Monitoring and Evaluation of the Adoption of new technologies and the impact on farm production in Laos

Abstract

The People’s Democratic Republic of Laos is one of the poorest countries in Asia. While the density of population is low compared to its total area, malnutrition is a serious problem throughout the country. Approximately half of the children suffer from chronic malnutrition, 10.5% have acute malnutrition, and 40% are underweight.
The research takes place in a programme implemented by the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through its Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in Laos and the government of Laos through the National Agricultural and Forestry Extension Services (NAFES) and the National Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI). The SPFS project aims to improve food security in eight districts of the country. The objectives of this programme are:

• Strengthening national, provincial and district human extension and communication systems and capacity of rural communities through participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of rural and agricultural development initiatives.
  
• Increase food production and productivity through water control, crop intensification and diversification of production.
• Increase household income and access to healthy and nutritious food through reduction of post harvest losses, agro-processing and marketing of farm products, and management of natural resources as important source of food.

In order to achieve these objectives, SPFS includes small-scale irrigation schemes in selected sites to provide water all year round for agriculture. Emphasis is on the operation and maintenance of completed schemes, which is the Irrigation Management Committee responsibility. Together with the Water Management Units, they are managing the water distribution.
The present research focuses on the adoption of the irrigation system by the people of the community, including the management of the irrigation infrastructure. The study will more specifically evaluate:

• The impact of the arrival of irrigation on the systems of production and on the impact on the household and its economic situation.
  
• The modes of community organization that were implemented in order to succeed in managing those infrastructures.
  
• How the local governance may be enhanced by water management.
  

This research should provide a better understanding of the role of irrigation within the agrarian systems of productions, and the type of governance that is developed in order to manage those systems of production. Furthermore, this research will also study the project itself and should allow us to build a comprehensive critique of the approach and of the strategic choices that have been made to address the problem of food insecurity and rural development in Laos.

Contact:

Thomas Pitaud
Master of Arts in Development Studies candidate
Graduate Institute of Development Studies, IUED
E-mail: pitaud5@etu.unige.ch

Christophe Gironde
Chargé de cours
Graduate Institute of Development Studies, IUED
E-mail : christophe.gironde@iued.unige.ch

Dr. Leena M. Kirjavainen
Representative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO
E-mail : FAO-LA@fao.org