Agricultural Water Management in Africa : Lessons Learned and Future Directions

• Highlights fit-for-purpose irrigation strategies at scale and identifies opportunities and challenges of irrigation practices
• Expands understanding of the pathways for AWM, presenting operation and maintenance procedures
• Includes bespoke designs guided by the AWM pathway approach

Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi is a Professor of climate change, food systems & health at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and serves as the Director of the Lancet Countdown Africa Centre. He adopts a systems approach at the intersection of water, energy, food, environmental, and health systems―commonly referred to as the WEF+ nexus―driving research, teaching, and policy-relevant initiatives to strengthen sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. In addition to his role at LSHTM, Tafadzwa is the Lead for the Water-Energy-Food-Environment Nexus for the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the Director of the Institute of Natural Resources. He holds the position of Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, contributing extensively to academic and policy discourse on climate adaptation and sustainable development.

Aidan Senzanje is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. His research focuses on irrigation technology, irrigation and agricultural water management and the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. Previously, he served as a Visiting Scientist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pretoria, South Africa. His practical experience includes undertaking technical consultancies in irrigation engineering, agricultural water management, project evaluation and environmental management systems. He was involved in the planning, development and launching of new academic programmes in Land and Water Management for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and the BSc Agricultural Engineering degree at the University of Zimbabwe.

Olufunke Cofie is the Africa Director for Research Impact at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), where she provides strategic leadership to enhance the organization's development impact through effective research delivery and engagement with partners across Africa and the Middle East. Her role focuses on improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of IWMI’s research capabilities and creating sustainable water management solutions tailored to the needs of each country. She has led the design and execution of projects aimed at generating water and agricultural innovations for sustainable development across Africa and the Middle East.