Restoring landscapes and strengthening green water flows through innovative finance – Stockholm International Water Institute | SIWI

Report on Restoring Agricultural Landscapes in Southern Africa

Session Overview

A session was convened on 25 August 2025, by SIWI, the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA), MetaMeta, and Tiyeni, to address agricultural landscape restoration in southern Africa. The discussion focused on financial and methodological approaches to enhance green water flows for rain-fed agriculture. The overarching objective was to align innovative finance, political leadership, and proven agricultural practices to advance multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

The Transforming Investments in African Rainfed Agriculture (TIARA) Initiative

Programme Mandate and Strategic Pillars

The TIARA initiative is a five-year programme led by SIWI to combat severe land degradation in the Zambezi River Basin, where over 50 percent of land is moderately degraded. This degradation undermines soil water capacity, directly threatening food security and progress towards SDG 2. The programme operates in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi through multi-stakeholder partnerships, reflecting the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). TIARA is structured around three strategic pillars:

1. Political Leadership and Advocacy: To unlock public and private investments necessary for scaling up sustainable land management, contributing to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
2. Capacity Development: To equip smallholder farmers and local institutions with the skills to implement and scale sustainable practices.
3. Knowledge Generation and Business Case Development: To create robust watershed impact metrics and financial models that catalyse investment by demonstrating clear returns and contributions to the SDGs.

A key finding indicates that enhanced rain-fed agriculture can deliver six times more crop yield per dollar invested than mechanized irrigation, presenting a cost-effective pathway to achieving SDG 2.

Case Study: Deep Bed Farming (DBF) in Malawi

A Nature-based Solution for Food and Water Security

Deep Bed Farming (DBF) was presented as a Nature-based Solution to reverse land degradation caused by conventional farming. The method involves creating permanent wide beds and deep contour furrows that capture over 90 percent of rainfall. This technique directly supports several SDGs:

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Maize yields have been shown to increase from 2 tonnes to over 10 tonnes per hectare.
• SDG 1 (No Poverty): DBF is between 9 and 12 times more profitable than conventional methods, significantly improving farmer livelihoods.
• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): By increasing water infiltration, DBF recharges aquifers, raises groundwater levels, and improves water quality by reducing siltation.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The practice restores degraded soils and enhances entire watershed ecosystems.

A pilot Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme in the Lunyangwa watershed is underway to quantify these benefits and attract further investment in natural capital, demonstrating a viable model for financing SDG 6 and SDG 15.

Metrics for Verification and Attracting Investment

Framework for Measuring SDG Impact

To build investor confidence, a framework of verifiable metrics was presented to demonstrate the impact of sustainable agricultural practices on watershed health. These metrics align with key SDG indicators and include:

• Soil Health: Measuring soil organic carbon and soil loss to track progress on SDG 15.
• Water Availability: Assessing soil moisture and green water stress, which are critical for SDG 6.
• Hydrological Impacts: Monitoring streamflow changes to understand landscape-level water balance.

These metrics, verifiable through remote sensing and modelling, provide the evidence base needed to de-risk investments and channel finance towards activities that demonstrably advance environmental and social goals.

Stakeholder Perspectives on Scaling and Investment

Panel Discussion Findings

A panel of experts discussed the requirements for scaling up these solutions:

• Investor Needs: Investors require clarity on returns, risks, and exit strategies. Governments can facilitate this by introducing incentives like tax breaks and soft loans for projects contributing to the SDGs.
• Evidence Base: Strong environmental and economic evidence is crucial to de-risk investments and encourage farmer adoption, thereby accelerating progress on SDG 1 and SDG 2.
• Policy Coherence: Harmonized policy frameworks across government departments are essential for creating an enabling environment for sustainable land and water management, a key component of achieving national SDG targets.
• Sustainable Models: “Supported self-supply” models that empower households to develop their own water sources were highlighted as a means to strengthen local ownership and ensure the long-term sustainability of interventions related to SDG 6.
• Community Engagement: The importance of trust, local knowledge, and participatory approaches was emphasized as fundamental to the successful implementation of community-led projects, in line with SDG 17.

Conclusion: Connecting Practice, Policy, and Finance for the SDGs

Significant progress has been made, including the formal adoption of Deep Bed Farming by the Malawian government. The primary remaining challenge is to effectively link proven on-the-ground practices with enabling policies and innovative financial mechanisms. Successfully bridging this gap is critical to scaling these solutions across Africa, building climate-resilient landscapes, and achieving a broad range of Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article directly addresses food security and sustainable agriculture. It focuses on improving conditions for “smallholder farmers” and increasing “crop growth” through methods like Deep Bed Farming (DBF). The stated goal of unlocking “the potential of rain-fed agriculture” and the reported increase in “maize yields” from 2 to over 10 tonnes per hectare are central to achieving zero hunger.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The core theme is water management, specifically “green water flows” and “rainwater harvesting.” The article discusses improving “soil infiltration and water holding capacity,” recharging “aquifers,” enhancing “water quality,” and raising “groundwater levels.” The focus on watershed management and the involvement of a Water Board highlight the connection to sustainable water resource management.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article’s primary motivation is to combat “severe land degradation” in the Zambezi River Basin. The TIARA initiative aims at “restoring agricultural landscapes,” and the DBF method is presented as a solution that “restores ecosystems” and improves “soil health.” This directly aligns with the goal of protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The entire initiative described is a multi-stakeholder partnership. It involves international organizations (SIWI, IRHA), local partners (Tiyeni, CTDT), academic institutions (University of Oxford), government bodies (Malawian Land Resources Conservation Department, Northern Region Water Board), and financial actors (Leopold Bachmann Foundation, Global Innovation Fund). The article emphasizes the need to connect “on-the-ground practices with enabling policies and innovative finance,” which is the essence of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
   • Target 2.3: Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers. The article provides direct evidence for this, stating that DBF can increase maize yields from 2 to 10 tonnes per hectare and is “between 9 and 12 times more profitable than conventional methods” for smallholder farmers.
   • Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. The article describes Deep Bed Farming as an “innovative Nature-based Solution” that improves land and soil quality, helps maintain ecosystems, and builds resilient agricultural landscapes.
2. Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
   • Target 6.5: Implement integrated water resources management at all levels. The discussion of managing entire watersheds, the pilot Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme in the Lunyangwa watershed, and the need to harmonize regulations across government departments all point to the implementation of IWRM.
   • Target 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The article explicitly states that DBF “restores ecosystems,” reduces “siltation,” and raises “groundwater levels,” which are key activities for restoring water-related ecosystems.
   • Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management. The article highlights the role of smallholder farmers as the “‘frontline managers of water'” and references “community-led rainwater harvesting work,” emphasizing participatory approaches.
3. Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
   • Target 15.3: Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. The TIARA initiative is explicitly designed to address “severe land degradation” where “more than half of all land is moderately degraded.” DBF is presented as a method to restore this land by breaking the “compacted hardpan” and improving soil health.
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.1: Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support. The article discusses the need to “unlock public and private investments” and encourages governments to “introduce incentives such as tax breaks and soft loans” to catalyze finance.
   • Target 17.7: Promote the development, transfer, and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies. The promotion and scaling of Deep Bed Farming, which the Malawian government has formally adopted, is a clear example of diffusing an environmentally sound technology.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several specific metrics and data points that can serve as indicators to measure progress:

• Indicators for Agricultural Productivity (Target 2.3):
  • Crop yield per hectare: The article provides a clear metric, stating that “maize yields can increase from 2 tonnes to over 10 tonnes per hectare.”
  • Profitability of farming methods: The claim that DBF is “between 9 and 12 times more profitable” serves as an indicator of increased income for smallholder farmers.
• Indicators for Land Degradation (Target 15.3):
  • Proportion of degraded land: The article establishes a baseline by stating that in the Zambezi River Basin, “more than half of all land is moderately degraded and 14 percent is highly degraded.” Progress can be measured by a reduction in these percentages.
  • Soil health metrics: Dr. Nyasulu’s framework includes verifiable metrics like “soil health (organic carbon, soil loss),” which can be used to track the restoration of degraded land.
• Indicators for Water Resource Management (Targets 6.5 and 6.6):
  • Water availability metrics: The framework mentions measuring “water availability (soil moisture, green water stress)” and “hydrological impacts (streamflow changes).”
  • Rainfall capture rate: The article notes that DBF contour furrows “capture over 90 percent of rainfall,” which is a direct indicator of improved water infiltration and management.
• Indicators for Investment (Target 17.1):
  • Amount of investment unlocked: The article implies a key indicator is the amount of “public and private investments” that the TIARA initiative and its business case development can successfully catalyze.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: siwi.org