IMPACT OF INTENSIFYING IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE WHITE VOLTA SUBBASIN - Sustainable Irrigation Development in the White Volta Sub-Basin - page 180

8.2.1 Domestic, Livestock and Urban water
demand
Groundwater is the main source of domestic water for inhabitants within the
catchment. The Bolgatanga Township, however, depends on the Vea dam for
its urban water supply. Water demand figures for domestic and urban water
supply were obtained from the housing and population census data of the
year 2000 and existing figures on per capita water consumption for domestic
and urban water demand.
Official records show that an amount of 0.15Mm 3 /month is pumped from the
Vea dam for the Bolgatanga water supply. In the 2000 Census, the
Bolgatanga municipality had a population of 50,000 and a growth rate of
2.5%/a. The average water consumption is 100L/p/day. The domestic water
consumptions for the inhabitants of the three catchments were computed
using a daily water consumption of 35L/p/day and a population density of
100people/km 2 based on the 2000 Census figures for the Upper East Region.
Water demand for livestock was estimated using livestock density of up to
100 cattle per km 2 (National population census, 2000) and daily water
consumption of 60L/head (Markwick, 2007). The main sources of water for
livestock are small reservoirs, large reservoirs and directly from streams.
During the dry season the streams are dry so the livestock depend on the
reservoirs for water supply.
8.2.2 Irrigation water demand
Irrigation water demand for various irrigation technologies were calculated
based on irrigation water applied by farmers which were computed from field
observations on irrigation technologies during the period 2006-2008. The
water demand patterns of the irrigation technologies were obtained from field
studies. Irrigation is carried out in the dry season which is mainly from
October to April; there are however differences in the demand patterns for
the various technologies. The total irrigated areas in the three catchments
were obtained from field observations, official records from the Ministry of
Agriculture, Agricultural Extension Officers and the Irrigation Company of
the Upper Region (ICOUR) and satellite image analysis. The water demand
per irrigation technology is shown in Table 8.1.