SDG 2 – Zero hunger

• Target 2.3. – By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
  • Indicator 2.3.1 – Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
  • Indicator 2.3.2 – Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

The National Irrigation Program with a Watershed Approach (PRONAREC) promotes an integrated water-resources management (IWRM) framework from a community-based approach.

Target: Indigenous populations, women and family farmers. Eligible beneficiaries of PRONAREC were communities with established or in the process of establishing WUAs that fulfilled certain criteria : (i) proof of legal status , (ii) evidence of access to water rights for irrigation granted by the authorities , (iii) a signed agreement with the local government to operate and maintain the irrigation infrastructure, (iv) commitment to contribute at least 10%. Eligible communities submitted the required documentation to justify the projects’ viability from an environmental, technical, legal, and socio-economic  perspective. Also, the proposals included a watershed management plan. Ultimately, the final review and approval of the projects were performed by the Governorates, the National Fund for Productive Investment and the VRHR (Viceministry for Water REsources and Irrigation).

Intervention: In 2009, the Government of Bolivia implemented the first phase of the National Irrigation Program with a Watershed Approach (PRONAREC), followed by a second phase approved in 2013. The general objective of PRONAREC is to boost agricultural income and productivity of rural households by expanding the area of farm land under irrigation and improving efficiency in the use and distribution of water for agricultural purposes through the development of community based irrigation systems . The National Irrigation Program with a Watershed Approach (PRONAREC) promotes an integrated water – resources management (IWRM) framework from a community – based approach. To achieve its objectives, the program financed public infrastructure investments for the construction and rehabilitation of community – based irrigation systems. It also provided technical assistance for the use and maintenance of the irrigation infrastructure , as well as for the adoption of new and more profitable agricultural practices. It is important to mention that the program financed only communal – public infrastructure. As such, farmers were responsible for making private on-farm investments to capture the benefits of the program fully. These investments included on-farm irrigation channels, pipes, irrigation pumps and other investments as needed.

The main activities financed by the program include:

1. Financing of community infrastructure for the development for irrigation systems (i.e. water dams, irrigations channels);
2. Technical assistance for the management of the infrastructure and the efficient use of water resources; and
3. Technical assistance for the adoption of new agricultural practices (i.e. higher value crops).

Access to public irrigation infrastructure is expected to trigger private farm-level investments in order to increase land under irrigation. These private investments include the construction of on-farm channels, water pumps, water pipes, etc. The implementation of on-farm private investments and the expansion of land under irrigation are expected to raise the value of agricultural production twofold:

1. First, higher value of production can result from higher yields caused by an increase in the number of harvests per agricultural season. Less dependability on rainfed agriculture allows farmers to harvest more than one season and therefore, increase production.
2. Second, an increase in the value of production can result from a crop portfolio transformation: less risky agriculture due to access to irrigation generates incentives for farmers to plant crops with higher market value.

This agricultural transformation is reinforced through the technical assistance and training provided to program beneficiaries on marketing and agroeconomic practices, and to WUAs on plot irrigation, watershed protection, management, and system operation and maintenance .

Finally, access to irrigation is expected to strengthen farmers’ linkages with markets as increased agricultural production can be allocated to market sales, boosting agricultural productivity and income. The program aims to finance works and acquisitions within the following areas of intervention:

1. Strengthening strategies and mechanisms for water resource management with a watershed approach: this will include activities aimed at conserving water sources and their efficient use in irrigation systems, as well as strengthening mechanisms for the management and implementation of watershed management approaches linked to irrigation systems;
2. Technical assistance: aimed at optimizing the use of irrigation systems, enhancing the organizational and operational capacities of water user organizations, and improving the agricultural productivity of beneficiaries. This will include:
   • (a) Technical assistance in the proper use and maintenance of irrigation systems;
   • (b) Training to improve producers’ decisions on crop selection and management, as well as identifying marketing opportunities; and
   • (c) A gender approach;
3. Investments for the development of community irrigation with a watershed approach: this will include the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of community irrigation systems in the seven departments suitable for irrigation, benefiting a set of communities that meet eligibility criteria to be established in the operational regulation. These investments (to be carried out outside the producers’ plots) will represent around 80% of the total cost of the operation.

Technical quality of designs. The designs of irrigation systems presented by local governments and municipalities frequently fall short in terms of quality, and must be improved. This problem is due primarily to the shortage of specialized staff and financial resources in at the municipality and communal levels. The required adjustments and supplements place a heavy burden on the program technical team, leading to greater costs and longer execution times. The pre-investment and project supervision mechanisms must be specified in detail, Additionally, pre-investment (adjustments or new designs) must be review and conducted by an specialized technical team. Lastly, technical capacities for identifying and supporting irrigation projects will be reinforced.

Technical assistance for beneficiaries. A key factor for project success and sustainability is to provide support and coaching for irrigators during the execution of the works and subsequent technical assistance.

Involvement of beneficiaries. The success of irrigation projects requires the active participation of beneficiaries at all stages. PRONAREC beneficiaries are involved from the project proposal phase, in program design, in the financing through their personal contribution (in cash or in labor) and in operation and maintenance. To reinforce the degree of project ownership by the Irrigators’ Organizations, this program works with them to focus their contribution on implementing the watershed approach.

Watershed Approach. To ensure sustainability of water resources, irrigation projects must include a watershed approach. This component seeks to ensure the sustainability of water resources and to impart information and knowledge for the proper planning of irrigation investments. It will include financing of: (i) the design and dissemination of Local Water Use Plans; (ii) training for technical staff in formulating projects with a watershed approach; (iii) implementation of strategies for irrigation-watershed articulation at the national level and irrigation-watershed-production articulation at the subnational level; (iv) management of the Water Resource Information System (SIRH) by the departmental governments; (v) priority studies for managing water for irrigation purposes; and (vi) small-scale meteorological stations for better management of the resource.

Access to irrigation; Public works, employment guarantee schemes and direct job creation including community development programmes; Pro-poor access to agricultural inputs, technology and knowledge; Support to livelihood diversification; Climate resilient agricultural technologies

Bolivian Ministry of Environment and Water and Vice Ministry for Water Resources and Irrigation

Inter American Development Bank (IADB)

National with a local, community-based, involvement

The implementation of PRONAREC began in 2009 by the Bolivian Ministry of Environment and  Water (MMAyA) and its  Vice  Ministry  for  Water  Resources  and  Irrigation ( VRHR ) .  The program has been implemented in two phases. The first phase (PRONAREC I) started  the  construction and  rehabilitation of  infrastructure  for  irrigation systems  in  2010. The projects were spread throughout  Bolivia in the departments of Cochabamba, La Pa z, Chuquisaca, Oruro, Potosi, Santa Cruz, and Tarija. Projects from the first phase finalized their construction on different dates ranging from 2011-2015. The second phase of the program (PRONAREC II) started the construction of public irrigation infrastructure in 2014.

The governance included a gender approach, as follows:

The process of integrating a gender approach for was developed through participatory processes, starting with the recognition of the inequalities and differences between men and women that exist in the specific contexts of the projects, as communities are generally heterogeneous rather than harmonious groups. This participatory process should begin with the technicians involved in the different stages of the project cycle, who must be fully convinced of the importance of integrating the gender approach at all stages of the project.

Data: The process of integrating a gender approach must have a baseline established at the beginning of the project cycle, as this is the only way to have indicators that allow us to measure whether the gender inequality gap between men and women has been reduced. However, the introduction of the gender approach should not mean the development of additional activities outside those planned; rather, these should be integral components of the whole. Therefore, it is essential to understand that this approach must be incorporated from the outset of the projects, and the baseline will serve as the starting information that enables the formulation of objectives and targets to be achieved regarding gender equity in each project, allowing for the visualization of results in this area during the operational phase of the irrigation projects.

In general terms, this baseline should enable:

• Analyzing Project Specificities: Each project context has its own particularities, stemming from differentiated gender demands related to the use of infrastructure.
• Analyzing Gender Roles: This includes examining access to resources, employment, water usage, and the distribution of benefits and products, as well as roles in domestic, productive, and community activities, decision-making, and other aspects related to inequalities between men and women at both the family and community levels.
• Analyzing Limitations: Investigate the limitations arising from the lack of joint ownership in organizations.
• Analyzing Risks: Identify potential negative impacts that interventions may have on men and women.
• Building Indicators: Develop monitoring and evaluation indicators with the participation of both men and women.
• Analyzing Responses: Examine how men and women, individually and collectively within their water user organization, respond internally and externally when external factors influence the project or organization.

Based on the analysis of this situation, a small plan for integrating the gender approach should be developed that responds to the specificities of each project while always linking to higher-level objectives. It is important to establish simple gender indicators that allow for measuring the changes produced at the end of the projects and during the operational phase.

Participatory Approach

To achieve this, a series of considerations should be made when planning events, including:

• Encouraging Participation: Both men and women should be motivated to participate, ensuring that participation is not merely physical presence but also includes women expressing their concerns and positions. To facilitate this, it is suggested to conduct separate group work (for women and men).
• Event Timing: The schedules of events should consider times when both women and men can participate without neglecting other important activities.
• Event Methodology: The methodology should take into account that many women in communities may be at a disadvantage due to limited access to formal education, using tools that do not require advanced literacy skills.
• Avoiding Increased Workload: Involving women in projects should not come at the cost of increasing their already heavy workload. Field technicians should motivate both men and women to analyze gender relations within their households, fostering an attitude shift for shared roles in all domestic, productive, community, and other activities. This will ultimately improve women’s positions and increase their participation in decision-making at various levels.

Institutional Mechanisms

To achieve genuine impacts in equal access and opportunities for women and men in irrigation systems, the following support mechanisms need to be implemented:

• Establishing Strategic Alliances: Collaborate with institutions and/or professionals to strengthen the capacities of technicians responsible for providing support and technical assistance in integrating the gender approach.
• Incorporating Gender Tasks: Include specific gender-related tasks in the terms of reference for all stakeholders involved in pre-investment, project execution, support, and technical assistance, with a key objective of promoting and ensuring joint ownership in water user organizations.
• Training for Women: Provide training for women in water user associations on leadership, self-esteem, and technical skills.
• Adequate Technical Support: Develop proper follow-up and technical support from the UCEP of PRONAREC III during the support and technical assistance stages in irrigation projects.
• Incentives for Gender Equity: Establish incentives for projects that achieve better results in gender equity.
• Dissemination of Successful Projects: Create and distribute audiovisual and printed materials about successful projects to encourage replication in other initiatives.

The program has been implemented in two phases. The first phase (PRONAREC I), financed a total of 54 community-based irrigation  systems (projects) that covered more than 9,000 hectares of incremental land and benefited 10,500 families, approximately.

The second phase of the program (PRONAREC II), financed an estimated total of 75 community-based irrigation systems, covering more than 10,500 hectares of land and benefiting approximately 13,192 families. PRONAREC III was approved in 2016 and PRONAREC IV are currently under implementation (45,000 families in total).

First phase (PRONAREC I): Total cost of US$35.8 million

Second phase of the program (PRONAREC II): Total cost of US$77 million

Approximately between US$5000 to US$10,000 per family including infrastructure and technical assistance

None

https://www.iadb.org/en/whats-our-impact/BO-L1106