SETIN is currently on mission in Guinea-Bissau to carry out the Final Evaluation of the project implemented by LVIA, under the Ianda Guiné! programme, with focus on the Ianda Guiné! Arrus Action and its Rural Engineering Component.
The evaluation is being conducted by the SETIN team composed of Giorgio Brandolini, Giacomo Cozzolino and Viola Fonnesu, in close collaboration with local stakeholders.
Ianda Guiné! is a broad and ambitious cooperation initiative between the European Union and Guinea-Bissau. It aims to strengthen the resilience of the population by improving food and nutrition security and increasing socio-economic opportunities. This programme encompasses several development sectors, seeking to generate long-term structural impact.
Within this framework, the Ianda Guiné! Arrus Action focuses on increasing income and reducing food insecurity among producers involved in the mangrove rice value chain. The intervention promotes the sustainable intensification of rice production and the modernization of saltwater lowlands (bolanhas), through a set of interlinked objectives:
- Rehabilitate and equip the bolanhas, including the construction of dikes to prevent saltwater intrusion and the development of water regulation and drainage systems;
- Train producers in water management practices at plot level;
- Restore and protect mangrove ecosystems, through reforestation activities, community awareness campaigns and sustainable management;
- Improve rice productivity, by facilitating access to improved seed varieties and promoting climate-resilient farming techniques;
- Encourage productive diversification among farmers to reduce dependency on a single crop;
- Enhance rice transformation, conservation and marketing, improving access to markets and developing interprofessional coordination mechanisms across the value chain.
To date, the action has modernised approximately 5,200 hectares of bolanhas and protected about 1,000 hectares of mangrove forest. It has supported around 6,000 producers, with 800 involved in diversification activities, and contributed to the development of 7 new businesses or services. The geographical scope includes the regions of Bissau, Oio, Bafatá, Tombali and Cacheu. The action is implemented by a consortium led by LVIA, in partnership with AD, UNIVERS-SEL, and RESSAN-GB.
The Rural Engineering Component, integrated within the Arrus Action, aims to facilitate the transport of agricultural products and improve access to basic social services in the region of Oio, specifically in the Encheia, N’guan, and M’bam basins. This component includes the construction of rural infrastructure, such as roads and threshing islands, with dual objectives.
From a hydro-agricultural perspective, the aim is to ensure year-round vehicle access to bolanhas, thereby improving the rice production cycle and reducing post-harvest losses. The infrastructures also serve as hydraulic structures to support integrated water management across the basin.
From a social perspective, the goal is to improve connectivity between villages (tabankas), facilitating access to essential services such as healthcare and education.
This component foresees the construction of approximately 13 km of rural tracks and the implementation of 4 threshing islands, directly benefiting an estimated 7,165 producers. The implementing partner is also LVIA.
