Eritrea - Central Highlands Irrigated Horticultural Development Project

The Central Highlands Irrigated Horticultural Development Project addresses the immediate need to support the productive sector and reduce dependence on imported food. Principally, the project should increase the output and income of small farmers in the Central Highlands of Eritrea, one of the poorest countries in the countries in the word. It aims to improve food security and increase foreign exchange earnings through augmenting domestic food production. The main outputs are: construction of 15 small new dams to irrigate 400 ha of cultivable land; rehabilitate 31 existing earth dams covering 940 ha of downstream irrigation, pumped/gravity irrigation through 400 wells covering 800 ha of land; sustainable management of natural resources through protection of 3,573 ha of catchment areas, hill terracing, micro-basins, stone bunds and tree planting. The project comprises the following components: A) Irrigation Development Component (IDC), B) Agricultural Development Component (ADC) and C) Project Coordination and Monitoring Unit Component (PCMU).