WatDev

25/06/2025

We’re excited to share highlights from 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, taking place from 24–26 June in Cairo under the theme “Smart & Green Agriculture for a Sustainable Future.” This international forum brings together leading experts, policymakers, and innovators to 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

The WATDEV project, funded by the European Union under the DeSIRA initiative, is proud to contribute to this vital dialogue on sustainable agriculture and water resource management. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗗𝗘𝗩 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗻𝘆, 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁 Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼-𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁.

During Session One: "Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges," Dr. Hosny presented he 𝗘𝗴𝘆𝗽𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆, highlighting the the importance of Best Management Practices (BMPs), cross-sectoral collaboration, and inclusive innovation in building resilience against climate challenges.

📍Find us at the 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 at the Expo to learn more about our work, explore interactive tools, and connect with the WATDEV team.

Stay with us for continued updates from Cairo! 🌍💧🌾

23/06/2025

11/06/2025

Partner Italian National Research Council, Finnish Environment Institute, ISRIC – World Soil Information, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Water & Lande Resource Centre (Addis Abeba University), Heliopolis University for Sustainable Devel...

22/05/2025

🙌🏽 We're happy to announce that the 5th issue of our Newsletter is OUT NOW!

👉📰 visit our website to download your digital copy and explore highlights from this year.

You can subscribe by entering your email on our www.watdev.eu/newsletter, and unsubscribe at anytime.

19/05/2025

🌾 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

🌱 On April 10-11, the 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗗𝗘𝗩 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 brought together partners from across 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲, 𝗘𝗴𝘆𝗽𝘁, 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗻 at the 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 (𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗖) 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. Organised by ISRIC - World Soil Information and coordinated by Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo - Ufficio Cairo and CIHEAMBari in the heart of one of the world’s leading agricultural innovation hubs, this pivotal meeting marked a critical milestone for the project. 💧

♦️ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 – Around 30 representatives from the WATDEV partnership attended and shared significant updates on BMP simulations and post-processing work, while refining the project's 18-month Activity Plan.
♦️ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 – The consortium aligned on future goals, including a six-month no-cost extension to strengthen local impact.
♦️ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 – Participants also visited the World Soil Museum at the end of two day meetings, reflecting on the global importance of soil health and ecosystem resilience.

15/05/2025

🛠️ 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

On April 9, the WATDEV Modelling Working Group convened at the Gaia Building, 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 in the Netherlands to drive progress on the 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗗𝗘𝗩 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘅. Organized by ISRIC and attended by Syke and CIHEAM Bari, the meeting focused on refining integrated model applications. 🌍💡

🔸 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 – Experts from Syke, WLRC, Heliopolis University, and WUR presented the latest data insights and modeling approaches.
🔸 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Fine-tuning tools for accurate land and water management decisions.
🔸 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 – Strategic planning for the next phase of the WATDEV Modelling toolbox.

14/05/2025

🌱 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝

👩‍🌾 On 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟯𝟭 - 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭, the 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗗𝗘𝗩 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 gathered farmers, researchers, and innovators at the 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘂 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 in 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲 𝗭𝗲𝗶𝘁, 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮.

During the event, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗭𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗸𝗲, Director General of 𝗪𝗟𝗥𝗖, emphasized the power of community-driven restoration. Here’s what made the event impactful:

🔹 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 – From solar irrigation to organic fertilizers, practical tools for sustainable farming.
🔹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 – Bridging gaps between farmers, researchers, and policymakers for lasting impact.
🔹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 – Scaling innovations that transform challenges into opportunities.

Learn more ➡️ https://shorturl.at/7prXt

🌱🌍

10/04/2025

At the Innovation Roadshow in , Dr. Alice Murage—Director of Socio-economics and Policy Research at KALRO and Co-PI of the WATDEV project—highlighted the critical role of partnerships in addressing climate challenges and empowering water users’ associations 🌍💧

📍 Catch the highlights from the Field Day at Hola Irrigation Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ground, held on 24–25 March: https://shorturl.at/WR6hJ

09/04/2025

"𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞."

At the Innovation Roadshow in Kenya, Tana River County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Physical Planning, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Veterinary Services, and Cooperative Development, Madam Mwanajuma Hiribae led a powerful agroforestry drive with ASARECA ,CIHEAMBari & KALRO 🌱

Learn more about this Field Day at Hola Irrigation Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ground on the 24th and 25th March ➡️ https://shorturl.at/WR6hJ

🌍 Sustainable farming starts with roots.

28/03/2025

🌱🚜 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬' 𝐃𝐚𝐲 & 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐃𝐄𝐕 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫! 🇰🇪 🌊

We are thrilled to announce the successful culmination of the WATDEV Farmers' Field Day and Innovation Roadshow, held on March 26, 2025, at the Hola Irrigation Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ground. The event was part of the project WATDEV, funded by the Programme, and organized by the Tana River County Government in collaboration with KALRO , ASARECA, CIHEAMBari, National Irrigation Authority, and other key partners, brought together more than 700 farmers, innovators, and stakeholders to promote sustainable agriculture under the theme: “Soil, , and for Improved Farm Productivity.”

Highlights of the Event

🔹 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Farmers explored cutting-edge technologies, agricultural equipment, and inputs from exhibitors, including seed producers, fertilizer companies, and water irrigation operators.
🔹 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Hon. Mwanajuma Mabuke, CECM for Agriculture, urged farmers to adopt modern techniques and join cooperatives for better access to resources.
🔹 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬: Dr. Gaetano Ladisa (CIHEAM BARI) and Dr. Alice Murage (KALRO) emphasized the importance of partnerships to tackle climate challenges and strengthen water users’ association.
🔹 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐎𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 by County Agricultural Director Alex Kubende & NIA's Kuria Kiarie on soil/water conservation
🔹𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Dr. Blaise Amony (ASARECA) put in evidence the need of a call to action for youth to embrace agriculture and digital platforms for food security.

The event ideally concludes the day of training, learning, and networking on BMPs ( and ) held on 25 March at Zuri Hotel. This event saw wide participation from farmers in the Tana River irrigation scheme, united in their commitment to a resilient agricultural future.

Gratitude to all partners, exhibitors, and attendees for making this event a milestone for Tana River’s farming community!

27/03/2025