Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When contacted he said the wells were constructed by an NGO which
wanted to promote permanent shallow well technology and was using his
farm as a pilot case. The NGO provided the motorized pump and fuel which
the farmer used. This shows that there is the potential to develop more
permanent shallow wells to replace temporal shallow wells if landowners are
encouraged and assisted.
5.5 C ONCLUSION
A summary of the composition of irrigation technologies in the sub-basin is
presented in Table 5.1. The table shows that all irrigation technologies have
specific water abstraction methods associated with them, the exception being
small reservoir irrigation which can employ three different water abstraction
methods (motorized pumps, intake valves and buckets). The abstraction
method associated with both riverine water and riverine alluvial dugout
irrigation is motorized pumps. The abstraction method associated with both
temporal and permanent shallow wells is rope and bucket.
From the material presented in this chapter it may be concluded that
irrigation development in the sub-basin was initiated by both governments
developing small reservoirs, large reservoirs and dugouts since the early
1950s. However, in the past twenty years the driving force behind irrigation
development basin has been predominantly private and by associations of
individuals, assisted by some donors. The trend of irrigation development in
Burkina Faso and in Ghana is comparable. However the rate of development
is more advanced in Burkina Faso compared to the Upper East Region in
Ghana. This may be a result of Burkina government's policy of improving
the irrigation technologies initiated by private individuals and also equipping
the farmer groups to manage the irrigation system.
Most irrigators are unaware of the prevailing water rights in their countries
and have no idea of the requirement to register their irrigation water using
activity. However, payment for the water abstraction does not apply to most
of the irrigators since their farm sizes are less than 1ha. There are no
institutional arrangements at the grassroots to enforce the water-use
regulations. Some alluvial dugouts irrigators were of the view that if the
government should provide them with water, they were willing to pay, which
they presumed would be cheaper than the amount they currently spent on
digging for water in a season.
These irrigation technologies have spread in the sub-basin because the direct
control of water sources, either through groundwater pumping, drainage
Search WWH ::




Custom Search