CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS - Sustainable Irrigation Development in the White Volta Sub-Basin - page 222

The lack of good satellite images prevented a general assessment of the trend
of irrigation development, both in the three catchment areas studied in
detail, as well as for the entire White Volta sub-basin. Thus the
extrapolation from the study area to the White Volta sub-basin had to be
based on a rather crude assumption.
Finally, the language barrier between Ghana and Burkina Faso also posed a
challenge. Despite of efforts to learn French, which is the language spoken in
Burkina Faso, the period and nature of the study could not lead to a full
mastering of the French language. As a result, useful publications in French
on the part of Burkina Faso were not consulted.
9.4 I NNOVATIONS MADE BY THE S TUDY
This study has achieved its aim of enhancing the understanding of effective
and sustainable management of irrigation development in the White Volta
sub-basin. Apart from achieving the aim, the study has also made innovative
contributions to sustainable irrigation development.
This study has determined the hydrological impact of irrigation development
on hydropower generation. It also compares the socio-economic gains made
from irrigation development with the financial loss to the hydropower
generation as a result of increased water consumption upstream.
First, the study has identified: high development cost of irrigation, lack of
access to credits for farmers, unreliable and unpredictable markets,
ineffective institutions, low productivity, and finally inappropriate
technologies coupled with poor infrastructural maintenance as challenges
affecting irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa. The study further
found that the way forward for achieving sustainable irrigation development
is by ensuring that these five essentials are provided: (1) secure access to
land and water, (2) appropriate technology, (3) predictable and stable
input/output markets, (4) reliable farmer support environment, and (5)
effective institutions with favourable policies. These essentials function as a
chain of shackles, the chain being as strong as the weakest shackle.
Second, the study found that those irrigation technologies characterised by
relatively small farm sizes are better managed by local farmers because they
are able to provide adequate water and crop nutrients thus resulting in
higher productivity. Moreover, these highly productive irrigation technologies
also achieve good profit margins and provide income opportunities to the
wider society in terms of labour and also have higher women participation.