The government of Madagascar has received US$40 million from the World Bank for irrigation development in the country.
The Sustainable Agriculture Project through a Landscape Approach (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.
According to Malagasy authorities, the World Bank 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.
The overall objective of the Padap project is to increase agricultural productivity in connection with sustainable management of natural resources in five selected landscapes, within four regions of Madagascar (Sava, Analanjirofo, Sofia and Boeny). Specifically, the aims of the project are to increase access to irrigation services and sustainable agricultural techniques and practices; and to strengthen the integrated management of natural resources in the targeted landscapes.
At least 38,000 people, 40 percent of whom are women, will benefit from the impact of Padap, which was launched in June 2017. The project is expected to be completed in December 2022.