Conveners
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands,
University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe,
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niamey, Niger,
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya,
Department of Irrigation, Harare, Zimbabwe,
Instituto Superior Politécnico de Gaza, Gaza, Mozambique
Irrigation remains a critical enabler for food security, improved rural livelihoods, and resilience to climate and socio-economic shocks in African drylands. However, progress is constrained by inadequate finances and limited means of accessing and abstracting water from locally available water storage sources. Sand rivers offer a nature-based storage solution for substantial subsurface water, providing a cost-effective, climate-resilient option for resource-poor smallholder farming families in arid and semi-arid areas. Yet, these systems remain underutilized due to technical, financial, knowledge, and institutional gaps. The session will focus on existing and alternative financing and investment pathways, where farmers initiate irrigation development using their own resources, and how these investments can be blended and complemented by governments and development partners. This bottom-up, farmer-led approach has the potential to catalyze scalable and inclusive irrigation expansion sustainably.
This special session aims to convene researchers, experts, policymakers, development partners, the private sector, and local practitioners to examine the untapped potential of sand rivers and farmer-led irrigation investments in accelerating irrigation development in African drylands. The session directly contributes to the central theme of the 2025 WaterNet Symposium, specifically Sub-Themes 1 (Water–Land–Energy–Agriculture Nexus) and 3 (Water Governance and Investments).
The session will showcase research findings, practical case studies, and policy innovations that demonstrate how sand rivers and farmer-led financing initiatives can unlock irrigation potential in water-scarce regions. It will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss enabling policies, technical challenges, and institutional frameworks needed to mainstream this approach.
The objectives of this session are to:
The session will have about 30–40 participants from research institutions, government agencies, NGOs, and financing and development partners. The session will create a space for cross-sectoral dialogue, knowledge exchange, and foster the development of practical solutions for sustainable irrigation development.
Programme
Time | Activity/ Title of abstract | Facilitator/Presenter | Mode of Presentation |
OPENING REMARKS | |||
08:00-08:05 | Welcome, introductions and session objectives | Tanyaradzwa Gumbo | In-person |
08:05-08:15 | Overview of A4Store Project and Importance of Sand Rivers in African Drylands | Pieter van der Zaag | In-person |
08:15-08:35 | Keynote speech on farmer-led irrigation | World Bank | In-person |
PRESENTATIONS | |||
08:35-08:45 | Where rivers pretend to sleep – mapping ephemeral sand rivers in the West African Sahel | Axel Belemtougri | In-Person |
08:45-08:55 | Assessing the sand river alluvial aquifer hydrodynamics and storage potential | Paulo Saveca | In-person |
08:55-09:05 | Question and Answer Session | ||
09:05-09:15 | Farmer-led irrigation: diversity, dynamics and support opportunities | Annelieke Duker | In-person |
09:15-09:25 | Characterisation of Smallholder Irrigation from Sand River Aquifers in Niger | Salifou Bachir | In-person |
09:25-09:35 | Comparative analysis of smallholder irrigation investments along the Thuli River in the Mzingwane Catchment, Zimbabwe | Moline Chauruka | In-person |
0935-0945 | Planting for Change: Smallholder farmers' investment in irrigation along sand rivers. | Tanyaradzwa Gumbo | In-person |
09:45-09:55 | Question and Answer Session | ||
CLOSING REMARKS | |||
09:55-10:00 | Key take-aways and acknowledgements | Fridah Kirimi | In-person |
Conveners
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands,
University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe,
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niamey, Niger,
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya,
Department of Irrigation, Harare, Zimbabwe,
Instituto Superior Politécnico de Gaza, Gaza, Mozambique
Irrigation remains a critical enabler for food security, improved rural livelihoods, and resilience to climate and socio-economic shocks in African drylands. However, progress is constrained by inadequate finances and limited means of accessing and abstracting water from locally available water storage sources. Sand rivers offer a nature-based storage solution for substantial subsurface water, providing a cost-effective, climate-resilient option for resource-poor smallholder farming families in arid and semi-arid areas. Yet, these systems remain underutilized due to technical, financial, knowledge, and institutional gaps. The session will focus on existing and alternative financing and investment pathways, where farmers initiate irrigation development using their own resources, and how these investments can be blended and complemented by governments and development partners. This bottom-up, farmer-led approach has the potential to catalyze scalable and inclusive irrigation expansion sustainably.
This special session aims to convene researchers, experts, policymakers, development partners, the privat ...
Virtual 3 26th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWPSA Symposium waternet@waternetonline.orgTechnical Issues?
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