All along the North African coast there are plans for expansive irrigation schemes. Egypt has built a mega factory to produce 3000 pivots a year. American giants are walking the sands of Algeria. While Gaddafi’s plan to irrigate deserts was put on hold, other ideas are bubbling up. French vendors are working the Western Sahara, down along the Atlantic rim. But, one of the unheralded subplots is local farmers using small scale pivots in innovative ways.
“The diffusion of the artisanal pivot in Wadi Suf Valley since its invention in 1996 by a local artisan (around 40,000 pivots on 40 % of the total irrigated area in 2022), is truly impressive.”
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377424005377
The principle of a pump and pivoting arm is not new, but the idea of using smaller pumps, readily available solar or smaller generators, powered with locally acquired resources and shorter spans are a practical option for those on subsistence budgets. The decentralized principle and local artisan quality of the schemes fosters buy-in and community involvement. There is a lot to like in such an approach in arid regions.
““We didn’t have enough land to use this type of device, or enough money to get them on credit and reimburse the loan, even though they were 50 % subsidized.”
58-year old farmer, owner of 5 ha of land
In the Algerian Sahara, particularly in the Touat and Gourara regions, farmers have long utilized traditional underground water channels known as foggara. These systems, some dating back to the 11th century, consist of gently sloping tunnels that transport groundwater to the surface without the need for pumping, minimizing evaporation in the arid climate.
“83% of people in sub-Saharan Africa are dependent on land for their livelihoods yet two thirds of the land is highly degraded…”
https://regreeningafrica.org/
In Morocco, particularly in the Tafilalet oasis, farmers have historically relied on khettara, a traditional irrigation system similar to the foggara. These underground channels channel water from aquifers to surface fields, enabling agriculture in arid regions. In recent years, there has been a movement to rehabilitate and maintain these ancient systems.
The small scaled approach to irrigation is a diffusion of knowledge and tools to local users. Allied to seed saving practices and high tech tools, but a localized, low cost approach, is a clever combination of elements. While it is not exactly a grassroots takeover, it is a pragmatic mix of available resources blended effectively; a hand up not a hand out.
“… in Niger there is lots of research into improved seed varieties, traditional irrigation, environmental protection such as controlling sandy dunes – we could use more of this.”
reliefweb.int
