Water management for rural development

The program ‘Enhancing food and water security for rural economic development: a regional program in the Sahel and Horn of Africa’ aims to improve livelihoods in semi-arid regions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The program focuses on improving access to water, food safety and economic development. Paramount is the engagement of rural households in long term sustainable development so that they become less dependent on subsistence farming and emergency aid programs. For that, the following topics are being dealt with:

- access to clean and safe water;

- yield and quality of agricultural production;

- access to markets and, therewith, inclusion in the rural economy;

- access to credit;

- participation in adding value activities and business consultancy services and

   the influence on policy making and politics in general and, more specifically, with            regard to water management.

Within this program Acacia Water contributed to research, policy development and strategic planning on water management and food security.