Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
R EVIEW OF I RRIGATION D EVELOPMENT IN
S UB -S AHARAN A FRICA
3.1 I NTRODUCTION
The extreme variability in rainfall, long dry seasons and recurrent droughts,
floods, and dry spells pose a key challenge to food production. The sole
dependence of farming on rainfall has been a major cause of low food
productivity, food shortages, undernourishment and famine in sub-Saharan
Africa. The world's hotspots for hunger and poverty are concentrated in the
arid, semiarid and dry subhumid regions of the world which depend solely on
rainfall for crop production.
Irrigated agriculture has been a major solution used in addressing water
challenge affecting food production in areas of unreliable rainfall patterns.
Irrigation has historically had a large positive impact on poverty reduction
and livelihoods, in both urban and rural areas, producing relatively cheap
food and providing employment opportunities for the landless poor (Hussain,
2005). Through increased productivity, irrigation produces secondary benefits
for the economy at all levels, including increased productivity of rural labour,
promotion of local agro-enterprises, and stimulation of the agricultural sector
as a whole (Faurès et al., 2007).
Due to the far reaching benefits of irrigated farming, several investments in
sub-Saharan Africa have been directed towards irrigation development. These
investments have been driven by government policies (colonial and post-
colonial), multinational donor agencies, private investors, markets,
technology and innovations such as, drip, motorized pumps and treadle
pumps. It has therefore resulted in several types of irrigation systems in sub-
Saharan Africa over time.
This chapter reviews the scientific and professional literature on irrigation
development in sub-Saharan Africa by looking at the trends, the types of
irrigation, the challenges facing irrigation development and analyses factors
that have contributed to successful irrigation development in sub-Saharan
Africa.
The main aim of this chapter is to gain an improved understanding of "under
what conditions irrigation development is successful in Africa", based on
existing literature and research reports. The objective is to identify the
 
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