1 call for applications wm 29 jan 2013

Learning Route on “Sustainable Water Management” Egypt, 10th – 17th of March, 2013

KARIANET II – PROCASUR Learning Route Programme

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A Learning Route is a continuous process of training in the field organized thematically around successful experiences, case studies and best practices on innovative rural and local development in which local actors themselves become trainers.

Call for Applications

The PROCASUR – KariaNet Learning Route Programme The present activity is organized by KariaNet (IDRC-‐IFAD partnership, www.karianet.org ) and PROCASUR (www.procasur.org). It brings together two knowledge brokers to increase knowledge sharing and the scaling up of best practices in agriculture and rural development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Two Learning Routes will take place in the framework of this programme:

-‐ Farmers´ Organizations in Morocco (25th February – 4th March 2013)

-‐ Sustainable Water Management in Egypt (10th -‐17th March 2013).

A Learning Route on Sustainable Water Management Within this framework, PROCASUR Corporation and KariaNet, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and IDRC, in partnership with ICARDA, launch the Learning Route on Sustainable Water Management, an training aimed to increase the knowledge of development practitioners and decision-‐makers in rural devdelopment, by learning about some of the best field-‐tested practices in sustainable water management in Egypt.

In addition to the field-‐based study, exchange and learning, each participant is required to develop an Innovation Plan to be put into practice after the Learning Route.

Innovative Solutions for Water Management: This learning Route will be hosted by:

-‐ West Nubaria Rural Development Project (IFAD) -‐ East Delta Agricultural Services Project (WB and IFAD)

The focus will be on three innovative practices in water management developed by the ICARDA



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Benchmark project, which has adapted irrigation techniques to specific soil and water characteristics of three agro-‐ecological areas commonly found in MENA region and in the irrigated Nile delta (New Land, Old Land, marginal Land).

The three technological packages developed by ICARDA in the three agro-‐ecological areas are:

-‐ Deficit irrigation in new lands of West Nubaria -‐ Water saving through mechanized raised bed in old lands of Sharkia -‐ Water-‐Soil management in marginal areas of Port Said

The different ICARDA benchmark packages are aimed at improving water saving and maximize irrigation water productivity in sustainable irrigated agricultural cropping system. The project addresses socio-‐economic activities to enhance adoption and management by the farmers and has established solid linkages with other projects to scale-‐up the adoption of the technological packages at a wider level. The technological packages have a high potential to be scaled out in other countries of the MENA region characterized by similar agro-‐ecological areas.

The Learning Route´s objectives: This Learning Route´s main objective is to improve understanding, application and on-‐farm adoption of innovative irrigation packages to improve water management and water saving in different agro-‐ecological areas in Egypt.

The specific objectives are:

1. Identify key elements of different irrigation packages and adapted to specific soil and water characteristics of different agro-‐ecological areas in Egypt.

2. Understand the adoption and scaling –up at on-‐farm level of irrigation packages, and their socio-‐economic impacts on the livelihood of the small-‐farmers;

3. Understand social aspect of water management in the three different agro-‐ecological zones, including roles and responsibilities of Water Management (WM) at all levels;

Hosting cases The Learning Route will be hosted by the following case studies:

Experience Description Main lessons and innovations

1. West Nubaria Rural Development Project (WNRDP -‐ IFAD) and ICARDA Benchmark research project, in New Lands of West Nubaria, Egypt

New lands have been created in West Nubaria in the early nineteen eighties, when the Egyptian state accomplished roads and irrigation infrastructures in the desert. By law, more than 9000 graduates and renters from the Delta region resettled in West Nubaria, where they received a house and 2.5 hectares of irrigated, but poor and sandy land. Many of them managed to overcome starting up problems, by adapting agricultural techniques. The farmers in the newly created communities come from different regions in the Delta and community management of irrigation infrastructures (pumps and irrigation canals) is challenging.

The West Nubaria Rural Development Project (WNRDP), started in 2003 with funds from IDS, IFAD and the Egyptian government, is providing support to farmers of the area by improving the irrigation systems and by facilitating the adoption and the scaling up of new technologies and innovations in water irrigation, amongst which the deficit irrigation package, developed by ICARDA.

Water saving techniques in farming are crucial in desert areas. The deficit irrigation package developed by ICARDA has enormous potential to save water without loss of production and to solve water shortage problems in the community based irrigation systems.

The case shows the importance of individual perseverance and success stories to scale-‐up innovations and adoption of water saving techniques to other farmers inhabiting the project area and replicable in similar environments in the region.



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2. East Delta Agricultural Services Project (EDASP -‐ IFAD and WB) and ICARDA Benchmark research project, in Marginal Lands of Port Said, Egypt.

In the northern Delta soils, salinity is higher than normal, especially in lands that used to be flooded frequently or incidentally by the sea. Evaporation can increase the problem. Crops cultivated in this area that have proven to be tolerant or semi-‐ tolerant to salinity are rice, maize and cotton in summer and wheat, barley and clover in winter. Also sugar beet is an appropriate crop for the northern Delta. The solution for reducing salinity is leaching. This is a slow process, and the many light clay soils of the region have salt concentrations ranging from 4 to 64 dS/m (>3 is already considered high for most crops).

The EDASP project, started in 2000, aims at providing services for 29,000 families of newly settled graduates on 130,000 acres reclaimed in East Delta Region, and also to increase their agricultural production. The project offers many services to the farmers of the area, amongst which it is promoting and scaling up the adoption of the Soil amendment package developed and promoted by the ICARDA benchmark project, which is a combination of raised-‐bed farming with extra fertilization/compost subsidized.

The case shows that good application of new techniques highly depends on organization and management by the farmers themselves. These are enforced by the will to work together and familiarity with each other (farmers in this region have been migrated from the same place).

Capacity-‐building provided by the EDASP project supported the water management structures at community level and helped to improve the livelihoods of farmers. The case shows that a water user association can play an important role in equal water distribution and negotiations if there is good cooperation and management amongst its members.

The experience demonstrates the value of integrated water and soil management by organized farmers in situations of marginal

land.

3. ICARDA Benchmark research project in Old Lands of Sharkia

The old lands in the Delta region must nourish many people, for population rates are high and agricultural plots are small. Most farmers have between 0,5 and 2,5 acres of land. Since ancient times, people have practiced flood and gravity irrigation here to grow maize, rice, cotton, wheat and fava beans. Because of population pressure and climatic hazards, more farmers face problems of water shortages and digging wells is their reaction. Most irrigation works are on farm and individually managed.

Raised-‐bed techniques require less water, less seed and less fertilizer while provide more production. Mechanized raised-‐bed farming also saves time and permits to work bigger surfaces. The case shows a good example of adapt and adopt simple and affordable technologies. The importance of farmers seeing the benefits of the techniques through field demo and clear communication between farmers and researchers to know the real needs of farmers and facilitate the technology transfer.

Dates and locations The Learning Route will be carried out between the 10th and the 17th of March 2013 travelling across three different agro-‐ecological areas in Egypt.

Before and after the Learning Route it will be mandatory for participants to take part in the on-‐line activities for thematic induction and peer-‐to-‐peer support.

Participants’ profile Development practitioners interested in participating are invited to apply by February 15th, 2013. The selection committee will give preference to:

• Applicants from the different countries of the MENA region where KariaNet is working, namely: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen;

• Applicants working on Water Management with a potential for successful innovation plans and decision-‐making power to implement these; (This will be assessed on the basis of the application forms and if needed on the basis of prior interviews or consultation);

• Gender balance: equal chances will be given to male and female applicants;

• Young adults (under 30 years) are encouraged to apply;



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• Priority will be given to applications coming from KariaNet network members and IDRC and IFAD-‐funded projects in the 10 eligible countries;

• The remaining participants will be selected amongst relevant stakeholders, namely: water users associations, private sector, governmental representatives, researchers, practitioners and project technical staff;

• It is expected that the majority of the participants will be able to cover their travel and participation fee to the Learning Route – partial or full scholarships can be extended only to a

maximum of 15 participants per route.

Inscription and Queries The training fee is USD 400 per participant, which includes all the technical and operational services required within March 10th (arrival to Cairo) to March 17th (departure from Cairo) 2013 such as:

• Lodging in individual rooms in three stars hotels or equivalent from March 10th to March 17th.

• Technical and operational assistance before, during and after the training

• Three daily meals from March 10th to 17th. • Payment of experts and teachers.

• Terrestrial transportation in Egypt, including airport pickup at the arrival and departure

• Pedagogical materials

• Simultaneous translation in Arabic -‐ English

• Travel insurance from March 10th to 17th.

Each participant must cover his/her travel expenses to get to and come back from Cairo (where the Route starts and ends).

Each participant is responsible for acquiring the Egypt entry Visa, if required. PROCASUR/KariaNet will provide basic assistance (invitation letters, information on hosting organisations and follow-‐up by focal points).

The organizers of the Programme have established a limited Scholarship Fund that may cover the fee (full of partially) and/or the international travel costs of those who are unable to cover it. Interested candidates to benefit from the fund are invited to apply accordingly, providing a justification for this need (see the document Scholarship application).

Early application is encouraged; deadline is February 15th, 2013. If you are interested, please submit the following forms:

1. application form; 2. scholarship form (if requested); 3. commitment letter.

You will be informed of the result of your application on February 22nd, 2013.

For more information please e-‐mail us: Guillèn Calvo, [email protected] Viviana Sacco, [email protected] Hammou Laamrani, [email protected] Web: www.procasur.org www.karianet.org

We will be pleased to assist you!

1 call for applications wm 29 jan 2013

Documents