NEW STRATEGIES OF DONORS IN THE IRRIGATION SECTOR IN AFRICA

摘要

In 2005, FAO released an "Irrigation in Africa in figures" report which emphasized that the levelrnof investment in agricultural water management has been declining for the past two decades. Inrnresponse to the UN Millennium Development Goals and recurring food crises in Africa, politicalrninitiatives are being pursued such as the UK-led Commission for Africa. The report called for arnhuge effort in the irrigation sector with a plea to double the area of arable land under irrigationrnby 2015. Today the World Bank appears to lead the process of re-engagement in the sector. Butrnonly few donors seem ready to follow the momentum. In fact there are still a lot of doubts on:rnhow to invest in a continent where irrigation is so risky with high costs, unreliable operation andrnmaintenance, weak institutions, and meagre markets. Besides, new considerations call forrnprudence in irrigation development such as competition for water (growing urbanization,rnwetlands protections), climate change, and agriculture trade globalisation.rnThe aim of this paper is to try to describe the current donors' approaches and the coherence ofrntheir strategies. Indeed the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness obliges donors to adapt torncountries' demand and to harmonize their policies. It appears that in the irrigation sector donorsrndo not have yet explicit strategies in Sub Saharan Africa. Several donors are not even certain thatrnirrigation is a good entry point to solve poverty and food security problems, despite recentrnevidence brought about by the research community.