TITLE:
The Need for Agricultural Water Management in Sub-Saharan Africa
AUTHORS:
Kbrom Ambachew Gebrehiwot, Mehari Gidey Gebrewahid
KEYWORDS:
Water Scarcity, Water Management, Water Use Efficiency, Water Productivity, Sub-Saharan Africa
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.8 No.9,
July
27,
2016
ABSTRACT: This
paper discusses the current and future conditions that affect water resources
and the constraints of water (agricultural) management in sub-Saharan Africa
and suggests remedial measures to be considered by policy makers. The pressure
on the quantity and quality of water resources is rising in sub-Saharan Africa
due to the increased demand of water for agriculture and other purposes as a result
of increase in population and food demand. The availability of water is also
under threat from changing climate and as a result, water scarcity is expected
in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand, the availability of
water for agriculture is expected to further shrink due to the increasing
demand of water for other purposes like industry, manufacturing and
environmental requirement. The current poor efficiency rate of irrigation
systems and massive expansion of irrigated area is expected to further
exacerbate the water scarcity. Hence, a water management policy focused on
maximization of water use efficiency and water productivity should be
prioritized in order to meet the food demand of the growing population and cope
with water scarcity problems. Engineering and management intervention
integrated with strong society awareness and participation is considered very
crucial in enhancing water use efficiency and crop water productivity.