WATDEV Local Feedback Meeting in Hola, Kenya to Advance Climate-Resilient Agriculture

The Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), in partnership with CIHEAM-Bari and ASARECA, and in the presence of AICS Cairo, convened a Local Feedback Meeting on 18 & 19 November 2025, in Hola, Tana River County, Kenya, in the framework of the WATDEV Project. The two-day event aimed to share, discuss, and validate results from Best Management Practices (BMPs) feasibility studies. The meeting was a critical platform for strengthening collaboration and gathering local insights essential to advancing climate-smart agriculture, enhancing water management, and promoting sustainable development in the region.

More than 20 key stakeholders participated, including representatives from the National Irrigation Authority, Tana River County Government, Water Users Associations, farmer cooperatives, community leaders, and local farmers, together with project partners. The Local Feedback Meeting sought to disseminate and validate results from the BMPs feasibility studies, specifically by sharing key findings, confirming feasibility assumptions with local groups, identifying enablers and constraints to BMP adoption, and contributing to the development of practical BMP implementation protocols and future training modules.

The opening day introduced participants to the Feasibility Studies findings, which analysed BMPs simulations, baseline assessments, and community perceptions on the potential adoption of improved management practices.

A participatory evaluation session, facilitated by KALRO’s and Tana River County’s staff, followed to enable farmers, county officials, and water managers to collaboratively assess feasibility conditions, sustainability considerations, and basin-level challenges. Direct engagement with researchers sparked dynamic dialogue, as stakeholders raised questions and shared observations grounded in their daily experiences. These discussions highlighted real barriers such as water access constraints, institutional challenges, and the need for stronger support systems to enable BMPs scaling.

The second day shifted towards practical implementation planning. Participants were introduced to a consultation framework and a checklist of farming operations needed to sustainably apply the proposed BMPs.

Afterward, stakeholders actively contributed to drafting BMPs implementation protocols, aiming to disseminate the selected BMPs (agroforestry and strengthening the Water Users’ Association) to other farmers’ communities in the Tana River basin. This collaborative drafting process was a crucial step in ensuring these practices can be realistically adopted within the local agricultural context.

In addition, WATDEV collected farmers’ perceptions on local water management policies through a structured questionnaire, capturing valuable community-level insights on governance, policy gaps, and water use challenges that influence BMP uptake.

As the meeting concluded, partners looked ahead to the next phase of WATDEV project; the rollout of farmer-to-farmer training to expand the reach of BMPs adoption to new communities and beneficiaries. Several participants from the Local Feedback Meeting will step into the role of lead farmer trainers, not only because they are now knowledgeable in the BMPs discussed, but also because their firsthand experience and peer-to-peer influence make them powerful ambassadors for wider adoption across the region.

The Hola Local Feedback Meeting showcased the value of participatory engagement in shaping climate-resilient agricultural solutions. By bringing together farmers, institutions, researchers, and local leaders, the WATDEV Project is building a strong foundation for the adoption of BMPs, improved water productivity and resource governance, strengthened community-researcher partnerships, and long-term sustainable agricultural development

This meeting functioned as a living lab of participatory decision-making, demonstrating the project’s commitment to locally driven, scientifically grounded solutions.

The discussions provided a clear and practical pathway for applying the selected BMPs, Agroforestry and Water Users Associations, and strategies for encouraging adoption beyond the project’s direct beneficiaries.

Funded by the European Union, in the framework of the DeSIRA Initiative, WATDEV reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with local communities to advance practical, science-based interventions that enhance resilience and food security in Tana River County and beyond.

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