GUYANA: Poor Rural Communities Support Services Project - Drainage and Irrigation Component

In preparing an investment project, development strategies and project components are defined and revisited during project formulation through a consultative process that often includes Socio-economic and Production Systems Studies. These studies are conducted to develop an appreciation of the situation in which the intended beneficiaries live, and their perceptions of their problems, needs and priorities. The main objective of the present study was to increase the understanding of the characteristics of the physical resources, the farming systems and the communities concerned by the project in Guyana, and to identify and describe the farmers' needs and priorities. This survey was undertaken with the view to determine mechanisms for the sustainable rehabilitation of the drainage and irrigation system involving farmer participation and to focus the project activities for poverty alleviation purposes.