What is it about?
This study looks at how small rice farmers in Zambia manage water and how this affects their harvests, incomes, and ability to cope with droughts and floods. It shows that most farmers still depend on rainfall, even though rice grows better when water can be managed more reliably. Average rice yields are low, and many farmers face losses when weather conditions are poor. The study finds that improved irrigation and better water control can increase yields, raise profits, and make farming more resilient to climate shocks. But the study also shows that building irrigation systems alone is not enough. Many farmers have limited experience with irrigation, little access to training, and weak links to markets and support services. Women farmers in particular face more barriers to adopting irrigation. The authors argue that Zambia needs a broader approach that combines infrastructure with farmer training, climate information, stronger extension services, and better market support. In short, improving water management could help Zambia’s rice sector grow, but success depends on investing in people and institutions as well as in physical infrastructure.
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Photo by Andhika Y. Wiguna on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This study is unique because it looks at irrigation as both a technical and a social issue. Using survey data from 300 smallholder rice farmers in Zambia, it shows that adoption depends not only on infrastructure, but also on education, gender, risk perceptions, and access to training and information. It is timely because Zambia is trying to expand rice production while facing more climate-related risks such as droughts and floods. The study shows that better water management can improve yields and profits, but only if irrigation is supported by training, climate information, and stronger market links. This research can help policymakers and development partners design more effective and inclusive irrigation programmes for Zambia’s rice sector.
Perspectives
What I find most important about this publication is that it challenges a very common policy assumption: that building infrastructure is enough to change outcomes. The study shows that even when irrigation has clear benefits, farmers may not adopt it unless they also have the knowledge, confidence, and support to use it well. To me, that is the key lesson — agricultural development is not only about technology, but also about people, institutions, and incentives. I also think the gender dimension is especially important. The fact that women face greater barriers to adopting irrigation, even under growing climate pressure, highlights how unequal access to resources can limit the success of otherwise promising policies. I hope this publication helps shift attention toward more practical, inclusive, and farmer-centred approaches to water management in Zambia’s rice sector.
Professor Imre Fertő
Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evidence-based analysis for integrating improved and multifunctional paddy water management into policy frameworks in Zambia, March 2026, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
DOI: 10.4060/cd8904en.
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