The Southern Zone Water Management Project (SZWMP) was authorized by USAID/Dakar on August 19, 1988. The purpose of the eight-year $18 million Project is to improve farmer utilization of water and recovery of fertile valley lands for agricultural purposes in the southern regions of Kolda and Ziguinchar. The decline in average annual rainfall over the past 20 years and salinization have resulted in significant losses of productive farmland in the valley of Casamance. The Project responds to the urgent need to assist farmers to reclaim/improve productive valley lands, and improve the utilization of water and crop productivity.