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These recommendations are a compilation of 2 regional studies at sub-Saharan Africa level which focused on research and technology transfer in the field of rainwater harvesting irrigatio nmanagement on one hand (section 3), and effective policy recommendations on the use of rainwater for off-season small-scale irrigation on the other (section 4). The regional studies upon which this transnational study is based come from the analysis of national studies in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The overall goal of the research and technology transfer strategy is to foster the replication, transfer and scaling up of innovative, cost-efficient and market-oriented RWHI technologies and practices in arid and semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, this report aims to discuss different technology transfer options in order to encourage uptake of innovative technologies and practices in this field of knowledge.

The main goal of the policy recommendations is to foster the replication, scaling-up and market-uptake of RWHI technologies and practices, and the inclusion of RWHI management into regional, national and local agricultural, irrigation and rural water management policies. The focus area is sub-Saharan Africa with a special emphasis on Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This is meant to support a market-oriented replication and scalingup of RWHI management in sub-Saharan Africa, and contribute to policy reforms that adequately recognise the role of rainwater harvesting for off-season small-scale  irrigation  in arid and semi-arid areas.

This study has been produced with the overall goal to document and analyse exisiting best practices in the field of RWHI management in sub-Saharan Africa, with a special focus on Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This is meant to determine the suitability of RWHI management under multivariate biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. The best practices include specific information and know-how on the performance, cost-efficiency and impacts of RWHI technologies. This information and know-how intends to contribute on the capitalisation of successful and unsuccessful experiences in the field of RWHI management in order to identify best practices which can then be replicated, adapted, improved and scaled-up, leading to greater impacts and benefits on one hand, and effective policies and investments on the other.

This report is part of the AFRHINET project under the ACP-EU Cooperation Programme in Science and Technology (S&T II). The overall aims of the project are to enhance options for sustainable integration of rainwater harvesting for irrigation through understanding adoption constraints and developing networks for capacity building and technology transfer.

The main goal of the baseline study was to conduct a capacity and technology transfer assessment in the field of rainwater harvesting for irrigation management. The national baseline studies were conducted through an extensive literature review, in-depth key informant interviews with representatives of stakeholder institutions and experts in the field of rainwater harvesting management and small-scale irrigation. Relevant information was also collected in the field and during national multi-stakeholder workshops, where information and experiences of relevant stakeholders was shared.

This is the edited version of the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) webinar held late October 2015.

This video shows the panel discussion and summary part of the webinar “A case of advisory services: climate information supporting farmers’ decision-making – PICSA approach”.

In this webinar recording, Graham Clarkson, University of Reading, presents the initial results of PICSA (Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture) in Ghana, Rwanda, Malawi and Tanzania. His presentation is followed by questions and answers by the participants.

In this webinar recording, Peter Dorward, University of Reading, presents the PICSA (Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture) approach. His presentation is followed by questions and answers by the participants.

Based on CSA practices, prioritized in national and regional workshops, a study was conducted using historical data collected by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and its national partners to better understand the benefits and challenges of CSA technologies and to assess their feasibility for a large outscaling initiative in southern Africa. The specific objective of the study was to assess their economic, biophysical, environmental and social benefits using existing available long-term data. For completeness a summary of challenges in their implementation was also provided.

This Pilot Study is a summry to address increasing threats of climate change and declining soil fertility, a cross regional agronomic study was conducted in southern Africa, covering 19 on-farm communities in contrasting agro-ecologies ranging from around 500 mm to more than 1800mm of rainfall. The 19 on-farm communities have been under long-term research by CIMMYT and national partners in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The aim of this study was to assess how different climate-smart agriculture technologies perform under a variable climate and to pilot new doubled-up legume systems of groundnuts with pigeonpea in 6 selected target communities.

This study examines the vulnerability to climate variability and change of the conventional maize value chain in the mid and low altitude agro-ecological zones of Malawi, agro-ecological zone II of Zambia and agro-ecological zone III of Zimbabwe. The aim is to develop feasible priorities and strategies for climate variability and change adaptation based on farmer preference. A literature review for the countries Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe was conducted to assess the current and future impact of climate change and variability on the smallholder farming system. A mix of methods, which included participatory vulnerability assessment tools, focus group discussions and key informant interviews among 108 farmers from five communities, complemented the literature review. Data were collected on the current and likely future impacts and sensitivity of the systems and adaptation capacities.