[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fpr/ifprid/993.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

What is the irrigation potential for Africa?

Author

Listed:
  • You, Liangzhi
  • Ringler, Claudia
  • Nelson, Gerald
  • Wood-Sichra, Ulrike
  • Robertson, Richard
  • Wood, Stanley
  • Guo, Zhe
  • Zhu, Tingju
  • Sun, Yan
Abstract
Although irrigation in Africa has the potential to boost agricultural productivities by at least 50 percent, food production on the continent is almost entirely rainfed. The area equipped for irrigation, currently slightly more than 13 million hectares, makes up just 6 percent of the total cultivated area. Eighty-five percent of Africa’s poor live in rural areas and mostly depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. As a result, agricultural development is key to ending poverty on the continent. Many development organizations have recently proposed to significantly increase investments in irrigation in the region. However, the potential for irrigation investments in Africa is highly dependent upon geographic, hydrologic, agronomic, and economic factors that need to be taken into account when assessing the long-term viability and sustainability of planned projects. This paper analyzes large, dam-based and small-scale irrigation investment needs in Africa based on agronomic, hydrologic, and economic factors. This type of analysis can guide country- and local-level assessment of irrigation potential, which will be important to agricultural and economic development in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • You, Liangzhi & Ringler, Claudia & Nelson, Gerald & Wood-Sichra, Ulrike & Robertson, Richard & Wood, Stanley & Guo, Zhe & Zhu, Tingju & Sun, Yan, 2010. "What is the irrigation potential for Africa?," IFPRI discussion papers 993, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:993
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ifpridp00993.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Inocencio, Arlene & Kikuchi, Masao & Tonosaki, Manabu & Maruyama, Atsushi & Merrey, Douglas & Sally, Hilmy & de Jong, Ijsbrand, 2007. "Costs and performance of irrigation projects: A comparison of Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions," IWMI Research Reports H036214, International Water Management Institute.
    2. You, Liangzhi & Wood, Stanley, 2006. "An entropy approach to spatial disaggregation of agricultural production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 90(1-3), pages 329-347, October.
    3. Svendsen, Mark & Ewing, Mandy & Msangi, Siwa, 2009. "Measuring irrigation performance in Africa:," IFPRI discussion papers 894, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Svendsen, M., 2009. "Measuring irrigation performance in Africa," IWMI Working Papers H043570, International Water Management Institute.
    5. You, Liangzhi & Wood, Stanley & Wood-Sichra, Ulrike, 2007. "Generating plausible crop distribution and performance maps for Sub-Saharan Africa using a spatially disaggregated data fusion and optimization approach:," IFPRI discussion papers 725, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Anton Eberhard & Vivien Foster & Cecilia Briceño-Garmendia & Fatimata Ouedraogo & Daniel Camos & Maria Shkaratan, 2008. "Underpowered : The State of the Power Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Bank Publications - Reports 7833, The World Bank Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. repec:mth:jas888:v:6:y:2018:i:2:p:100-122 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Nunez, Paula & Colmenero, Alberto, 2011. "Ague, agricultura y desarrollo: avances y retos para la reduccion de la pobreza," Revista Espanola de Estudios Agrosociales y Pesqueros, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Rural y Marino (formerly Ministry of Agriculture), issue 230, pages 1-28.
    3. Karen G. Villholth, 2013. "Groundwater irrigation for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa - a synthesis of current knowledge to guide sustainable outcomes," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 369-391, July.
    4. Dillon, Andrew, 2011. "The Effect of Irrigation on Poverty Reduction, Asset Accumulation, and Informal Insurance: Evidence from Northern Mali," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2165-2175.
    5. UNDP Africa, 2012. "Africa Human Development Report 2012 Towards a Food Secure Future," UNDP Africa Reports 267636, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    6. Bekoe, Joseph & Balana, Bedru B. & Nimoh, Fred, 2021. "Social cost-benefit analysis of investment in rehabilitation of multipurpose small reservoirs in northern Ghana using an ecosystem services-based approach," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    7. Dyer, Julian & Shapiro, Jeremy, 2023. "Pumps, prosperity and household power: Experimental evidence on irrigation pumps and smallholder farmers in Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. You, Liangzhi & Ringler, Claudia & Wood-Sichra, Ulrike & Robertson, Richard & Wood, Stanley & Zhu, Tingju & Nelson, Gerald & Guo, Zhe & Sun, Yan, 2011. "What is the irrigation potential for Africa? A combined biophysical and socioeconomic approach," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 770-782.
    2. Franziska Schuenemann & James Thurlow & Stefan Meyer & Richard Robertson & Joao Rodrigues, 2018. "Evaluating irrigation investments in Malawi: economy†wide impacts under uncertainty and labor constraints," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(2), pages 237-250, March.
    3. Elizabeth L. Roos & Heinrich R. Bohlmann & Jan H. van Heerden & Nicholas Kilimani, 2016. "Counting the cost of drought induced productivity losses in an agro-based economy: The case of Uganda," Working Papers 616, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    4. Richard Stirzaker & Ikenna Mbakwe & Nuru Ressa Mziray, 2017. "A soil water and solute learning system for small-scale irrigators in Africa," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(5), pages 788-803, September.
    5. Raymond van Der Wijngaart & John Helming & Claire Jacobs & Pedro Andres Garzon Delvaux & Steven Hoek & Sergio Gomez y Paloma, 2019. "Irrigation and irrigated agriculture potential in the Sahel: The case of the Niger river basin: Prospective review of the potential and constraints in a changing climate," JRC Research Reports JRC108657, Joint Research Centre.
    6. Liang Zhi You, 2008. "Africa : Irrigation investment Needs in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Bank Publications - Reports 7870, The World Bank Group.
    7. Muchara, B. & Ortmann, G. & Mudhara, M. & Wale, E., 2016. "Irrigation water value for potato farmers in the Mooi River Irrigation Scheme of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A residual value approach," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 164(P2), pages 243-252.
    8. Kiselev, Sergey & Romashkin, Roman & Nelson, Gerald C. & Mason-D'Croz, Daniel & Palazzo, Amanda, 2013. "Russia's food security and climate change: Looking into the future," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 7, pages 1-66.
    9. Sulser, Timothy B. & Ringler, Claudia & Zhu, Tingju & Msangi, Siwa & Bryan, Elizabeth & Rosegrant, Mark W., 2009. "Green and blue water accounting in the Limpopo and Nile Basins: Implications for food and agricultural policy," IFPRI discussion papers 907, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Dittoh, Saa & Akuriba, Margaret A. & Issaka, Balma Y. & Bhattarai, Madhusudan, 2010. "Sustainable Micro-Irrigation Systems for Poverty Alleviation in The Sahel: A Case for “Micro” Public-Private Partnerships?," 2010 AAAE Third Conference/AEASA 48th Conference, September 19-23, 2010, Cape Town, South Africa 97045, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    11. Sheahan, Megan & Barrett, Christopher B., 2017. "Ten striking facts about agricultural input use in Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 12-25.
    12. Takle, Eugene S. & Gustafson, David & Beachy, Roger & Neslon, Gerald C. & Mason-D'Croz, Daniel & Palazzo, Amanda, 2013. "US food security and climate change: Agricultural futures," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 7, pages 1-41.
    13. Nkonya, Ephraim & Place, Frank & Pender, John & Mwanjololo, Majaliwa & Okhimamhe, Appollonia & Kato, Edward & Crespo, Susana & Ndjeunga, Jupiter & Traore, Sibiry, 2011. "Climate risk management through sustainable land management in Sub-Saharan Africa:," IFPRI discussion papers 1126, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Cenacchi, Nicola, 2014. "Drought risk reduction in agriculture: A review of adaptive strategies in East Africa and the Indo-Gangetic plain of South Asia:," IFPRI discussion papers 1372, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Ye, Liming & Tang, Huajun & Wu, Wenbin & Yang, Peng & Nelson, Gerald C. & Mason-D'Croz, Daniel & Palazzo, Amanda, 2014. "Chinese food security and climate change: Agriculture futures," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 8, pages 1-39.
    16. Anthony Baffoe‐Bonnie & Genti Kostandini, 2019. "Annual and cropping season environmental production conditions effects on smallholder technical efficiency in sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 50(6), pages 779-791, November.
    17. Aarnoudse, E. & Closas, Alvar & Lefore, Nicole, 2018. "Water user associations: a review of approaches and alternative management options for Sub-Saharan Africa," IWMI Working Papers H048782, International Water Management Institute.
    18. Sithembile Ndema Mwamakamba & Lindiwe Majele Sibanda & Jamie Pittock & Richard Stirzaker & Henning Bjornlund & Andre van Rooyen & Paiva Munguambe & Makarius Victor Mdemu & Japhet J. Kashaigili, 2017. "Irrigating Africa: policy barriers and opportunities for enhanced productivity of smallholder farmers," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(5), pages 824-838, September.
    19. Vijaya Ramachandran, 2021. "Convergence, Development, and Energy-Intensive Infrastructure in Africa: A Review of the Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-23, September.
    20. Dong-Gill Kim & Elisa Grieco & Antonio Bombelli & Jonathan E. Hickman & Alberto Sanz-Cobena, 2021. "Challenges and opportunities for enhancing food security and greenhouse gas mitigation in smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa. A review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(2), pages 457-476, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    internal rate of return; Investment; irrigation potential; large-scale irrigation; small-scale irrigation;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:993. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifprius.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.