Just a good news update from Chokwe, Mozambique! There is plenty of renewable water in the sandy river bed aquifer, affordable wells can be installed, financing instruments are available to support our ideas, and the farmers are now testing the Irrigation Package for Sand Rivers (IPSAR)!
Over the last months research has been done on water availability in the sand river bed of the Limpopo River and the opportunity to use that water for irrigation purposes with IPSAR. IPSAR consists of a well, pump, irrigation equipment, fertilizers, pest control, and extension support to use water from sandy rivers for crop production. Acacia Water and IHE spent most of the time behind their desks for calculations and in meetings with each and everybody that could assist and/or support with knowledge or experience. PRACTICA, ISPG and OXFAM were full-time in the field to test different well installation methods and (local) materials and equipment, and the functionality of their solar SF2 pumps in the Limpopo.
Students from (applied) universities IHE, UU, WUR and ISPG are engaged and conduct research on topics varying from the hydraulic characterization of the aquifer, the water balance, suitability of water quality for irrigation and the typology of farmers.
In our December workshop at ISPG we will consolidate and validate our findings with all who have been involved until now (farmers, extension officers, local NGOs, the water management authority ARA SUL, the agricultural support agency GAPI, and credit providers). Together we will concretize on the feasibility of the package, and determine the way forward!
