REVIEW OF IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - Sustainable Irrigation Development in the White Volta Sub-Basin - page 53

expressed dissatisfaction with the MIA deal, and prepared themselves to re-
negotiate some of the modalities of the partnership (van der Zaag, 2010).
3.4 C HALLENGES OF I RRIGATION D EVELOPMENT
IN S UB -S AHARAN A FRICA
The preceding description of irrigation types in sub-Saharan Africa may
paint a picture that irrigation development is well on course. However, this is
not the situation as irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa happens to
be the slowest in the world (FAO, 2006a). As a result sub-Saharan Africa has
the highest potential to accelerate irrigation development in comparison to
other continents to help solve projected world food shortages. However,
projections by FAO (2003) predict a much slower expansion of irrigation in
sub-Saharan Africa over the next 20-30 years (0.6% per year) as compared
with 1.6% per year recorded from 1960-1990. These predictions are informed
by the numerous challenges facing irrigation development in sub-Saharan
Africa. These challenges, discussed in this section, if addressed, can increase
the rate of successful irrigation development.
While some irrigation systems in sub-Saharan Africa are described as
moderately successful, several are referred to as failed systems, due to
various challenges identified in literature (Barnett, 1984; Faurès et al., 2007).
A research conducted on a number of small-scale irrigation systems across
sub-Saharan Africa by Barnett (1984) identified six problems affecting small-
scale irrigation: (1) the problem of balancing social benefits, national
economic strategies and perceived producer benefits; (2) the problem of
control (over decision-making, marketing, water use and etc); (3) the
problem of hierarchy and technical requirements; (4) the problem of planning
production units and process; (5) the problem of water use and adaptation
to farmer experiences; and finally (6) the problem of planning for change.
Other studies (Awulachew et al., 2005; Moris and Thom, 1990) have
identified the following problems: the high costs of investment and negative
rates of return; technical flaws in infrastructural design, seepage,
sedimentation, cracks in dams and silting up of reservoirs; high input costs,
especially cost of fertilizer; pests and diseases especially for onions and
tomatoes; high interest rates on loans; management failures; political
difficulties; and finally marketing problems. Awulachew et al. (2005)
observed that where these types of failures occurred, they have generated
lack of maintenance, broken down scheme machinery due to lack of spare
parts, and lack of access to input and output markets.