Sustainability concerns in African irrigation

Abstract

Irrigation has and will continue to play an important role in enhancing food security and improving the standards of living for many inhabitants of rural Africa. However, irrigation is beset with increasing problems such as water scarcity, soil degradation, water pollution, organisational and management problems, high implementation costs, low productivity and rate of returns, operation and maintenance deficiencies and associated environmental health problems. Sustainability of irrigated agriculture predicates on alleviation of these problems in a cost-effective manner. This paper presents the status of irrigation in Africa, highlights the main sustainability concerns and suggests how some of the constraints can be alleviated. Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture Look Inside