Water, Land and Ecosystems - Malawi

Scaling up Index-based Flood Insurance (IBFI) for agricultural resilience and flood-proofing livelihoods in developing countries

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 11:36:32 +0000

TypeReport

Languageen

Authors

Amarnath, Giriraj
Malik, Ravinder Paul Singh
Taron, Avinandan

This research report presents the first comprehensive framework of business models in terms of developing, marketing and scaling Index-based flood insurance (IBFI). The report evaluated ten case studies on agricultural insurance schemes (macro, meso and micro levels), globally, to develop public-private partnership business models for creating value (product development) and capturing value (product marketing). This report highlights four broad groups of interrelated factors that influence the uptake and scaling of agricultural insurance: (i) behavioral factors that influence farmers’ enthusiasm to invest in insurance; (ii) financial factors that stipulate governments’ willingness to provide financial support; (iii) legal and regulatory factors, which set ground rules for fair business and govern their adherence by stakeholders; and (iv) facilitating factors, including product design and development, business models, research and development, data availability, and awareness creation, which help ensure an efficient supply of insurance services. In summary, the report highlights the need for designing innovative IBFI and its potential benefits for uptake, and efforts for implementing IBFI as a potential risk transfer tool for comprehensive climate risk management among small-scale and marginal farmers.

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Amarnath, Giriraj; Malik, Ravinder Paul Singh; Taron, Avinandan. 2021. Scaling up Index-based Flood Insurance (IBFI) for agricultural resilience and flood-proofing livelihoods in developing countries. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 68p. (IWMI Research Report 180) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2021.213]

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114748

The nutritional quality of cereals varies geospatially in Ethiopia and Malawi

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 11:37:09 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Subjects

Food Security
Smallholders
Soil

Languageen

Authors

Gashu, D.
Nalivata, P. C.
Amede, T.
Ander, E. L.
Bailey, E. H.
Botoman, L.
Chagumaira, C.
Gameda, S.
Haefele, S. M.
Hailu, K.
Joy, E. J. M.
Kalimbira, A. A.
Kumssa, D. B.
Lark, R. M.
Ligowe, I. S.
McGrath, S. P.
Milne, A. E.
Mossa, A. W.
Munthali, M.
Towett, Erick K.
Walsh, M. G.
Wilson, L.
Young, S. D.
Broadley, M. R.

Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa1,2,3,4,5, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons4,5,6. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales. Soil and environmental covariates of grain micronutrient concentrations included soil pH, soil organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography, which were specific to micronutrient and crop type. For rural households consuming locally sourced food—including many smallholder farming communities—the location of residence can be the largest influencing factor in determining the dietary intake of micronutrients from cereals. Positive relationships between the concentration of selenium in grain and biomarkers of selenium dietary status occur in both countries. Surveillance of MNDs on the basis of biomarkers of status and dietary intakes from national- and regional-scale food-composition data1,2,3,4,5,6,7 could be improved using subnational data on the composition of grain micronutrients. Beyond dietary diversification, interventions to alleviate MNDs, such as food fortification8,9 and biofortification to increase the micronutrient concentrations in crops10,11, should account for geographical effects that can be larger in magnitude than intervention outcomes.

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Gashu, D.; Nalivata, P. C.; Amede, T.; Ander, E. L.; Bailey, E. H.; Botoman, L.; Chagumaira, C.; Gameda, S.; Haefele, S. M.; Hailu, K.; Joy, E. J. M.; Kalimbira, A. A.; Kumssa, D. B.; Lark, R. M.; Ligowe, I. S.; McGrath, S. P.; Milne, A. E.; Mossa, A. W.; Munthali, M.; Towett, E. K.; Walsh, M. G.; Wilson, L.; Young, S. D.; Broadley, M. R. 2021. The nutritional quality of cereals varies geospatially in Ethiopia and Malawi. Nature. 594(2021)71–76. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03559-3

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114213

Solutions

Understanding smallholder irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: results of a sample survey from nine countries

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Shah, Tushaar
Verma, S.
Pavelic, Paul

Smallholder irrigation is emerging as a development priority in Sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a survey of 1554 smallholders from nine countries, this paper compares rainfed farming with gravity-flow, manual-lift and motor-pump irrigation. Motor-pump-irrigation farmers reported the highest net value added per acre and per family worker, with gravity-flow and manual-irrigation farmers earning marginally more than rainfed-only farmers. In addition to making affordable pumps more readily available, improving the availability of working capital, enhancing security of tenure and ensuring the availability of affordable fuel are all likely to accelerate smallholder irrigation development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Citation

Shah, Tushaar; Verma, S.; Pavelic, Paul. 2013. Understanding smallholder irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: results of a sample survey from nine countries. Water International, 38(6):809-826. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2013.843843

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Limited Access

Research Themes

Land and Water Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40310

Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

Regions

Middle Africa

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Vanlauwe, Bernard
AbdelGadir, Abdel Aziz H.
Adewopo, J.
Adjei-Nsiah, Samuel
Ampadu-Boakye, T.
Asare, R.
Baijukya, Frederick P.
Baars, E.
Bekunda, Mateete A.
Coyne, Danny L.
Dianda, M.
Dontsop Nguezet, Paul M.
Ebanyat, Peter
Hauser, S.
Huising, Jeroen
Jalloh, A.
Jassogne, Laurence T.P.
Kamai, N.
Kamara, A.
Kanampiu, F.K.
Kehbila, A.
Kintche, K.
Kreye, C.
Larbi, Asamoah
Masso, C.
Matungulu, P.
Mohammed, I.
Nabahungu, L.
Nielsen, F.
Nziguheba, Generose
Pypers, Pieter
Roobroeck, D.
Schut, Marc
Taulya, Godfrey
Thuita, Moses N.
Uzokwe, Veronica N.E.
Asten, Piet J.A. van
Wairegi, L.W.I.
Yemefack, Martin
Mutsaers, H.J.W.

Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The scope, content, and approaches of soil and soil fertility management research have changed over the past decades in response to lessons learnt and internal and external drivers and this paper uses IITA as a case study to document and analyse the consequences of strategic decisions taken on technology development, validation, and ultimately uptake by smallholder farmers in SSA. After an initial section describing the external environment within which soil and soil fertility management research is operating, various dimensions of this research area are covered: (i) ‘strategic research’, ‘Research for Development’, partnerships, and balancing acts, (ii) changing role of characterization due to the expansion in geographical scope and shift from soils to farms and livelihoods, (iii) technology development: changes in vision, content, and scale of intervention, (iv) technology validation and delivery to farming communities, and (v) impact and feedback to the technology development and validation process. Each of the above sections follows a chronological approach, covering the last five decades (from the late 1960s till today). The paper ends with a number of lessons learnt which could be considered for future initiatives aiming at developing and delivering improved soil and soil fertility management practices to smallholder farming communities in SSA.

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Vanlauwe, B., AbdelGadir, A.H., Adewopo, J., Adjei-Nsiah, S., Ampadu- Boakye, T., Asare, R. ... & Mutsaers, H.J.W. (2017). Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 1-19.

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Open Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/89406

Groundwater availability and use in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of 15 countries

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

Regions

Southern Africa

TypeBook

Languageen

Authors

Pavelic, Paul
Giordano, Mark
Keraita, Bernard N.
Ramesh, Vidya
Rao, Tamma

Traditionally, the spread and extent of human settlement beyond the major riparian zones of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and across many other arid regions of the world, has been determined by availability of groundwater supplies, accessed through hand-dug wells andsprings. In more recent times, groundwater is the preferred means of supplying water to meet the growing demand of the rural, dispersed communities and the small urban towns across SSA. It is estimated that about 100 million of the rural population throughout SSA areserviced by groundwater for domestic supplies and livestock rearing (Adelana and MacDonald, 2008), with most of the villages and small towns having access to groundwater supplies (Masiyandima and Giordano, 2007).

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Pavelic P, Giordano M, Keraita B, Ramesh V, Rao T, eds. 2012. Groundwater availability and use in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of 15 countries. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/33844

Soyabean response to rhizobium inoculation across sub-Saharan Africa: Patterns of variation and the role of promiscuity

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

Regions

Middle Africa
Southern Africa

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Heerwaarden, Joost van
Baijukya, Frederick P.
Kyei-Boahen, S.
Adjei-Nsiah, Samuel
Ebanyat, Peter
Kamai, N.
Woldemeskel, Endalkachew
Kanampiu, F.K.
Vanlauwe, Bernard
Giller, Ken E.

Improving bacterial nitrogen fixation in grain legumes is central to sustainable intensification of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. In the case of soyabean, two main approaches have been pursued: first, promiscuous varieties were developed to form effective symbiosis with locally abundant nitrogen fixing bacteria. Second, inoculation with elite bacterial strains is being promoted. Analyses of the success of these approaches in tropical smallholder systems are scarce. It is unclear how current promiscuous and non-promiscuous soyabean varieties perform in inoculated and uninoculated fields, and the extent of variation in inoculation response across regions and environmental conditions remains to be determined. We present an analysis of on-farm yields and inoculation responses across ten countries in Sub Saharan Africa, including both promiscuous and non-promiscuous varieties. By combining data from a core set of replicated on-farm trials with that from a large number of farmer-managed try-outs, we study the potential for inoculation to increase yields in both variety types and evaluate the magnitude and variability of response. Average yields were estimated to be 1343 and 1227 kg/ha with and without inoculation respectively. Inoculation response varied widely between trials and locations, with no clear spatial patterns at larger scales and without evidence that this variation could be explained by yield constraints or environmental conditions. On average, specific varieties had similar uninoculated yields, while responding more strongly to inoculation. Side-by side comparisons revealed that stronger responses were observed at sites where promiscuous varieties had superior uninoculated yields, suggesting the availability of compatible, effective bacteria as a yield limiting factor and as a determinant of the magnitude of inoculation response.

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van Heerwaarden, J., Baijukya, F., Kyei-Boahen, S., Adjei-Nsiah, S., Ebanyat, P., Kamai, N., ... & Giller, K. (2018). Soyabean response to rhizobium inoculation across sub-Saharan Africa: patterns of variation and the role of promiscuity. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 261, 211-218.

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/88072

A hybrid approach to decolonize formal water law in Africa

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeReport

Languageen

Authors

Koppen, Barbara C.M. van
Schreiner, B.

In recent decades, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have pursued national water permit systems, derived from the colonial era and reinforced by “global best practice.” These systems have proved logistically impossible to manage and have worsened inequality in water access. A new study conducted by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Pegasys Institute, with support from the UK government, traces the origins of these systems, and describes their implementation and consequences for rural smallholders in five countries – Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The authors of this report propose a hybrid water use rights system to decolonize Africa’s water law, lighten the administrative burden on the state and make legal access to water more equitable. This would strengthen smallholder irrigation, which is vital for boosting Africa’s food production and making it more resilient in the face of worsening drought.

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van Koppen, Barbara; Schreiner, B. 2018. A hybrid approach to decolonize formal water law in Africa. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI).. 45p. (IWMI Research Report 173) doi: 10.5337/2018.219

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/97845

A Guide for participatory mapping of ecosystem services in multiuse agricultural landscapes: How to conduct a rapid spatial assessment of ecosystem services

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeManual

Languageen

Authors

Braslow, Juliet
Cordingley, Justine E.
Snyder, Katherine A.

This guide presents a step-by-step approach in using a participatory mapping method with community members to rapidly identify and map ecosystem services and changes in their supply across multiuse agricultural landscapes. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies and researchers can use this approach to learn from communities about how they use and access natural resources. This activity uses a landscape approach to help land management practitioners understand the ways in which people depend on and access ecosystem services and how changes in their availability impact livelihoods across the landscape. The mapping exercise involves using free, high resolution satellite imagery from Google Earth Pro, which presents an aerial view of the community in fine detail. Participants from the community in question identify key features on the map, which help them to understand the extent of the area the map represents. They are then led through a discussion on their resources such as water, livestock, cultivated land and uncultivated land. Through the discussion participants identify: (1) where resources are located on the landscape and how they are used; (2) changes in the supply of resources and how these changes are impacting livelihoods; and (3) restrictions to access, conflicts over use and management of each resource in question. Mapping with different groups, such as men, women and youth can show which resources are most important to different groups as well as differences in access and perceptions of change. The mapping exercise is intended to take between two and a half and three hours: including introductory and concluding discussions can add on another two hours. This guide presents examples and tips from mapping exercises that tested this approach in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania. We outline how this mapping exercise could be used in research, development and planning. Additionally, this guide includes appendices that contain: (1) a detailed explanation of how to create maps for each activity; (2) a set of materials that have been developed to accompany the mapping exercise; (3) steps for digitizing the maps (4) case study examples; and (5) additional sources of information.

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Braslow, Juliet; Cordingley, Justine; Snyder, Katherine. 2016. A Guide for participatory mapping of ecosystem services in multiuse agricultural landscapes: How to conduct a rapid spatial assessment of ecosystem services. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, CO. 96 p. (Publicación CIAT No. 424)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77762

Monitoring changes in the cultivation of pigeonpea and groundnut in Malawi using time series satellite imagery for sustainable food systems

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Subjects

Agricultural production
Decision support systems
Food Security
Food systems
Policy
Smallholders

Languageen

Authors

Gumma, Murali K.
Tsusaka, T.W.
Mohammed, I.
Chavula, G.
Ganga, R. N. V. P. R.
Okori, P.
Ojiewo, C. O.
Siambi, M.
Varshney, Rajeev K.
Whitbread, Anthony M.

Malawi, in south-eastern Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Food security in the country hinges on rainfed systems in which maize and sorghum are staple cereals and groundnut and pigeonpea are now major grain legume crops. While the country has experienced a considerable reduction in forest lands, population growth and demand for food production have seen an increase in the area dedicated to agricultural crops. From 2010, pigeonpea developed into a major export crop, and is commonly intercropped with cereals or grown in double-up legume systems. Information on the spatial extent of these crops is useful for estimating food supply, understanding export potential, and planning policy changes as examples of various applications. Remote sensing analysis offers a number of efficient approaches to deliver spatial, reproducible data on land use and land cover (LULC) and changes therein. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products (fortnightly and monthly) and derived phenological parameters assist in mapping cropland areas during the agricultural season, with explicit focus on redistributed farmland. Owing to its low revisit time and the availability of long-term period data, MODIS offers several advantages, e.g., the possibility of obtaining cloud-free Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) profile and an analysis using one methodology applied to one sensor at regular acquisition dates, avoiding incomparable results. To assess the expansion of areas used in the production of pigeonpea and groundnut resulting from the release of new varieties, the spatial distribution of cropland areas was mapped using MODIS NDVI 16-day time-series products (MOD13Q1) at a spatial resolution of 250 m for the years 2010–2011 and 2016–2017. The resultant cropland extent map was validated using intensive ground survey data. Pigeonpea is mostly grown in the southern dry districts of Mulanje, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Blantyre and Mwanza and parts of Balaka and Chikwawa as a groundnut-pigeonpea intercrop, and sorghum-pigeonpea intercrop in Mzimba district. By 2016, groundnut extent had increased in Mwanza, Mulanje, and Phalombe and fallen in Mzimba. The result indicates that the area planted with pigeonpea had increased by 29% (75,000 ha) from 2010–2011 to 2016–2017. Pigeonpea expansion in recent years has resulted from major export opportunities to Asian countries like India, and its consumption by Asian expatriates all over the world. This study provides useful information for policy changes and the prioritization of resources allocated to sustainable food production and to support smallholder farmers

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Gumma, M. K.; Tsusaka, T. W.; Mohammed, I.; Chavula, G.; Ganga, R. N. V. P. R.; Okori , P.; Ojiewo, C. O.; Varshney, R.; Siambi, M.; Whitbread, A. 2019. Monitoring changes in the cultivation of pigeonpea and groundnut in Malawi using time series satellite imagery for sustainable food systems. Remote Sens. 11(12):1475 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121475

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/108723

Solutions

Between interests and worldviews: the narrow path of the Mekong River Commission

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Suhardiman, Diana
Giordano, Mark
Molle, Francois

Hydropower development is occurring at a rapid, though controversial, pace in the Mekong. We highlight the role of scientific assessment in shaping the Mekong hydropower debate, taking the strategic environmental assessment of the twelve planned mainstream dams as a case study. While environmental impact assessments are designed as science-based decision-making tools, they have often been criticized in practice as a political means to justify already made development decisions. In this case we demonstrate how the Mekong River Commission, operating in a constrained political environment, has instead used environmental impact assessment as a way of providing political space and opening the discussion on dams to a wider public. The main argument of this paper is that scientific assessment can be politically maneuvered to shape governance alliances at both national and transboundary levels, and to a certain extent democratize decision-making processes.

Citation

Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, M.; Molle, Francois. 2014. Between interests and worldviews: the narrow path of the Mekong River Commission. Environment and Planning C-Government and Policy, 33(1), 199–217. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1068/c11191

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Limited Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/58421