Issue No. 1, VOL. 1, 15 July 2016
Enhancing Leadership in Flood Based Farming Systems in Africa
and Asia
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ICRAF (Nairobi) in partnership with MetaMeta and the International Water
Management Institute (Netherlands) convened a two-week leadership course
under the Africa to Asia … (Read the full story on page 2)
Enhancing Leadership in
Flood
Based
Farming
Systems in Africa and Asia
By: Elsabijn Koelman, SearNet Communications Specialist, May 2016
Spate Irrigation Network Afghanistan (SINA) Established
By: Karim Nawaz, MetaMeta, Netherlands, 17 April 2016
Mr. Karim Nawaz of MetaMeta who arrived in Kabul met with Wais Arya of
Ministry of Energy and Water and Dr. Abdul Qayeum Karim, President of
ATVI, Afghanistan regarding organization of inaugural briefing and meeting
of SINA. (Read the full story on page 3)
Codifying Spate Water Rights in Contested Areas of Afghanistan
Karim Nawaz of MetaMeta during his Kabul mission in the second half of
April 2016, visited EPRSO office located inside the EF of KU, and met with
Dr. Bashir Ahmad Jawaid, Director and Dr. Hashmat Sadat a staff member of
EPRSO and . . . (Continued on page 4)
Spate Irrigation
Afghanistan
Established
Network
(SINA)
Codifying
Spate
Water
Rights in Contested Areas of
Afghanistan
Codifying
Spate
Water
Rights in Contested Areas of
Afghanistan Started
Editorial: Spate Irrigation
Network Afghanistan (SINA)
was established on 23rd April
Codifying Spate Water Rights in Afghanistan Started
2016 in Kabul (Afghanistan).
Eng. Tamim and Eng. Roen, after successfully completing the
SINA is currently based in
reconnaissance research on spate irrigation systems of Nimroz province
ATVI and represented by a
returned with a report in May 2016. Continued on page 4)
small group of professionals,
namely Dr. Abdul Qayeum
Karim, Prof. Abdul Ghani
Ayubi, Eng. Wais Arya and Mr.
Jamil Rasuli. SINA scope of
work is evident from its
newsletter, and wish to expand
its membership to the relevant
organizations and individual
professionals.
SINA
will
provides expertise and services
to improve irrigation system in
(From the right side) SINA Core Team, Prof. A. Gh. Ayubi, Dr. A.Q. Karim, M. Noor, and Jamil Rasuli the country.
Irrigation management professionals and those who are interested can obtain SINA membership simply by
sending a message to the network using the email address mentioned on the last page of this newsletter. NGOs,
government departments and donors who are interested to work in the field of irrigation in Afghanistan can also
contact SINA for expertise and facilitation of their work. Readers are also advised to contact SINA for further
information. Irrigation, Hydraulic and Water Resources professionals are encouraged to join and support SINA.
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SINA NEWSLETTER, ISSUE NO. 1, VOL. 1, 15 JULY 2016
Enhancing
Leadership
in
Flood
Based
Farming Systems
in Africa and Asia
By: Elsabijn Koelman,
SearNet Communications
Specialist, May 2016
ICRAF
(Nairobi)
in
partnership with MetaMeta
and the International Water
Management
Institute
(Netherlands) convened a
two-week leadership course
under the Africa to Asia:
Testing Adaptation of FloodBased Farming Systems
(FBFS) Programme. The goal
for FBFS is to provide a
platform for exchanging new
and
innovative
ideas,
experiences and knowledge
among young professionals
on water management.
Twenty-one participants took
part in the leadership course
which was held from the 29th
of February until the 11th of
March 2016 in Nairobi,
Kenya and Moshi, Tanzania.
The international group of
participants
came
from
Afghanistan,
Ethiopia,
Malawi, Myanmar, Pakistan,
Kenya,
Somalia,
the
Netherlands, Sudan, Tanzania
and Yemen. Moreover, the
participants
came
from
different professions which
included
researchers,
engineers,
lecturers,
communication professionals,
agronomists as well as
farmers.
The key learning objective of
the leadership course is to
contribute
to
nurturing
development leaders with a
good understanding of the
participatory approach to
watershed management and
climate
change
and
variability.
The
other
objective was to develop
practical know-how and
specific skills for sustainable
development
and
management of FBFS and
Water Harvesting Systems.
The Leadership Course had
two key components. During
the first week in Nairobi,
experienced
facilitators
trained participants on the
practical know-how and
specific skills of FBFS.
Participants visit various labs at the
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in
Nairobi, Kenya
Topics such as ‘Flood Water
Governance and On-Farm
Managements’
were
discussed as well as ‘Water
Harvesting – practices and
recent innovations’. The
second week of the course
was held in Moshi, Tanzania.
Participants visited two field
sites, including the upper and
lower catchment of the
Pangani Basin near Moshi.
The final session of the
training focused on setting up
the Kilimanjaro Declaration,
which was to guide the way
forward in promoting FBFS in
the ten participating countries.
The FBFS Leadership Course
is an annual event of the
programme and will be hosted
by one of the member
countries that is part of the it.
Group picture of the participants during the Flood Based Farming Systems Course
held in Kenya and Tanzania, March 2016
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SINA NEWSLETTER, ISSUE NO. 1, VOL. 1, 15 JULY 2016
Spate Irrigation Network
Afghanistan (SINA)
Established
Karim Nawz, MetaMeta,
Netherlands, 17 April 2016
Mr. Karim Nawaz of
MetaMeta who arrived in
Kabul met with Wais Arya of
Ministry of Energy and Water
and Dr. Abdul Qayeum
Karim, President of ATVI,
Afghanistan
regarding
organization of inaugural
briefing and meeting of SINA.
A number of professionals
and government officials
from ministry of water and
energy,
ministry
of
agriculture, irrigation, and
livestock
attended
the
orientation session which was
conducted by Mr. Karim
Nawaz on 23rd April 2016,
Representatives
from
different
government
ministries, ADB, IRDP and
FAO showed their great
interest in supporting spate
irrigation promotion and
enhancement in Afghanistan
and production of land sue
mapping in Afghanistan.
During the meetings with
different stakeholders it was
pointed out more clarification
and understanding of rain-fed,
irrigated areas as spate
irrigation are needed, as spate
irrigation is missing as a
separate category in many
data sets. In the meantime, the
need for having concept
notes/proposals for spate
irrigation
activities
in
Afghanistan and exploration
of funding opportunities were
highlighted.
Majority of the stakeholders,
meeting participants and
government agencies are
willing to be active member of
this network and discussing
spate irrigation as supplement
in rain-fed agriculture fields,
as well as the role of spate in
horticulture and sand dune
stabilization/desertification
control in Afghanistan.
The half-day session was
consequently conducted at
ATVI, Kabul. The session
was
attended
by
15
participants
representing
different
national
and
international
organizations
including ATVI.
The session was introduced
by Dr. Qayeum Karim and
followed by Mr. Wais Khan.
Karim Nawaz as the main
speaker presented a detailed
information
about
the
establishment process of
SINA.
This session had two parts; a
presentation
on
spate
irrigation and, establishment
of Spate Irrigation Network
(SINA). Question answers
session was also held after
each presentation.
Karim
Nawaz
in
his
presentation highlighted the
meetings, international visit
of Wais Arya, meeting of Dr.
Frank and Mr. Ehasanullah in
January 2016 Manila, and
finally participation of Dr.
A.Q.Karim
in
the
Kenya/Tanzania Leadership
course and his meetings with
the MetaMeta colleagues
especially Dr. Frank were
discussed as different steps
which ultimately led to the
establishment of SINA in
Afghanistan.
Currently, a short list of
limited activities of SINA in
Afghanistan is technically and
financially being supported
by MetaMeta (Netherland),
and membership of SINA is
open
for
Afghan
professionals.
Karim Nawaz with the Afghan participants of the Orientation Session on Spate Irrigation, which leaded to the establishment of
Spate Irrigation Network Afghanistan (SINA)
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SINA NEWSLETTER, ISSUES NO. 1, VOL. NO. 1, 15 JULY 2016
Codifying Spate Water Rights in
Contested Areas of Afghanistan
Karim Nawaz of MetaMeta during his
Kabul mission in the second half of April
2016, visited EPRSO office located
inside the EF of KU, and met with Dr.
Bashir Ahmad Jawaid, Director and Dr.
Hashmat Sadat a staff member of
EPRSO and discussion the field research
in Nimroz Province on the “Codifying
Spate Water Rights in Contested Areas
of Afghanistan” on 17 April 2016,
During the meeting Karim Nawaz
conducted an orientation on the
project, and the two researchers Mr.
Tamm and Mr. Roen who had been
identified long ago were finalized to
undertake their Nimroz mission to
conduct the survey/research.
Codifying Spate Water Rights in
Contested Areas of Afghanistan Started
The researchers (Eng. Tamim and Eng. Roen), after
successfully completing the reconnaissance research
on spate irrigation systems of Nimroz province
returned with a report in May 2016. The research
includes extensive study of irrigation site visits and
interviewing of different stakeholders for achieving
the most suitable information regarding water
sharing, distribution and conflict sources and
resolutions in the area.
In order to focus on the key factors concerning
watering system of farming plots, the researchers
widely interviewed people in charge of irrigation
systems, farmers, Mirabs and administrative staff of
provincial department of the Ministry of Energy and
Water in in Nimroz using a questionnaire that
covered plenty of conflict sources and resolution
possibilities.
The second round of the field visit will be planned in
near future, and its brief news report will be
included in the next issue of SINA newsletter.
Karim Nawaz also conducted an
orientation session for the researches
prior their departure to Nimroz, and
Wais Arya made all the necessary
arrangement on the ground through
provincial directorate of Energy and
Water.
This project is implemented by EPRSO
with the financial support of IHEUNESCO through MetaMeta.
The Researchers (Eng. Tamim Motabaher and Eng. Roen)
SINA NEWSLETTER
Editor: Dr. Abdul Qayeum Karim
Adviser: Professor Abdul Ghani Ayubi
Spate Irrigation Intern: Mr. Jamil Rasuli
Address: Spate Irrigation Network Afghanistan
(SINA), Afghanistan Technical and Vocational
Institute (ATVI), Karta-e-Char Main Road, Inside AIT
Campus, Kabul, Afghanistan
Contact Email: SINA2016@gmail.com
Contact Telephones: +93 (0) 700 591991
(From left) Dr. Hashmat Sadat, Dr. Bashir Jawaid
and Prof. Karim Nawaz
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