Webinar: Water Governance, Training and Gender in Agriculture: A Case Study from Tajikistan
Channel: Agrilinks
Date: 2018-05-29

Impact evaluations help attribute outcomes to a development intervention, which can be an elusive connection. Feed the Future is excited to showcase findings from its recently completed impact evaluation that assessed the impact of Water Users Associations (WUAs) on water and land productivity, equity and food security in Tajikistan. The findings are of broad interest to anyone working in agricultural development, nutrition, women’s empowerment and water governance. 

At this Agrilinks seminar, evaluation leaders from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) discussed three streams of results:

1. For good water governance, duration of training and combined mechanisms are key. USAID-established WUA's in Tajikistan, which were trained over 20-24 months, performed mandated functions better than associations that were established with 3-6 months of training. However, since WUA's only serve private farms, combinations of formal and informal coordinating mechanisms may be necessary to reduce conflicts over water.

2. Female farmers need more training in the face of male emigration. Farms operated by untrained females when male farmers emigrated were less likely to pay their financial dues, sign a water contract and attend irrigation-planning meetings. The continued success of participatory irrigation in Tajikistan will depend on training female farmers to increase their capacities and capabilities.

3. Improving productivity for high-value crops requires extension. Results demonstrate that improved irrigation service alone is enough to boost staple production (cotton and wheat), while diversification into high-value crops requires both water delivery and agricultural extension services. An integrated approach is key in programs designed for improving agricultural productivity.

PRESENTERS
Soumya Balasubramanya, IWMI
Joseph Price, IWMI
Marie-Charlotte Buisson, IWMI
Tatiana Pulido, USAID Bureau for Food Security

https://www.agrilinks.org/event/training-water-governance-and-gender-agriculture-new-evidence-base