 77 market garden schemes with solar pumping (154 ha) and 616 large diameter wells;
• Construction of complementary infrastructure such as 96 km of rural roads, 8 storage warehouses;
• Environmental protection and anti-erosion measures (approx. 800 ha; reforestation, stone barriers, windbreaks, other water and soil conservation techniques);
• Fish farming measures in 29 micro-dams sites (ponds, floating cages, smoking ovens, etc.);
• Mobilisation and support to the population, including farmers' organisations (dam management committees and cooperatives for storage warehouses), training of users, in all phases of the construction and operation, maintenance and valorisation of these infrastructures;
• Raising awareness of 2,280 women to the risks of malnutrition / health and hygiene and diversification of crops;
• Design and implementation of a Remote Management, Monitoring and Verification (RMMV) system for the location and remote verification of the state of construction works and agricultural production results.

The various measures aim at an annual production of about 2,280 tons of paddy rice and 32,900 tons of market garden produce, produced by 16,150 producers, of which 4,850 are women (30%).

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

• Co-management of all measures. The Project's Implementation Unit and regional antennas are managed by a Regional Coordinator and an International Coordinator, and the project collaborates with the State's 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 built by the 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).

The project also includes technical assistance to the National Directorate for Rural Development (DNGR), the Permanent Technical Secretariat (STP) of the PNIP and the coordinating entities of Mali’s small-scale irrigation sector, such as the National Orientation and Monitoring Committee (CNOS) and the Regional Technical Coordination Committees (CTRC).