Supporting smallholder irrigation through finance and technical assistance could significantly improve productivity and incomes.
The recent discovery of a large aquifer in Kenya is a reminder that far from being dry, Africa
has abundant water resources. The problem for farmers is access: only
around 6% of cultivated land is equipped for irrigation, leaving
millions dependent on rain-fed agriculture. How might more of them be helped to access water that could raise their productivity?
Large-scale,
government-funded irrigation systems have long attempted to address
this, with varying degrees of success. Those systems have a place, but
research by the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI) has found that many smallholders are themselves taking the lead
and investing in their own low-cost, small-scale irrigation systems.
"Small-scale agricultural water management dominates the landscape in
south Asia but it's really becoming quite a feature also in sub-Saharan
Africa now,"
You can start from your backyard...
De Edge Farms
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