West African Irrigation Development and Management Agencies (WAIDMA)

Why West African Irrigation Development and Management Agencies (WAIDMA)?

WAIDMA are a major actor in irrigation in West Africa. They act as a link between the sectorial ministries in charge of irrigation within countries and the irrigators in large so-called "public" irrigation schemes, which are generally co-managed by the WAIDMA (irrigation administration) and the users, who are often organised in associations and/or producer groups. WAIDMA are the heirs of a long history that began during the colonial period or when African countries gained independence. Their missions have evolved significantly over time, particularly due to criticism of their ability to manage the schemes under their responsibility in a way that supports the development of productive irrigated agriculture while also consuming water resources efficiently. What is needed now is to collectively re-think the future of these organisations and reinvent the place they should have in a sector undergoing profound change.

What do we do?

Since the beginning of COSTEA in 2013, we have been participating in and facilitating the work of reflection carried out between 11 WAIDMA in 6 countries of the Sahel Irrigation Initiative (Bagrépôle and AMVS in Burkina Faso, Office du Niger, ODRS, OPIB and ORS in Mali, SONADER in Mauritania, ONAHA in Niger, SAED and SODAGRI in Senegal, and ANADER in Chad), farmer-irrigators and their organisations, local authorities, professional structures and NGOs involved in irrigated agriculture and working in the areas of action of the 11 WAIDMA.

Public bodies, project owners and managers of large hydro-agricultural systems, as well as their partners in these territories, can thus acquire the methods and tools to become key actors in the SAHEL Irrigation Initiative, and so significantly contribute to achieving the objectives of the Dakar Declaration of October 2013. In relation to WAIDMA, we are specifically studying four themes: the transfer of management to irrigators in the areas of action of WAIDMA; the management of irrigation and land tenure in the areas of action of WAIDMA; the involvement of WAIDMA in the organisation of value chains and the role of WAIDMA in project ownership.

FURTHER READING

the West African network of Planning Agencies and Irrigation Management (ROA-WAIDMA) POSTER

You can consult the Dakar Declaration of October 2013

You can read the Framework Paper (both in French) for our WAIDMA actions

WORK ON VALUE CHAIN ORGANISATION:  Terms of Reference

ACK International was recruited in September 2020 for being in charhge of this action. You can consult :

WORK ON TRANSFERRING MANAGEMENT TO IRRIGATORS: Terms of Reference

Since 2020, the GRET and SCP consortium is in charge of this work. You can consult its:

WORK ON THE MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION AND LAND TENURE: Terms of Reference (in French)

Sylvatrop Consulting has been the service provider for this work since September 2020. You can discover its:

WORK ON THE MANAGEMENT OF PROJECT OWNERSHIP: Terms of Reference

CACG and SCP have been in charge of this work since March 2021. You can consult :

COSTEA PUBLICATIONS :

Comparative diagnosis of eleven West African Irrigation Development and Management Agencies (AMVS, ANADER, BAGRÉPÔLE, ODRS, ON, ONAHA, OPIB, ORS, SAED, SODAGRI, SONADER)  BAZILE AC, VENNAT B and VENOT JP – 2020