Stakeholders

The network has stakeholders at national, regional and international levels. A generic description of stakeholders in the three categories is given here. This categorization will be used in detailed analysis of stakeholders for purpose of planning and targeting programmes of the network.

National level

The primary stakeholders of SWMnet at national level will include the following categories:

• Research and Extension departments or organizations responsible for soil and water conservation, rain water harvesting, irrigation and drainage in each country.
• Land, soil and water management programs and projects being implemented at national level.
• Institutions involved in training of especially extension staff, on soil and water management.
• Research, consultancy and non-governmental organizations involved in soil and water management research and development.
• Universities, especially departments of Agricultural Engineering, Soil-Science, Environmental Science, Geography and Natural Resources.
  Meteorology Departments or Agencies.
• Government departments, units, agencies or organizations responsible for land resource mapping, remote sensing and GIS.
• National soils laboratories.
• Government departments responsible for land use planning.
• Organizations or departments or units dealing with socio-economic aspects of soil and water management.

Regional Level

It is acknowledged that there are a number of organizations and networks dealing with soil and water management at regional level. However, rarely does any one of these organizations cover the whole of ASARECA. Furthermore, some organizations brings in countries from outside the ASARECA Region. The categories of stakeholders of SWMnet at this level would include the following:

• The other NPPs of ASARECA, especially those identified to deal with NRM. It has already been mentioned in section 4 that SWMnet should help other NPPs of ASARECA in handling cross-cutting issues on SWM.
• Professional societies such as the Soil Science Society of East Africa.
• Multi-national programs such as the Nile Basin Initiative and the Lake Victoria Project.
• Regional centres or programs working in soil and water management. These include for example:
  • Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA) of Sida,
  • Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF),
  • Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, and
  • Africa Conservation Tillage Network.

International Level

At this level there are two major groups of stakeholders; namely IARCs and donors.

Nearly all the IARCs operating in the region will have a stake in SWMnet. Some will have an interest through the other ASARECA NPPs. Those which are considered to have a direct stake, include:

1. ICRISAT – the implementing Agency,
2. IWMI – as it has a leading mandate in soil and water management,
3. ICRAF – due to its major concern in land management,
4. IRRI – because of the importance of water management in rice production, and
5. ILRI – also because of the importance of management of water and range lands for livestock production.

Other international organizations considered to be key stakeholders include:

1. The EU – as the major donor for SWMnet through ASARECA,
2. The World Bank,
3. The UN organizations and programs such as FAO, UNEP, GEF, UNDP, IFAD and IPTRID,
4. The African Development Bank,
5. Global Water Partnership,
6. Other donors working in the region on agriculture, soil and water issues,
7. Advanced Research Institutes (ARIs) in Europe, Asia and North America, with links and research interest in the region on soil and water management.