Becoming full partners in development
Over the past two decades, the Tunisian authorities have put considerable effort into the rehabilitation of lands degraded by water erosion and the harvesting of rain runoff. Their working approach has evolved over the years, from an interventionist approach to one involving the participation of everyone touched by the problem. It is this participatory approach, proved sustainable through long field experience, that was adopted by the Water and Soil Conservation Programme. Based on a partnership of farmers, government and programme staff, who plan and execute major soil and water conservation works together, the programme is transforming 12 000 hectares of badly degraded agricultural land.
Stone basins like this one built around olive trees channel rain runoff to the tree roots.
"This participatory approach is new; usually we think in terms of physical
change, but this is new and good."
Ridha Ben Châabane
Director-general, Regional Commissariat for Agricultural Development
of Zaghouan
Over the past two decades, the Tunisian authorities have worked with local landowners to rehabilitate thousands of hectares of hilly land threatened by water erosion and to build water-harvesting barriers and basins to benefit crops and to stop further land degradation. But farmers, not well enough informed of the benefits of fighting erosion and the role of rehabilitation in the sustainability of their agriculture, did not make the necessary efforts to maintain the structures.
The "people's participation" approach, promoted by FAO worldwide, underpins the Water and Soil Conservation Programme, which has achieved the results profiled in this booklet. The approach involves forming local partnerships of farm communities, government and programme staff that work together to finance, plan and execute development activities. The programme beneficiaries, who do most of the hard, physical work involved, help set priorities and commit themselves freely to carrying out the work.
"The population participating in this programme is living in the most disadvantaged area but one that has a potential for development," noted Massimo Marino, the programme's chief technical adviser. "It is more than assistance – it is a true partnership."
The programme's financing structure reflects this partnership: Italian Cooperation contributes US$ 12.5 million; the Government of Tunisia, US$ 6 million; the farmers, US$ 450 000 cash and US$ 1 million in labour.
Integrated development is the other essential ingredient of the Water and Soil Conservation Programme (see Essence of the integrated approach, page 3), which began in 2000 and continues until 2005. The programme has paid for new roads to open up isolated areas, for running water to free girls and women from having to spend hours hauling water, and for electricity to light the schoolbooks used by children doing their homework.
"To keep people on the land, they want three things: water, roads and electricity," said Jalel El Faleh, national coordinator of the programme.
By 2003, halfway through the programme, 2 000 families had already formed community committees and were changing the face of the countryside (see Kharrouba's big day, page 4, and Chapter 2).
Programme participant builds a stone barrier.
Planting an olive tree.
Government reaction
"This participatory approach is new; usually we think in terms of physical change, but this is new and good," said Ridha Ben Châabane, Director-General of the Regional Commissariat for Agricultural Development of Zaghouan, one of the three provinces in the programme.
Mr Ben Châabane, the highest government official for agriculture in the province, recalls that until the 1980s little effort was put into involving farmers in the rehabilitation of degraded hill country and that farmers weren't open to learning new techniques. Now there is not only acceptance of new ways of doing things but farmers are starting to adopt the methods permanently.
"With a programme lasting five years there is a certain dynamic that takes hold," he said. "We have also gained by joining together two big programmes in the province," he added, referring to an agricultural programme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, FAO's sister agency in Rome.
Does Mr Ben Châabane believe that the extensive conservation works going on in his province will be maintained this time?
"It's a worry. Will the process continue after the programme; will people still have the committees and work together," he mused. "But country people are attached to their olive trees. You come back in 10 or 20 years and it's certain you'll find the basins and the cisterns. It's certain."
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Essence of the integrated approach? Don't leave anything out What is the secret of successful sustainable agriculture and rural development? All too often improvements to the land, to farming methods or to poor people's lives do not last long after the end of an internationally funded programme. FAO has found from experience that development has a much better chance of enduring if it is integrated into local practices, the local economy and local aspirations. The Water and Soil Conservation Programme uses this integrated or holistic approach. "Farmers themselves have an integrated approach," noted Parviz Koohafkan, an FAO senior manager and lead author of the programme document. "They assess what they have as assets, opportunities and constraints and make decisions based on that. If programmes want to respond to their aspirations, they have to deal with farmers' perspectives and their reality." For example, the programme has reintroduced traditional Tunisian water harvesting techniques, such as crescent-shaped stone basins around the base of olive trees. The programme even improved their efficiency by showing farmers how to add natural fertilizer within the basin. Not only are the techniques integrated into common practices and local knowledge, but the structures can be built with local material and labour. The programme is integrated across the socio-economic landscape as well, involving small-, medium- and large-scale farmers. "Reducing the poverty of small-scale farmers is the prime goal of the programme, but big and medium-size farms are the engines of the economy and can't reasonably be left out," said Mr Koohafkan. Programme activities even had to be integrated into Tunisia's international obligations, for example, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources. Traditional olive varieties are therefore being safeguarded on farms and in a regional park so they will not be lost to farmers, plant breeders and biotechnologists, both locally and internationally.
Programme participants build stone barriers and basins to conserve water. |
Kharrouba's big day
KHARROUBA, Tunisia – A buzz of anticipation animated the village square as technicians from the Regional Office for Agricultural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources set up their charts and diagrams. There were men and women, young and old – no one was going to miss the announcement of which improvements from the community's "wish list" had been approved for financing.
The process of getting involved with the Water and Soil Conservation Programme had been a long one. Interested community members formed a formally constituted village committee. Facilitators from the ministry took the committee through a structured analysis of the community's problems and of how the programme might help.
For the purposes of the programme, Kharrouba is designated as a Socio-territorial Unit, Siliana South, Siliana. The community has ground water with a high sulphur content and olive orchards that badly need to be upgraded. Rural exodus is a curse: few young men have joined the meeting – they are working in the city.
First the bad news: installing a new village well is not feasible. Then the good news: a pipeline from another village's well can be built, with the cost shared between the programme, the ministry and the community. A healthy, democratic debate ensues.
"I saw a watermelon patch in the other village watered with that water, and it wasn't doing too well," a villager tells the meeting. "There isn't as much sulphur in their water as in ours, but perhaps there is still too much."
A young woman stands up: "You are the technicians," she tells the officials. "You have to confirm that we'll have better results with the second well." The expert reassures the villagers.
The meeting continues until everyone is satisfied and agreement has been reached on the sharing of costs and responsibilities.
