Call for Applications - ICARDA

Learning Route on 

“Sustainable Water Management” 

Egypt, 10 th – 17 th of March, 2013 

KARIANET II – PROCASUR Learning Route Programme 

Call for Applications 

The PROCASUR – KariaNet Learning Route Programme 

The present activity is organized by KariaNet (IDRC-‐IFAD partnership, www.karianet.org ) and PROCASUR 

(www.procasur.org). It brings together two knowledge brokers to increase knowledge sharing and the 

scaling up of best practices in agriculture and rural development in the Middle East and North Africa 

(MENA). Two Learning Routes will take place in the framework of this programme: 

-‐ 

-‐ 

Farmers´ Organizations in Morocco (25th February – 4th March 2013) 

Sustainable Water Management in Egypt (10th -‐17th March 2013). 

A Learning Route on Sustainable Water Management 

Within this framework, PROCASUR Corporation and KariaNet, 

supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development 

(IFAD) and IDRC, in partnership with ICARDA, launch the Learning 

Route on Sustainable Water Management, an training aimed to 

increase the knowledge of development practitioners and decision-makers 

in rural devdelopment, by learning about some of the best 

field-‐tested practices in sustainable water management in Egypt. 

In addition to the field-‐based study, exchange and learning, each 

participant is required to develop an Innovation Plan to be put into 

practice after the Learning Route. 

A Learning Route is a continuous 

process of training in the field 

organized thematically around 

successful experiences, case 

studies and best practices on 

innovative rural and local 

development in which local 

actors themselves become 

trainers. 

Innovative Solutions for Water Management: 

This learning Route will be hosted by: 

-‐ 

-‐ 

West Nubaria Rural Development Project (IFAD) 

East Delta Agricultural Services Project (WB and IFAD) 

The focus will be on three innovative practices in water management developed by the ICARDA 

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Benchmark project, which has adapted irrigation techniques to specific soil and water characteristics of 

three agro-‐ecological areas commonly found in MENA region and in the irrigated Nile delta (New Land, 

Old Land, marginal Land). 

The three technological packages developed by ICARDA in the three agro-‐ecological areas are: 

-‐ 

-‐ 

-‐ 

Deficit irrigation in new lands of West Nubaria 

Water saving through mechanized raised bed in old lands of Sharkia 

Water-‐Soil management in marginal areas of Port Said 

The different ICARDA benchmark packages are aimed at improving water saving and maximize irrigation 

water productivity in sustainable irrigated agricultural cropping system. The project addresses socio-economic 

activities to enhance adoption and management by the farmers and has established solid 

linkages with other projects to scale-‐up the adoption of the technological packages at a wider level. The 

technological packages have a high potential to be scaled out in other countries of the MENA region 

characterized by similar agro-‐ecological areas. 

The Learning Route´s objectives: 

This Learning Route´s main objective is to improve understanding, application and on-‐farm adoption of 

innovative irrigation packages to improve water management and water saving in different agro-ecological 

areas in Egypt. 

The specific objectives are: 

1. Identify key elements of different irrigation packages and adapted to specific soil and water 

characteristics of different agro-‐ecological areas in Egypt. 

2. Understand the adoption and scaling –up at on-‐farm level of irrigation packages, and their 

socio-‐economic impacts on the livelihood of the small-‐farmers; 

3. Understand social aspect of water management in the three different agro-‐ecological zones, 

including roles and responsibilities of Water Management (WM) at all levels; 

Hosting cases 

The Learning Route will be hosted by the following case studies: 

Experience Description Main lessons and innovations 

1. West Nubaria Rural 

Development Project 

(WNRDP -‐ IFAD) and 

ICARDA Benchmark 

research project, in 

New Lands of West 

Nubaria, Egypt 

New lands have been created in West Nubaria in 

the early nineteen eighties, when the Egyptian 

state accomplished roads and irrigation 

infrastructures in the desert. By law, more than 

9000 graduates and renters from the Delta region 

resettled in West Nubaria, where they received a 

house and 2.5 hectares of irrigated, but poor and 

sandy land. Many of them managed to overcome 

starting up problems, by adapting agricultural 

techniques. The farmers in the newly created 

communities come from different regions in the 

Delta and community management of irrigation 

infrastructures (pumps and irrigation canals) is 

challenging. 

The West Nubaria Rural Development Project 

(WNRDP), started in 2003 with funds from IDS, 

IFAD and the Egyptian government, is providing 

support to farmers of the area by improving the 

irrigation systems and by facilitating the adoption 

and the scaling up of new technologies and 

innovations in water irrigation, amongst which the 

deficit irrigation package, developed by ICARDA. 

Water saving techniques in farming are 

crucial in desert areas. The deficit 

irrigation package developed by ICARDA 

has enormous potential to save water 

without loss of production and to solve 

water shortage problems in the community 

based irrigation systems. 

The case shows the importance of 

individual perseverance and success 

stories to scale-‐up innovations and 

adoption of water saving techniques to 

other farmers inhabiting the project area 

and replicable in similar environments in 

the region. 

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2. East Delta Agricultural 

Services Project 

(EDASP -‐ IFAD and WB) 

and ICARDA 

Benchmark research 

project, in Marginal 

Lands of Port Said, 

Egypt. 

3. ICARDA Benchmark 

research project in Old 

Lands of Sharkia 

In the northern Delta soils, salinity is higher than 

normal, especially in lands that used to be flooded 

frequently or incidentally by the sea. Evaporation 

can increase the problem. Crops cultivated in this 

area that have proven to be tolerant or semi-‐ 

tolerant to salinity are rice, maize and cotton in 

summer and wheat, barley and clover in winter. 

Also sugar beet is an appropriate crop for the 

northern Delta. The solution for reducing salinity is 

leaching. This is a slow process, and the many light 

clay soils of the region have salt concentrations 

ranging from 4 to 64 dS/m (>3 is already 

considered high for most crops). 

The EDASP project, started in 2000, aims at 

providing services for 29,000 families of newly 

settled graduates on 130,000 acres reclaimed in 

East Delta Region, and also to increase their 

agricultural production. The project offers many 

services to the farmers of the area, amongst which 

it is promoting and scaling up the adoption of the 

Soil amendment package developed and 

promoted by the ICARDA benchmark project, 

which is a combination of raised-‐bed farming with 

extra fertilization/compost subsidized. 

The old lands in the Delta region must nourish 

many people, for population rates are high and 

agricultural plots are small. Most farmers have 

between 0,5 and 2,5 acres of land. Since ancient 

times, people have practiced flood and gravity 

irrigation here to grow maize, rice, cotton, wheat 

and fava beans. Because of population pressure 

and climatic hazards, more farmers face problems 

of water shortages and digging wells is their 

reaction. Most irrigation works are on farm and 

individually managed. 

The case shows that good application of 

new techniques highly depends on 

organization and management by the 

farmers themselves. These are enforced by 

the will to work together and familiarity 

with each other (farmers in this region 

have been migrated from the same place). 

Capacity-‐building provided by the EDASP 

project supported the water management 

structures at community level and helped 

to improve the livelihoods of farmers. The 

case shows that a water user association 

can play an important role in equal water 

distribution and negotiations if there is 

good cooperation and management 

amongst its members. 

The experience demonstrates the value of 

integrated water and soil management by 

organized farmers in situations of marginal 

land. 

Raised-‐bed techniques require less water, 

less seed and less fertilizer while provide 

more production. Mechanized raised-‐bed 

farming also saves time and permits to 

work bigger surfaces. The case shows a 

good example of adapt and adopt simple 

and affordable technologies. The 

importance of farmers seeing the benefits 

of the techniques through field demo and 

clear communication between farmers and 

researchers to know the real needs of 

farmers and facilitate the technology 

transfer. 

Dates and locations 

The Learning Route will be carried out between the 10 th and the 17 th of March 2013 travelling across 

three different agro-‐ecological areas in Egypt. 

Before and after the Learning Route it will be mandatory for participants to take part in the on-‐line 

activities for thematic induction and peer-‐to-‐peer support. 

Participants’ profile 

Development practitioners interested in participating are invited to apply by February 15 th , 2013. The 

selection committee will give preference to: 

• Applicants from the different countries of the MENA region where KariaNet is working, 

namely: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen; 

• Applicants working on Water Management with a potential for successful innovation plans and 

decision-‐making power to implement these; (This will be assessed on the basis of the application 

forms and if needed on the basis of prior interviews or consultation); 

• Gender balance: equal chances will be given to male and female applicants; 

• Young adults (under 30 years) are encouraged to apply; 

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• Priority will be given to applications coming from KariaNet network members and IDRC and 

IFAD-‐funded projects in the 10 eligible countries; 

• The remaining participants will be selected amongst relevant stakeholders, namely: water users 

associations, private sector, governmental representatives, researchers, practitioners and 

project technical staff; 

• It is expected that the majority of the participants will be able to cover their travel and 

participation fee to the Learning Route – partial or full scholarships can be extended only to a 

maximum of 15 participants per route. 

Inscription and Queries 

The training fee is USD 400 per participant, which includes all the technical and operational services 

required within March 10 th (arrival to Cairo) to March 17 th (departure from Cairo) 2013 such as: 

• Lodging in individual rooms in three stars 

hotels or equivalent from March 10 th to 

March 17 th . 

• Technical and operational assistance 

before, during and after the training 

• Three daily meals from March 10 th to 17 th . • Payment of experts and teachers. 

• Terrestrial transportation in Egypt, including 

airport pickup at the arrival and departure 

• Travel insurance from March 10 th to 17 th . 

• Pedagogical materials 

• Simultaneous translation in Arabic -‐ 

English 

Each participant must cover his/her travel expenses to get to and come back from Cairo (where the 

Route starts and ends). 

Each participant is responsible for acquiring the Egypt entry Visa, if required. PROCASUR/KariaNet 

will provide basic assistance (invitation letters, information on hosting organisations and follow-‐up 

by focal points). 

The organizers of the Programme have established a limited Scholarship Fund that may cover the 

fee (full of partially) and/or the international travel costs of those who are unable to cover it. 

Interested candidates to benefit from the fund are invited to apply accordingly, providing a 

justification for this need (see the document Scholarship application). 

Early application is encouraged; deadline is February 15 th , 2013. 

If you are interested, please submit the following forms: 

1. application form; 

2. scholarship form (if requested); 

3. commitment letter. 

You will be informed of the result of your application on 

February 22 nd , 2013. 

For more information please e-‐mail us: 

Guillèn Calvo, gicv.pro@gmail.com 

Viviana Sacco, vsacco@procasur.org 

Hammou Laamrani, info@Karianet.org 

Web: www.procasur.org 

www.karianet.org 

We will be pleased to assist you! 

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Call for Applications - ICARDA

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