SWMnet STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PRIORITY SETTING (For 2005 – 2015)

1. SWMnetSTRATEGIC PLANNING AND PRIORITY SETTING (For 2005 – 2015) REPORT Presented to the 31st Meeting of the ASARECA Committee of Directors 20 – 24 January 2005, Dar es Salaam

2. INTRODUCTION • Summary of the process • Identified domains • People, opportunities, constraints and existing results – examples • SWMnet SPPS process and the elements of a strategy • Identification of themes and ranking • Emerging priorities • Recommendations

3. SWMnet SPPS Process • Initial Consultations (1997 – 2003) • Formulation of SWMnet Strategy • Revision of Sub-themes in Response to ASARECA NRM Strategy and Priorities • Stakeholders’ workshop – 45 pax – 30% women • Scoring approach • Plenary discussions and result ranking

4. Identified Domains and Themes • Four major domains • Land • Water • Climate • Knowledge Management • Adopted the NRM-Thematic Results as SWMnet level themes

5. People, opportunities, constraints and existing results – examples • Fertility management and improvements • Soil and Water Conservation • Rainwater harvesting • In-situ • Runoff farming • Small storage • Irrigation Development

6. Very Limited Use of Fertilizers

7. SWC DOMINATED BY EROSION CONTROL

8. LAND RATHER THAN PEOPLE An example of SWC statistics of the past - Eritrea (1992-2000)†.

9. Where does the Rainwater GO?

10. Capturing the Rain where it Falls • Optimise infiltration • Increase water holding capacity • Efficient up-take by plants - volume • Enhance productivity – value

11. Many Small Reservoirs more Beneficial After CSE

12. Grain yield (Kg/ha/mm) Promising Results After LAMP After ICARDA

13. Increase Returns with Runoff and Storage Returns by Farmers are encouraging

14. So What is the Problem? Poor Linkage to Markets

15. Water, Land Use and Livelihoods Interaction

16. Loss of Important Wetlands and Water Catchments Reduced Productivity of Land Resources Off-site Damages to Enterprises and Assets Accelerated Degradation of Land and Water Resources Poor Matching of Resource Capabilities and Use Poor Land Use and Management Practices Inadequate Attention to True Costs of Degradation and True Benefits of Conservation Inadequate mapping capabilities Escalating poverty Limited integration of hard and soft solutions Low returns to inputs Poor understanding of economics of degradation & conservation Challenging characteristics (steep slopes, high intensity rainfall) Inadequate knowledge Limited stock of best-bet options Un-equitable resource tenure Limited ownership of NRM projects by communities Poor upstream – downstream relations Resulting Constraints Trees – an Example

17. Knowledge – Impact Gap

18. Low Contribution of Research to Developmental Impacts Low Returns to Research Investments Limited Utilization of Proven S&WM Options Weak institutions and social Capital for improvement Low Capacities and Competencies Poor knowledge Management and Sharing Lack of communities’ of practices Inadequate professional development Lack of harmonized & regional public good knowledge base Poor governance in S&WM Weak postgraduate training Little contribution to global S&WM knowledge bases by ECA Scientifics Low availability of modern tools and approaches Little understanding of learning processes and barriers to scaling-up Limited collaboration & partnerships across institutions and countries Limited capacity among researchers for broking & scaling-up K.I.T Reasons for Low Utilization of What is Known

19. VISION Landand Water Resources in ECA are utilized sustainably to reduce poverty through profitable agriculture MISSION to assist stakeholders in the ECA sub-region to gain access and effectively utilize the best, locally or globally generated knowledge, information and technologies on soil and water management, through effective networking and collaboration between national, regional and international organizations VISION AND MISSION OF SWMnet

20. Our Strategy is to: • Identify and prioritize research areas through effective networking of stakeholders • Enlist capable and smart research scientists • Link and network the researchers among themselves and to the world, for most effective utilization of capacity • Obtain or leverage funds to support research activities • Facilitate knowledge sharing and effective use of research results

21. Agreed Sub-themes

22. CROSS-CUTTING SUB-THEMES • Strengthened capacity through short and long-term training • Increased social capital for effective S&WM • Networking, coordination and partnerships • Accessible knowledge base of best-bet S&WM options • Effective knowledge management and sharing • Brokering of the best options from any source but specifically through south-south partnerships

23. The Ranking Process – similar to NRM

24. RANKING - RESULTS

25. Identified priorities responding to global and regional priorities Low and unreliable availability of soil-moisture the major challenge Variability of rainfall which is becoming worse with climate change Low and declining soil fertility Social, economic, NR integration of interventions, sectors and actors - the way forward Scaling-up and utilization of integrated solutions CONCLUSIONS

26. A: Governance – joint RSC Must have teeth, e.g. fully involved in CGS Include non-traditional stakeholders and partners B: Regionally coordinated project management Strengthened RCU – T & A A “fishnet” structure – networking even what you do not coordinate The CGS principles on coordinated projects C: Sustainability of funding through impact Remain flexible in responding to global, regional and country priorities A good balance of diagnostic-action-applied & strategic research Twinning agreements RECOMMENDATIONS – BUSINESS PLAN

27. RECOMMENDATION Cont… • Effective linkages to the private sector • Special attention to scaling up & uptake promotion – knowledge brokering • Leveraging in-kind contributions and on-going activities. We kindly request considerations and approval of CD