MADAGASCAR: The World Bank grants $40 million for irrigation development
The World Bank is granting $40 million to the government of Madagascar. The funding will allow the development of irrigated agriculture, within the framework of the Sustainable Agriculture Project through a landscape approach (Padap).
The climate emergency in Madagascar remains a concern. The Projet d’agriculture durable par une approche paysage (Padap) is one of the Malagasy government’s solutions to mitigate the effects of erosion and land degradation, notably through the development of landscape-based agriculture. The project has just received new funding of $40 million from the World Bank.
According to the Malagasy authorities, this new loan will be used mainly to develop activities aimed at increasing access to irrigation services, notably through the rehabilitation of 14,000 hectares of irrigated perimeters, as well as sustainable agricultural techniques and practices in Madagascar. This should help increase agricultural productivity in this East African country.
Padap is being implemented in Marovoay, Andapa, Bealanana, Analanjirofo and Iazafo, five landscapes located in the regions of Sava, Analanjirofo, Sofia and Boeny. The initiative will also strengthen the integrated management of natural resources by local actors in the areas concerned.
At least 38,000 beneficiaries
Padap will also encourage the promotion of agro-ecological practices and reforestation, notably through the restoration of 7,000 hectares of forest, as well as the management of ecosystems and protected areas. “Padap should make it possible to validate the relevance of the landscape approach and lead to scaling up, if necessary,” says the French Development Agency (AFD), which is co-financing the US$100 million project with the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
