Water Governance, Training and Gender in Agriculture: A New Evidence Base
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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. Please join us May 24th, online or in person in the Washington, D.C. Ronald Reagan Building, to learn more!
At this Agrilinks seminar, evaluation leaders from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) will discuss three streams (pun intended!) of results:
- For good water governance, duration of training and combined mechanisms are key. USAID-established water user associations 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 water user associations only serve private farms, combinations of formal and informal coordinating mechanisms may be necessary to reduce conflicts over water.
- 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.
- 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.
Speakers
Soumya Balasubramanya
Senior Researcher in Environment and Development Economics
International Water Management Institute
Soumya Balasubramanya, PhD, is Senior Researcher in Environment and Development Economics at the International Water Management Institute—CGIAR. She uses economic methods to address environmental and development challenges in Asia and Africa. Her expertise in program evaluation and non-market valuation is based on ten years of field research in developing countries. Her work has been used by international aid agencies and financial organizations to inform investments and programs; and by governments in developing countries to design policy. She also has experience of fundraising; project and program management; and capacity building in developed and developing countries.
Joseph Price
Research Fellow
International Water Management Institute
Joseph Price is a researcher specializing in the politics of natural resources, conflict and local governance. He recently worked as a Research Fellow at the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka and Tajikistan, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and has produced publications and briefs for United Nations, government, private sector and public audiences. He holds an MPhil in International Relations and Politics at the University of Cambridge, for which he conducted field research on water conflict in Bolivia.
Marie-Charlotte Buisson
Researcher Environment and Development Economics
International Water Management Institute
Marie-Charlotte Buisson conducts research in Development Economics and Environmental Economics with a specialization in impact evaluation. She has expertise on sustainable management of natural resources, on the role of policy instruments and their relations with climate change and environmental sustainability. She also works on agriculture, gender and migration. Her competencies are anchored on more than ten years of extensive field research in Africa, South East Asia and Central Asia. Her work aims to support the design of investments and programs and to inform policy makers. She also contributes in building research capacity in developing countries. After five years with the International Water Management Institute—CGIAR she now works as an independent consultant.
Tatiana Pulido
Unit Leader, Feed the Future Country Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning
USAID Bureau for Food Security
Tatiana Pulido is the Unit Leader for country-focused Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in the Bureau for Food Security at USAID, which provides technical advisory services to over 35 Feed the Future missions in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She also serves as a technical advisor on market systems metrics for the Feed the Future initiative and for Uganda, Rwanda, and Tajikistan. Her responsibilities include management of two five-year impact evaluations on the effectiveness of key Feed the Future investments in Uganda and Tajikistan. Ms. Pulido has a B.A. with honors from Brown University, and a M.Sc. from Georgetown University.
Related Resources
Webinar Recording
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Webinar Chat Transcript
Webinar Presentation Slides
Webinar Presentation Audio
Q&A on Water Governance, Training and Gender in Agriculture: A New Evidence Base
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