CPWF Volta Science Workshop: Targeting and Scaling Agricultural Water Management Interventions

1. Targeting and Scaling – up of Agricultural Water Management Interventions in
the Black Volta Basin – Ghana: A CPWF V1 MSc Thesis Project
WRESP - KNUST Supervisors: Prof. S. N. Odai and Mr. Frank Ohene Annor
Department of Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Author’s e-mail: perp333@yahoo.com
140
Background
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Majority of the populace in the Upper West Region of Ghana are 120 No. of HH Start
No. of HH Present
small-scale farmers who depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture. 100
However, rainfall pattern is uni-modal (April – September) and
variable thus making agriculture quite challenging. This has resulted
No. of HH
80
71
in poverty and food insecurity with migration down south being on the
60
ascendency especially during the dry season.
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This research therefore seeks to identify the AWM interventions 40
30
available in the region, assess their biophysical and socio-economic 21
20
parameters and up-scale the successful ones to other areas that 14
9
5
have similar characteristics. 0
Stone Bund Tied Ridges Small Reservoir Small Reservoir
Yagha Kusele Kunyukuo Yeliyiri
Adoption Rates of Interventions
With the exception of Yagha, increments of over 100% in adoption were recorded in
the other communities (1996 – 2001). Decrease in Yagha is mainly due to land tenure
problems.
Increment in adoption of use of small reservoirs is due to their multiple uses
especially for dry season gardening and livestock watering.
The use of stone bunds and tied ridges have helped to improve crop yields. Increase
in yields is linked with other farm inputs and practices.
Residue from harvested crops supplement livestock feed especially during the dry
season thus reducing the risk of animals getting lost or dying during search for feed.
The Black Volta Basin
Conclusions
Map of Potential Areas for Small Reservoir Small reservoirs are successful because they help to manage droughts and floods
Research Questions periods to make water available for agriculture throughout the year unfortunately, they
Suitability Classes Area (%) are poorly managed and maintained.
1. What are the types and details of AWM interventions available in
the study area and their adoption rates?
Reservoirs are sometimes sited because of community demand or political reasons
Optimal 1.3
2. What are the biophysical and socio-economic parameters that and not necessarily biophysical factors.
could affect these AWM interventions?
High 57.2 Success of interventions were not only linked to interventions alone but other factors
3. Which locations within the region have similar biophysical and such as fertilizer, access to market & transportation and agronomic practices.
socio-economic parameters for the up-scaling of successful AWM Moderate 41.5 .
interventions? Acknowledgments
This work is supported by CPWF project V1 ‘Targeting and Scaling out’. Special thanks also go
to my supervisors at KNUST and Dr. M. Fosu and J. Barron for their comments and guidance.
Perpetual Y. Diabene, June 2012