Capacity Building for Sustainable Irrigation and Agriculture in Ethiopia

The project aims to train Ethiopian public and private institutions including colleges to better design build and manage small-scale irrigation and micro-irrigation systems. The project also aims to introduce improved water and soil management and crop irrigation practices to smallholder farmers and water user associations. Small-scale irrigation systems which cover less than 200 hectares of land and micro-irrigation systems which cover small areas such as garden plots have significant potential to contribute to agricultural growth in Ethiopia. They help to increase farmers' incomes and strengthen farmers' resilience to drought by providing access to more reliable sources of water. The project also aims to promote the role of the private sector as a key provider of services relating to irrigation. The project provides: i) support to technical and vocational colleges so that they can train skilled technicians to meet the need in both the public and private sectors to support sustainable small-scale irrigation farming; (ii) training to public sector staff so that they are better able to coordinate and manage small-scale irrigation projects; and (iii) training for smallholder farmers to improve their ability to manage small-scale irrigation and micro-irrigation systems and their ability to grow and market irrigated crops. Canada is working with the Netherlands to carry out this project.