Online SKOV seminar - Farmer-managed irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa - 18 November 2021

In the first half of this year, SKOV held two online seminars: the first on 'Good seed' and the second on 'The usefulness of applying fertilizers', both with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. The seminars were well attended by respectively around 100 and over 50 persons. The next seminar will deal with “Farmer-managed irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa” and is scheduled for 18 November 2021 at 16:00 h. Due to the expanding corona crisis, this seminar will take place online as well.

About the seminar

Over the decades there has been a lot of research on large-scale irrigation, but much less is known about how rural communities and small producers themselves take initiatives to irrigate their crops and achieve joint water management. Three scientists will lecture about their research and experiences in this field:

• dr ir Barbara van Koppen, principal researcher at IWMI in South Africa on poverty, gender and water. She leads research on community-driven water service delivery and water policies reform, also from a human rights perspective.
  16.05-16.25
• dr Hans Komakech, Center Director of “ WISE – Futures”,  and Senior Lecturer at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha. He is the specialist in Africa in the field of customary water tenure and farmer managed irrigation development.
  16.25-16.45
  dr Gert Jan Veldwisch, senior researcher and lecturer at WUR. His research focuses on the practice and policy of water management for agricultural use, including participatory irrigation development, agrarian changes, water grabbing and water justice.
  16.45-17.05

17.05-17.20 Discussion
17.20-17.45 informal exhange

Registration & location

Location: online via Teams (take note: this was a hybrid event at first but due to the expanding corona crisis, it is now online only).
Please register by sending an e-mail to janna.vanhoek@vanderwal@wur.nl.
You will receive the link to the Teams meeting after registration.

Next seminar

In addition, in December 2021, SKOV plans to hold a seminar on 'The influence of European and especially Dutch agricultural policy on the production conditions of the small farmer in Africa' with, among others, dr ir Niek Koning, senior lecturer at WUR.