World Water Day
The 22nd of March was the United Nation’s world water day and the AIFSRC marks the day with the rest of the world. We are still a long way to go in providing access to sufficient and safe water to the earth’s population – this is very apparent in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The day focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Our commitment to support access to safe and sufficient water for small holder farmers led the Australian International Food Security Research Centre (AIFSRC) to fund a project to increase irrigation water productivity through on-farm monitoring, adaptive management and agricultural innovation platforms in four Sub Saharan African countries of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The Centre is also funding another – mainly technological – project that will provide the ability to measure soil moisture as a key ingredient to improving individual farmer productivity, reducing negative environmental impacts and providing the potential for evidence based discussions on increasing equity in water distribution.
Read more about our projects at http://www.aciar.gov.au/aifsc/news/farmers-doing-it-themselves-learning-approach-improving-irrigation-sustainability-southern and http://www.aciar.gov.au/aifsc/projects/traffic-light-soil-water-sensor-resource-poor-farmers