Curated Content

This volume shares new data relating to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), with emphasis on experiences in Eastern and Southern Africa. The book is a collection of research by authors from over 30 institutions, spanning the public and private sectors, with specific knowledge on agricultural development in the region discussed. The material is assembled to answer key questions on the following five topic areas: (1) Climate impacts: What are the most significant current and near future climate risks undermining smallholder livelihoods? (2) Varieties: How can climate-smart varieties be delivered quickly and cost-effectively to smallholders? (3) Farm management: What are key lessons on the contributions from soil and water management to climate risk reduction and how should interventions be prioritized?  (4) Value chains: How can climate risks to supply and value chains be reduced? and (5) Scaling up: How can most promising climate risks reduction strategies be quickly scaled up and what are critical success factors? Readers who will be interested in this book include students, policy makers, and researchers studying climate change impacts on agriculture and agricultural sustainability. 

This brochure gives a short overview of the Maize lethal necrosis disease and provides the most important information on it.

A study was conducted to determine the influence of climate variability on livestock population dynamics in Kgalagadi district. Data on NAO, ENSO and SSTs indices were regressed and correlated against regional rainfall for kgalagadi region and livestock populations. Regional rainfall data was also related to livestock population dynamics. The results suggested that NAO, ENSO and SSTs were not good predictors of regional rainfall variability and livestock population dynamics (P > 0.05). The regional rainfall was highly variable and accounted for fluctuations on cattle and goat populations (P < 0.05) but not sheep population. Goat population appeared more sensitive to rainfall variability than other livestock species. Cattle death rate was also strongly influenced by rainfall variability whereas other livestock performance indicators were not significantly accounted for by rainfall variability. The results suggest that management need to be improved to buffer impact of climate variability on livestock population.

The eastern communal conservancies are situated along the western fringe of the Kalahari basin. Under a very short rainfall gradient, the vegetation abruptly changes from microphyllous Acacia-dominated savannas to mesophyll savannas, dominated by Terminalia sericea and Combretum spp. We hypothesise that this is caused by changes in soil moisture availability brought about by changes in soil texture from loamy soils to deep sands (the ‘inverse texture effect’). For this analysis, we used vegetation and soils data derived from a recognisance survey of the natural resources of the study area. As the sites in the soil and vegetation surveys did not overlap, it was decided to use only synoptic data for the plant associations in the analysis. Non-metric multidimesional scaling ordination was utilised as ordination technique of the vegetation data and various environmental parameters, including soil texture, soil hydraulic parameters, climatic and fire regime parameters, were overlaid as biplots onto the resulting graph, as were various plant functional attributes particularly related to climatic conditions. The main environmental gradient identified within the study area is the rainfall gradient. This relatively short gradient, however, does not explain the marked change in vegetation observed within the study area. This change is attributed to the change in soil type, in particular, the soil texture and the associated soil hydraulic parameters of the soil. This gradient is closely correlated to leaf size, explaining the change from microphyll savannas to mesophyll savannas along the change from loamy to sandy soils. One of the lesser understood mechanisms for the survival of these mesophyll plants on sandy soils seems to be a deep root system, which is actively involved in water redistribution within the soil profile – by hydraulic lift, inverse hydraulic lift and stem flow.

North-central Namibia is more vulnerable to effects of climate change and variability. Combined effects of environmental degradation, social vulnerability to poverty and a changing climate will compromise subsistence farming in north-central Namibia (NCN). This will make subsistence and small-scale farmers in the region more vulnerable to projected changes in the climate system. Thus, the aim of this article was to examine factors contributing to subsistence farmers’ vulnerability to impacts of climate change. The article further discusses different aspects of human vulnerability and existing adaptation strategies in response to impacts of climate related disasters experienced over the past three to four decades in NCN. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches and methodology were employed to obtain information from subsistence farmers in north-central Namibia. The socio-demographic characteristics of Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati Region reveals high levels of unemployment, high adult and elderly population and high dependency on agricultural livelihood system. These indicators help understand levels of household vulnerability. The study concludes that households interviewed revealed low levels of adaptive capacity due to exposure to climate risks and combined effects of social, political and cultural factors. This article provided an understanding that is required to inform the adaptation pathways relevant for NCN.

These training materials have been produced to foster the capacity of key members of local communities to practically implement RWHI systems in a cost-efficient manner. The specific target group of these capacity building materials are local community members who are directly involved in the replication and scale-up of RWHI technologies and practices, i.e. local artisans and small-scale enterpreneurs in the field of rural water supply management and offseason small-scale irrigation on one hand, and educated smallholder farmers with previous knowledge and experience in this field who are interested to replicate and scaleup RWHI systems. Whereas these training materials are specifically tailored to members of local communities, the know-how and language used in this manual may not be suitable for uneducated readers.

Therefore, these training materials intend to provide a selection of key information and know-how that can be used to support proper planning, design and construction of cost-efficient RWHI technologies and practices in arid and semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Further, this manual also suggests other relevant technical manuals for local communities which specifically focus on each of the RWHI technologies and practices. It is strongly recommended that reference is also made to these materials with the help of experienced professionals in this field of knowledge.

These advanced training materials have been produced to foster the capacity of practitioners from private, nongovernmental and public sectors on one hand, and academics and scientists on the other, to practically implement cost-efficient RWHI technologies and practices in arid and semi-arid areas.

Therefore, these training materials intend to provide the required information to support proper planning, design and construction of cost-efficient RWHI technologies and practices, with special emphasis on the specific problems encountered in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Further, this manual also suggests relevant technical manuals which specifically focus on each of the RWHI technologies and practices. It is strongly recommended that reference is also made on this additional materials with help from experienced professionals in this field of knowledge.

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.