A User Guide to the Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) Baseline Survey Data: Ethiopia & Tanzania

The project is led by the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M University, which models the potential for upscaling of small-scale irrigation and environmental impacts and builds capacity using the Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS). The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) led the baseline and endline data collection as well as analysis of the gender, nutritional, and health impacts of small-scale irrigation technologies, and the potential for upscaling of small-scale irrigation technologies to the national level in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania. The ILSSI baseline survey collected detailed household, individual, and plot-crop level data, including household roster, description of agricultural land, soil conservation, crop production, agricultural inputs, irrigation water sources, technologies, and practices, and sales of agricultural products. The survey also collected data on labor, livestock ownership, feed, and products, household income and expenditures, participation in social protection and development programs, shocks, dietary diversity, and anthropometry, health, food security, and water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). In Ethiopia, the sample for the household survey was drawn from four woredas (districts) in which IWMI/ILRI interventions on small-scale irrigation took place: Dangla and Bahir-Dar Zuria in Amhara Region, Lemo in SNNPR Region, and Adami Tulu in Oromia Region. For each of these woredas, a list of kebeles (villages) was obtained with data on population size and an assessment of suitability for irrigation based on the ex-ante suitability analysis conducted for the Agricultural Water Management (AWM) Solutions project. A document describing the methodology for small-scale irrigation analysis is included in the appendix. The ILSSI project is implemented in collaboration with local partners, including the Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions, Sokoine University of Agriculture, and University of Development Studies. The project aims to benefit farmers in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Ghana by improving effective use of scarce water supplies through interventions aimed at scaling small-scale irrigation for prosperity, nutrition, and women's empowerment. The baseline survey data were collected in Ethiopia (November 2014 – December 2014), Tanzania (June 2015 – July 2015), and Ghana (November 2015 – February 2016). The survey collected data on household composition, agricultural production, domestic water and sanitation, dietary diversity, and food security. The data were collected using a household roster, description of agricultural land, soil conservation, crop production, agricultural inputs, irrigation water sources, technologies, and practices, and sales of agricultural products. The survey data show that the majority of households in Ethiopia and Tanzania produce crops such as maize, beans, and sorghum. The most common irrigation practices in the two countries are flood irrigation and sprinkler irrigation. The survey also found that the majority of households in both countries use agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. The data also show that the majority of households in both countries experience shocks such as drought and floods. The ILSSI project aims to address the challenges faced by small-scale farmers in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Ghana by improving their access to water, increasing their productivity, and enhancing their livelihoods. The project will achieve this by scaling up small-scale irrigation technologies, improving agricultural practices, and enhancing the capacity of farmers to manage water resources. The project will also focus on women's empowerment and nutrition, by providing training and support to women farmers on irrigation management and nutrition-sensitive agriculture. The ILSSI project will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by improving food security, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable agriculture. The project will also contribute to the achievement of the African Union's Agenda 2063 by promoting agricultural development and improving the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in Africa.