Workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, gathers stakeholders to test and discuss progress of the irrigation performance tool and its potential for digital inclusion

FAO, along with several local institutions, conducted a workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, from July 31 to August 2, 2024, to validate the WaPOR Irrigation Performance Assessment Tool and discuss gender and social inclusion in its development. The workshop brought together 30 participants, including representatives from the National Institute of Irrigation (INIR), the Agronomic Research Institute of Mozambique (IIAM), the Limpopo River Basin (RBL), and local farmers.

The first part of the workshop focused on gender and social inclusion, with group discussions aimed at understanding participants' perceptions and promoting inclusive and ethical development of the IPAT tool.

The second part provided hands-on training for participants, allowing them to derive irrigation performance indicators for the Lower Limpopo irrigation schemes. The training also validated the accuracy of the tool in terms of volumetric crop water use, irrigation efficiency, and irrigated area.