Pretoria:The National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Water Research Commission (WRC) jointly convened the National Irrigation Development Roundtable, which focused on the theme 'Irrigation as Development: Securing Livelihoods, Transforming Lives'. The event gathered stakeholders and government representatives to deliberate on irrigation development amid South Africa's uneven rainfall and water scarcity issues.
According to South African Government News Agency, the roundtable emphasized that most cultivated land in South Africa is rainfed, making it vulnerable to climate variability and change. Agriculture uses over 60% of the nation's freshwater, underscoring the importance of irrigation development and agricultural water management in stabilizing production and enabling the cultivation of higher-value crops.
Speakers at the event discussed framing irrigation as a development issue tied to livelihoods and explored South Africa's irrigation potential. The program included a facilitated stakeholder dialogue featuring farmers, the agricultural sector, science and innovation experts, water-related businesses, and irrigation communities. Discussions focused on identifying key constraints impacting irrigation development, effective solutions, necessary institutional changes, and prioritizing actions for the next 12 to 24 months.
Enhanced coordination among various sectors was highlighted as crucial, with calls to transition from isolated pilot projects to integrated demonstration initiatives. These initiatives should encompass land and water access, infrastructure, finance, technology, skills development, and markets.
The roundtable concluded optimistically, stressing the need to bridge gaps between research, policy, and practice, and to move from planning to implementation. It emphasized the importance of transitioning from isolated projects to scalable interventions and achieving clarity on the execution of agreed actions. The hope is that the research studies inspiring the roundtable will contribute to a roadmap for future coordination on water irrigation.