This document discusses investing in water resources to support livestock sector growth in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that investing in water for livestock could be an effective way to reduce poverty and vulnerability in the region. The document outlines a framework for improving livestock water productivity and identifies 24 potential water development domains in sub-Saharan Africa based on agricultural production systems, water availability, market access, and population density. It provides two example domains and corresponding priority water investment options, complementary non-water investments, and example policy options to improve water productivity and increase smallholder incomes.

1. Investing in water to support livestock
sector growth in sub-Saharan Africa
Prepared by
D. Peden, A. Freeman, A. Astatke,
A. Notenbaert, D. Sheikh, and
A. Workalemahu
International Livestock Research
Institute
For the session on
Investing in Africa’s Water Future
(20 August 2004)
2004 World Water Week in Stockholm

2. Investing in water to support livestock
sector growth in sub-Saharan Africa
World Water Week
BBC – 16 August 2004 - Stockholm
A widely held view:
“… growth in demand for
meat and dairy products
is unsustainable”

3. Investing in water to support livestock
sector growth in sub-Saharan Africa
But, evidence suggests:
• Investing in water for livestock in Sub-Saharan Africa
may be one of the most effective options to help:
– Reduce poverty
– Overcome vulnerability of the poor.
– Increase water productivity.
• Increasing production of annual crops, not grazing, is
the leading cause of soil loss and siltation in SSA.
• Effort to increase water productivity of livestock has
been neglected.

4. Outline
• Reasons to invest in water for livestock.
• Livestock water productivity framework.
• Where to invest in water for livestock.
• Investment options for two example water
development domains.
• Some general lessons learned.

5. Reasons to invest in water for livestock
• Help achieve MDGs (2015):
– 50% cut in poverty
– 50% cut in hunger.
• Safeguard assets: livestock ownership is a key
indicator of poverty.
• Enable child nutrition for physical & mental growth.
• Enable access to expanding urban markets for
high value animal products.
• Protect water resources through better animal
husbandry.
• Support animal power: an alternative to petroleum.
• Increase water productivity.

6. Reasons to invest in water for livestock
Trends to 2025
Meat & Milk consumption in SSA expected to increase
Country
group
Annual
growth
(%)
Per capita
consumption
(Kg/person)
Meat Developed 0.6 83
Developing 2.8 30
SSA 3.5 11
Milk Developed 0.2 189
Developing 3.3 62
SSA 3.8 30
Source: Delgado et al., 1999
The “Hungry”
world will still
eat less meat!
•Ethics
•Demand
•Distribution

7. Discharge/flood
Export
Plant
production
Animal
production
Ground
AVAILABLEWATER
DRINK
Ground & soil water recharge
Rain
Surface
In flow
Evaporation
Degradation
Trees
Pasture/range
Food crops
Feed
Imported feed
Grazing &
watering
Feed
Sourcing
Framework for improving water
productivity of livestock
Livestock play multiple roles that affect water productivity

8. Where to invest in water for livestock
Toward Water Development Domains (WDD):
• Relatively homogenous bio-physical and socio-
economic conditions having similar opportunities for
interventions and investments.
• Combines human density, predicted market access,
livestock (agricultural) production systems, and
availability of discretionary water.
• A broad-brush approach ultimately requiring
bottom-up involvement of local people and
institutions.

9. Where to invest in water for livestock?
24 Suggested water
Development Domains
Ag. Production systems
Available Discretionary water Market access
Human pop. density
3
22
2

10. • Eliminate 8 trivial units
• Add towns & cities
24
Water
development
domains
Where to invest in water for livestock?
17

11. Water development domain:
Example 1
• Mixed crop-livestock
• High pop. density
• Good market access
• Low availability of
Discretionary water

12. Mixed crop-livestock
High pop. Density
Good market access
Discretionary water low
SSA:
No. of countries 40
Area (km2
millions) 1.4
Population 2002 (millions) 221
Population 2030 (millions) 381
TLUs (millions) 37
Nigeria
Rwanda
Kenya
Uganda
Burundi
Ethiopia
Example Water Development Domain
(Small area, but many users compete for water)

13. Example Water Development Domain
Mixed crop-livestock
High pop. Density
Good market access
Discretionary water low
Ethiopia
Ethiopian part of domain:
Area (km2
millions) 0.13
Population 2002 (millions) 21.4
Population 2030 (millions) 43.3
TLUs (millions) 6.4

14. Example Water Development Domain
Mixed crop-livestock
High pop. Density
Good market access
Discretionary water low
Ethiopia
Annual cropping – the primary
source of soil loss in Ethiopia
Area
(%)
Soil loss
(%)
Annual
cropland
13 45
Grazing
land
51 21
Annual cropping, not
overgrazing, is the
major source of
siltation, excessive
flooding and soil loss
Source: Hurni, 1989

15. • Main pathways out of poverty:
• Securing assets, production, income
WDD: Crop-livestock, High pop. density, Good market, Little H20
• Some key Issues:
• Extreme poverty & hunger
• Access to quality water & feed
• Drought & vulnerability
• Siltation of reservoirs
• Inefficient use of water
• Water borne diseases

16. WDD: Crop-livestock, High pop. density, Good market, Little H20
Priority water investment options:
• Example technologies:
– Including drinking troughs in existing
and planned dams, ponds & diversions.
– Design water harvesting with feed
production options by using catchment
production and food-feed crops.
– Piped water for smallholder dairying.
• Institutions:
– Support for Community-based IWRM
– Water institutions could partner with
livestock and other sectors in planning
water infra-structure development.

17. Complementary non-water
investment options:
• Example technologies:
– Conservation tillage
– Zero-grazing
– Control of helminthes (fasciola) &
snails
• Institutions:
– Support for Community-based NRM
– Marketing mechanisms (eg., Dairy
coops)
WDD: Crop-livestock, High pop. density, Good market, Little H20

18. WDD: Crop-livestock, High pop. density, Good market, Little H20
• Example policy options
– Encourage collective and
joint management of water
and grazing resources.
– Development institutions
accept legitimacy of the
“livestock production option”.
– Water pricing & demand
management
– Zoning for animal keeping.
– Market development

19. Example impacts:
• Smallholder milk production in
Kenya:
– Piped water enabled 60%
increase productivity per cow.
• Conservation tillage in SSA:
– reduced use of oxen could
reduce water used for feed by 20
billion m3
/yr assuming 50% comes
from residue.
WDD: Crop-livestock, High pop. density, Good market, Little H20

20. • Increased water productivity by
feeding crop residue to animals
because no extra water is used.
WDD: Crop-livestock, High pop. density, Good market, Little H20
Teff for feed
Feed source H2O depleted
(m3
/TLU/year)
Crop residue only 0
Forage crops only 450
• But, protect soil by returning
some residue and manure.

21. Water development domain:
Example 2 - Briefly
• Livestock dominant &
few or no crops
• Low pop. density
• Poor market access
• Low availability of
Discretionary water

22. Water development domain: Example 2
Primarily Grazing
Low pop. Density
Poor market access
Little discretionary water
No. of countries 44
Area (km2
millions) 5
Population 2002 (millions) 32
Population 2030 (millions) 63
TLUs (millions) 37
Main pathway out of poverty:
• Securing assets
• Reducing vulnerability

23. WDD: Grazing, Low pop. density, Poor market, Little H20
• Good years: cattle increase up to 90/HH.
• Drought years: about half die.
• Most kept for wealth and drought insurance.
• Only 18/HH needed for food and income.
• Limiting herd size to 18/HH could:
– save one billion m3
year (1000 micro-dams)
– save feed to support animals in dry years.
• Rainwater “saved” can help restore
biodiversity, sequester carbon & provide
ecosystem services.
• Policy and institutions needed.
Borana Plateau
Ethiopia
90,000 km2
325,000 people
1,000,000 cattle
Example demand management option:

24. Some lessons learned
• Opportunities lost because of lack of integration of livestock
into water planning and development.
• Investing in water for livestock may be an effective option to
help reduce poverty and overcome vulnerability of the poor.
• Needs:
– Multi-sectoral & multi-regional approach.
– Balanced mix of supply & demand management.
– Effective use of existing technology and knowledge.
– Effective inclusion of communities and all stakeholders.
– Gender and ethnic equity.
• This does not mean simply increasing meat consumption to
the level of “western diets”.
• Significant increases in water productivity possible.
• Investments in livestock largely complementary.

25. Thank
you