WAHARA

Water Harvesting for Rainfed Africa: investing in dryland agriculture for growth and resilience

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'WAHARA will take a transdisciplinary approach to develop innovative, locally adapted water harvesting solutions with wider relevance for rainfed Africa. Water harvesting technologies play a key role in bringing about an urgently needed increase in agricultural productivity, and to improve food and water security in rural areas. Water harvesting technologies enhance water buffering capacity, contributing to the resilience of African drylands to climate variability and climate change, as well as to socio-economic changes such as population growth and urbanisation. To ensure the continental relevance of project results, research will concentrate on four geographically dispersed study sites in Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Zambia, covering diverse socio-economic conditions and a range from arid to sub-humid climates. The project emphasizes: i) participatory technology design, i.e. selecting and adapting technologies that have synergies with existing farming systems and that are preferred by local stakeholders, yet tap from a global repertoire of innovative options; ii) sustainable impact, i.e. technologies that combine multiple uses of water, green and blue water management, and integrated water and nutrient management. Using models, water harvesting systems will be designed for maximum impact without compromising downstream water-users, contributing to sustainable regional development; iii) integration and adaptability, i.e. paying attention to the generic lessons to be learned from local experiences, and developing guidelines on how technologies can be adapted to different conditions; and iv) learning and action, i.e. a strategy will be developed to enable learning and action from successes achieved locally: a. within a region, to upscale from water harvesting technologies to water harvesting systems, and b. across regions, promoting knowledge exchange at continental scale.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Water harvesting technologies (WHTs) have the potential to improve productivity and food security in Africa. Now, researchers are testing different methods for water harvesting across Africa.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The African agricultural sector has to deal with a rapidly growing population, climate change and limited access to water. WHTs could help relieve the pressure on African farmers by increasing the amount of water available for agriculture.

The EU-funded 'Water harvesting for rainfed Africa: Investing in dryland agriculture for growth and resilience' (http://www.wahara.eu (WAHARA)) project aims to test innovative and locally adapted WHT solutions in Africa. Study sites in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Zambia will address a range of climates and socioeconomic conditions.

A WHT decision tool was created to quickly choose the most suitable WHT for a given location, based on bio-physical conditions. Household surveys were also conducted at each study site to better understand the local socioeconomic conditions.

In collaboration with stakeholder groups, several WHTs were selected, adapted to local conditions where necessary, and installed at each site.

WHTs are now being monitored for their impact on crop productivity and water security at the various study sites. Ultimately, WAHARA aims to improve the livelihood of rural communities and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices in Africa.