Irrigation development and management in Ghana: Prospects and challenges

Abstract

Agriculture plays a vital role in the national economy but it is predominantly dependent on natural rainfall. Irrigated agriculture on a fairly limited scale is a recent phenomenon and was necessitated largely by the seasonality and unreliability of natural rainfall. The development and management of irrigation, however, has been characterised by difficulties notably weak database, excessive cost, environmental problems and extreme pessimism in some quarters since rainfed agriculture is seen as potentially able to support the present population. Irrigation capacity utilisation on existing schemes is very low and reasons for this situation are put forward, as well as the broad policy objectives needed to promote irrigation development and management. Water management is seen as a serious drawback on existing schemes. It is envisaged that irrigation will be seen in its right perspective as a multidisciplinary activity to ensure the success of schemes. There is the need for running a postgraduate programme in irrigation at the KNUST to enhance the nations efforts at developing and managing irrigation projects successfully. INTRODUCTION Agriculture is vital for the overall economic development of Ghana since it is the largest contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounting for about 50 %. It also accounts for about 60 % of export earnings and directly or indirectly supports 80 % of the total population economically through farming, distribution of farm products and provision of other services to the agricultural sector (MOFA, 1991). A vital area necessary for the modernisation of agriculture in Ghana is irrigation. Unfortunately, the total area under irrigation as at 1996 was estimated at 11,000 ha which formed only 0.44 % of the total land area (Sant' Anna, 1997) or just 0.26 % of area under cultivation. According to Memuna and Cofie (2005), this has barely changed (See also Figure 1) and this goes to buttress the fact that agriculture is mainly rainfed, subject to the vagaries of the weather despite the fact that yields are greater and cropping is twice yearly on some irrigated schemes. The existing irrigation projects are distributed in all the six distinct agro-ecological zones.