To commemorate the United Nations' World Water Day (March 22) and the signing of our first and most recent grant agreement in Burkina Faso, this edition of OBA Connections focuses on our work to explore and implement RBF in irrigation, one of the "less tested" sectors we hope to keep pursuing. We also believe that the lessons learned from these few examples can improve agricultural resilience and serve to encourage expansion of similar efforts within country -- and even replication at the regional level -- in other agribusiness cases to use a mix of public and commercial financing.
FEATURE STORY: BURKINA FASO IRRIGATION PROJECT
Resilience Tools for Burkinabé Cotton Farmers
GPOBA has signed a US$5.85 million grant agreement to introduce irrigation systems, training, and access to credit to small-scale cotton farmers in Burkina Faso, collaborating with the World Bank and the IFC to help stabilize crop production and harness water as a reliable resource for improved crop management.
GPOBA's first subsidy project involving irrigation was a subset of scaling up the previous solar energy project for rural households and businesses in Bangladesh. This component supported replacing fossil fuels with solar power to pump water for irrigation: a cleaner, renewable and more affordable source of energy for 6,600 farmers.
This online discussion reviewed the design and implementation of OBA/RBF in support of solar-powered irrigation pumps with the project's task team leader, as an extension of Bangladesh's highly successful solar home system program.
In this videoclip, Bangladesh's Infrastructure Development Corporation Orissa Ltd (IDCOL), GPOBA's in-country partner for supporting rural solar energy projects, delivers the message that solar irrigation pumps are the solution to face weather extremes, and invites interested parties for consultations.
In conjunction with World Water Day, this "Voices of GPOBA" videoclip compiles beneficiaries' testimonials from the US$4.5 million Honduras OBA Water and Sanitation Facility for rural and peri-urban areas. The project connected around 87,600 low-income residents to water and sanitation.
OBA / RBF COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
Visit the OBA/RBF Community of Practice platform for additional information on output-based aid and results based financing. Exchange ideas, engage with practitioners and share knowledge.
OBA Connections is an e-newsletter presenting a range of topical activities and information on output-based aid and results-based financing (OBA/RBF) mechanisms for development.
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