Sub-Saharan Africa imports increasing amounts of rice from Asia and North America each year to meet growing domestic rice consumption. In order to realize the goal of doubling rice production in Africa, it is essential to efficiently and sustainably cultivate rice in lowland areas. However, earth canals maintained with farmer-level technology are eroded by water runoffs and rainfall, reducing the function of the canals and making it impossible to plant rice. JIRCAS has prepared and released a manual that enables local farmers to construct low-cost irrigation facilities and maintain over the long term with their own technology.