Research and training in the Olifants and Limpopo basins of southern Africa

L'article décrit la participation des chercheurs français, détachés à l'Institut international de la gestion des ressources en eau (IWMI) par le ministère français de l'Agriculture, aux travaux concernant les bassins hydrographiques de référence Olifants et Limpopo, entrepris dans le cadre du Programme pour relever les défis « Eau et alimentation ». Les scientifiques français mis à la disposition de l'IWMI ne sont pas seulement investis dans les dimensions économiques, géographiques et agronomiques de ces programmes de recherche et de formation, ils contribuent également à la coordination des différents programmes dans les bassins hydrographiques et à l'amélioration de leur coordination. / This paper describes the contribution of the French researchers seconded to International Water Management Institute (IWMI) by the French Ministry of Agriculture in the Olifants and Limpopo benchmark basins of the Challenge Program on Water and Food. The French researchers made available to IWMI are not only involved in the economic, geographic and agronomic aspects of these projects, but also participate in coordinating and developing synergy between different projects in the basins.GESTION DE L'EAU;RECHERCHE;FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE;AFRIQUE DU SUD;RESEARCH;TRAINING;WATER MANAGEMENT;SOUTHERN AFRICA

The economic and livelihood value of provisioning services of the Ga-Mampa wetland, South Africa

The size of the Ga-Mampa wetland (1 km2), in the Olifants River catchment in South Africa, was halved between 1996 and 2004. This jeopardizes the ecological integrity and influences the benefits people obtain from the wetland. This study therefore analysed the economic values of the provisioning services derived from the Ga-Mampa wetland and evaluated their contribution to the livelihoods of local stakeholders. Using a direct market valuation technique and based on a mix of data collection approaches that include questionnaire survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, field observation and measurements and collection of market prices, we estimated the economic value of the main provisioning services provided by the wetland (collection of edible plants, crop production, livestock grazing, fishing, hunting, fuel-wood, reeds and sedge collection). The results show that the contribution of the wetland to the livelihoods of local community, estimated at an annual net financial value of $211 per household, far exceeds its annual cash income of$35 per household and is about half of the average monthly cash income from all income sources. Crop production contributes the highest gross and net financial value, whereas sedge collection yields the highest cash income. Most of the materials harvested from the wetland are used for household subsistence and are rarely sold. In addition to their economic and livelihood value, the wetland services are also essential to sustain the social and cultural responsibilities in gift giving to neighbours and relatives. The study concludes that the local people are highly dependent on the wetland ecosystem services in many ways but that current use exceeds sustainability levels, which jeopardizes their future livelihoods. We therefore recommend that the local stakeholders be supported in identifying alternative sources of livelihoods while simultaneously developing sustainable management strategies for small wetlands such as Ga-Mampa. In addition, other ecosystem services (regulating, supporting and cultural, including recreational benefits) provided by the wetland to local and downstream stakeholders need to be further studied and economically assessed.ZONE HUMIDE;ECOSYSTEME;GESTION DE L'EAU;ANALYSE ECONOMIQUE;VALEUR NON MARCHANDE;AFRIQUE DU SUD;ECONOMIC VALUATION;LIVELIHOOD ANALYSIS;MARKET VALUATION;PROVISIONING SERVICES;WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS

Households’ preferences and willingness to pay for multiple use water services in rural areas of South Africa: An analysis based on choice modelling

Financing of multiple use (i.e. domestic and productive) water services was identified as an important ingredient to ensure improved water access for rural poor and broaden livelihood options in South Africa. Following the principles of integrated water resource management (IWRM), efficient, equitable and sustainable investments in improved water services should be based on a thorough understanding of actual demand by consumers. Comprehensive studies looking at multiple use water services are not common in South African rural areas, where most of the economic analyses focus on either domestic or irrigation water demand. This study aims at filling this gap by assessing the household demand for multiple use water services in Sekororo-Letsoalo area in the Limpopo Province. Choice modelling is the approach used to identify the attributes determining demand for water services and quantify their relative importance. Results show that households in rural areas are willing to pay for improvements in water services. Due to the current poor level of water services in the area, users are primarily concerned with basic domestic uses and, consequently, demand for productive uses is low. Only households already relatively well served are interested in engaging in multiple water uses.Keywords: choice modelling, multiple water uses, domestic water demand, water services, willingness to pa

L’irrigation diminue-t-elle en France ? Premiers enseignements du recensement agricole de 2010

L’analyse des données du recensement agricole de 2010 permet de dresser un panorama de l’irrigation en France aujourd’hui et des principales évolutions depuis celui de 2000. Malgré une stabilité apparente des superficies irriguées, due à une hausse conjoncturelle des surfaces irriguées au printemps 2010, nous mettons en évidence, pour la première fois depuis plus de 40 ans, un recul net des surfaces équipées pour l’irrigation. C’est essentiellement dans le Sud de la France que l’irrigation est en net recul et ce recul concerne très majoritairement les surfaces anciennement irriguées à partir de réseaux collectifs d’irrigation. Les orientations de la Politique Agricole Commune, la mise en ½uvre progressive de la Directive Cadre européenne sur l’Eau et un contexte économique plus favorable que par le passé aux cultures non irriguées sont les principaux facteurs explicatifs de ce recul de l’irrigation. Nous montrons que ceci risque toutefois de compliquer la gestion de la ressource en eau à l’échelle du bassin-versant d’une part et celle des réseaux collectifs d’irrigation, d’autre part. / The analysis of the 2010 agricultural census data provides an overview of the current situation of irrigation in France and the main evolutions since 2000. Despite an apparent stability of the irrigated area, due to a 2010 dry spring requiring unusual irrigation levels, we highlight, for the first time in 40 years, a reduction in the irrigable area (i.e. the area that can be irrigated). This reduction mainly concerns the South of France and the area irrigated by collective irrigation systems. The orientations of the Common Agricultural Policy, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and an economic context more favorable to rainfed crops compared to irrigated ones are the main explanations of this irrigation decrease. We highlight that these evolutions generate a risk of complication in water management both at the river basin level and at the collective irrigation system level

Households' preferences and willingness to pay for multiple use water services in rural areas of South Africa: An analysis based on choice modelling

Financing of multiple use (i.e. domestic and productive) water services was identified as an important ingredient to ensure improved water access for rural poor and broaden livelihood options in South Africa. Following the principles of integrated water resource management (IWRM), efficient, equitable and sustainable investments in improved water services should be based on a thorough understanding of actual demand by consumers. Comprehensive studies looking at multiple use water services are not common in South African rural areas, where most of the economic analyses focus on either domestic or irrigation water demand. This study aims at filling this gap by assessing the household demand for multiple use water services in Sekororo-Letsoalo area in the Limpopo Province. Choice modelling is the approach used to identify the attributes determining demand for water services and quantify their relative importance. Results show that households in rural areas are willing to pay for improvements in water services. Due to the current poor level of water services in the area, users are primarily concerned with basic domestic uses and, consequently, demand for productive uses is low. Only households already relatively well served are interested in engaging in multiple water uses

La gestion du manque d’eau structurel et des sécheresses en France

Cet article s’intéresse aux politiques et dispositifs de gestion du manque d’eau et des sécheresses en France. La première partie décrit les politiques et dispositifs existants, en distinguant la gestion quantitative des volumes d'eau et la gestion par les prix ainsi que les politiques structurelles et les politiques conjoncturelles. La seconde partie discute des politiques et dispositifs envisageables en France. Cela inclut des politiques incitant aux adaptations au niveau des exploitations, une réforme de la gestion de crise et des dispositifs de tarification et d’échange de droits qui pourraient être différenciés selon les utilisateurs, l’état de la ressource et la situation météorologique. Ces nouveaux dispositifs sont par ailleurs compatibles avec la réforme en cours et la mise en place des organismes uniques de gestion collective (OUGC) à l’échelle locale. / This article deals with policies and management measures addressing water scarcity and droughts in France. The first part describes existing practices, differentiating between quota and pricing instruments and between structural and temporary measures. The second part discusses policies and measures that could be applied in France. It includes policies providing incitation to support farm-level adaptations, a reform of current crisis management and pricing and market measures that could be differentiated depending on the end-user, the state of the resource and the weather conditions. Moreover, these measures fit in the current policy reform and the introduction of local institutions for collective water management, called OUGC