Water Harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa

218 Pages·2013·10.124 MB·English

by  William Critchley, John Gowing (editors)

Water Harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa
Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is constrained by highly variable rainfall,
frequent drought and low water productivity. There is an urgent need, heightened
by climate change, for appropriate technologies to address this problem through
managing and increasing the quantity of water on farmers’ fi elds – by water
harvesting. This book defi nes water harvesting as a set of approaches which
occupy an intermediate position along the water-management spectrum extend-
ing from i n situ moisture conservation to irrigated agriculture. They generally
comprise small-scale systems that induce, collect, store and make use of local
surface runoff or fl oodwaters for agriculture.
The authors review development experience and set out the state of the art of
water harvesting for crop production and other benefi ts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This includes an assessment of water harvesting schemes that were initiated two
or three decades ago when interest was stimulated by the droughts of the 1970s
and 1980s. These provide lessons to promote sustainable development of dryland
agriculture in the face of changing environmental conditions. Case studies from
eight countries across western, central, eastern and southern Africa provide the
evidence base. Each follows a similar format and is based on assessments
conducted in collaboration with in-country partners, with a focus on attempts to
promote adoption of water harvesting, both horizontally (spread) and vertically
(institutionalization). Introductory cross-cutting chapters as well as an analytical
conclusion are also included.
William Critchley is a Senior Sustainable Land Management Specialist at the
Centre for International Cooperation, VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
John Gowing is a Reader in Agricultural Water Management, School of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle
upon Tyne, UK.
About CTA
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint
international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacifi c (ACP) Group of
States and the European Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food and nutri-
tional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource
management in ACP countries. It provides access to information and knowledge,
facilitates policy dialogue and strengthens the capacity of agricultural and rural
development institutions and communities.
CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and is funded
by the EU. For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int.
Water Harvesting in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Edited by
William Critchley and John Gowing
Associate Editor: Eefke Mollee
This fi rst edition published 2012
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2012 Selection and editorial material, William Critchley and John Gowing;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of William Critchley and John Gowing to be identifi ed as authors
of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters
has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice : Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Water harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa / edited by William Critchley and
John Gowing.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Water harvesting—Africa, Sub-Saharan. 2. Water-supply—Africa,
Sub-Saharan. I. Critchley, Will. II. Gowing, John W.
TD418.W36 2012
627'.50967—dc23 2012024623
ISBN13: 978-0-415-53773-5 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-53786-5 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-10998-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Times
by Cenveo Publisher Services
Contents

List of contributors vii
Acronyms and abbreviations x
Acknowledgements xiii
Foreword xiv
1 Introduction 1
WILLIAM CRITCHLEY AND JOHN GOWING
2 Water harvesting for crop production in Sub-Saharan
Africa: challenges, concepts and practices 10
WILLIAM CRITCHLEY AND SUSANNE M. SCHEIERLING
3 A review of the recent literature on water
harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa 32
JETSKE BOUMA, WILLIAM CRITCHLEY AND JENNIE BARRON
4 Burkina Faso: a cradle of farm-scale technologies 51
SERAPHINE KABORE-SAWADOGO, KORODJOUMA OUATTARA,
MARIAM BALIMA, ISSA OUÉDRAOGO, SAN TRAORÉ, MAURICE SAVADOGO
AND JOHN GOWING
5 Ethiopia: opportunities for building on
tradition – time for action 70
ADANE ABEBE, RALPH LASAGE, ERMIAS ALEMU,
JOHN GOWING AND KIFLE WOLDEAREGAY
6 Kenya : from drought relief to business model 85
ALEX ODUOR, KIPRUTO CHEROGONY, MAIMBO MALESU
AND WILLIAM CRITCHLEY
7 Niger: small-scale and simple for sustainability 99
SABINA DI PRIMA, ABDOU HASSANE AND CHRIS REIJ
vi Contents
8 Tanzania: bright spots and barriers to adoption 118
HENRY MAHOO, FREDERICK KAHIMBA, KHAMALDIN MUTABAZI,
SIZA TUMBO, FILBERT RWEHUMBIZA, PAUL REUBEN,
BONIFACE MBILINYI AND JOHN GOWING
9 Sudan: ancient traditions receiving a new impetus 134
WILLIAM CRITCHLEY, ABDELAZIZ GAIBALLA, ABDALLA OSMAN EISSA,
ASHA MOHAMED DEEN AND EEFKE MOLLEE
10 Zimbabwe: keeping runoff on the land 148
DOUGLAS GUMBO, DENYSE SNELDER, MENAS WUTA AND
ISAIAH NYAGUMBO
11 Investing in water for agriculture in the drylands of
Sub-Saharan Africa: considerations for a conducive
policy environment 169
DENYSE SNELDER, MARTIN BWALYA, HILMY SALLY AND
MAIMBO MALESU
12 Conclusions, lessons and an agenda for action 189
JOHN GOWING AND WILLIAM CRITCHLEY
Glossary 197
Index 200
Contributors

Abebe Awass A. Arba Minch University, Institute of Technology (AMIT),
P.O. Box 21, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Alemu E. Arba Minch University, Institute of Technology (AMIT), P.O. Box 21,
Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Balima M. National Institute for Environment and Agricultural Research
(INERA), 04 BP 7192 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Barron J. University of York, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI),
Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK and Stockholm Resilience Centre,
Stockholm University.
Bouma J.A. VU University Amsterdam, Institute for Environmental Studies
(IVM), De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Bwalya M. NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency – CAADP , P.O. Box
1234, Halfway House, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Cherogony K.R. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue,
Gigiri, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
Critchley W.R.S. VU University Amsterdam, Centre for International
Cooperation (CIS), De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Deen A.M. Land Use and Desertifi cation Control (LUDC) department, Kassala
State, Sudan.
Di Prima S.L. VU University Amsterdam, Centre for International Cooperation
(CIS), De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Eissa A.O. Soil Conservation, Land Use and Water Programming Administration
(SCLUWPA), Port Sudan, Sudan.
Gaiballa A.K. Sudan University of Science and Technology, College of Forestry
and Range Science (SUST-CFRS), P.O. Box 407, Khartoum, Sudan.
viii Contributors
Gowing J.W. Newcastle University, School of Agriculture, Food & Rural
Development, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Gumbo D. University of Zimbabwe, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural
Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, P.O. Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant,
Harare, Zimbabwe.
Hassane A. Independent agronomist, B.P. 13 191, Niamey, Niger.
Kahimba F.C. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, P.O. Box 3003,
Morogoro, Tanzania.
Lasage R. VU University Amsterdam, Institute for Environmental Studies
(IVM), De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Mahoo H.F. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, P.O. Box 3003,
Morogoro, Tanzania.
Malesu M. Southern and Eastern Africa Rainwater Network (SearNet), World
Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O. Box
30677, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
Mbilinyi B.P. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, P.O. Box 3003,
Morogoro, Tanzania.
Mollee E.M. VU University Amsterdam, Centre for International Cooperation
(CIS), De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Mutabazi K.D. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, P.O. Box 3007,
Morogoro, Tanzania.
Nyagumbo I. University of Zimbabwe, Department of Soil Science and
Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, P.O. Box MP 167, Mount
Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. Also CIMMYT-International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Centre, Southern Africa Regional Offi ce, P.O. Box MP 163, Mt.
Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Oduor A.R. Southern and Eastern Africa Rainwater Network (SearNet), World
Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O. Box
30677, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
Ouattara K. National Institute for Environment and Agricultural Research
(INERA), 04 BP 7192 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Ouédraogo I. National Institute for Environment and Agricultural Research
(INERA), 04 BP 7192 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Contributors ix
Oughton E. Newcastle University, School of Agriculture, Food & Rural
Development, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Reij C. VU University Amsterdam, Centre for International Cooperation (CIS),
De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Reuben P. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Department
of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, P.O. Box 3003, Morogoro,
Tanzania.
Rwehumbiza F.B. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Soil Science, P.O. Box 3008, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Sally H. Independent irrigation and water management specialist, Sri Lanka.
Savadogo M. National Institute for Environment and Agricultural Research
(INERA), 04 BP 7192 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Sawadogo-Kabore S. National Institute for Environment and Agricultural
Research (INERA), 04 BP 7192 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Scheierling S.M. World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433,
United States.
Snelder D.J.R.M. VU University Amsterdam, Centre for International
Cooperation (CIS), De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
and Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML).
Traoré S. National Institute for Environment and Agricultural Research
(INERA), 04 BP 7192 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Tumbo S.D. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, P.O. Box 3003,
Morogoro, Tanzania.
Woldearegay Woldemariam K. Mekelle University, Tigray Regional State,
231, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Wuta M. CIMMYT-International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre,
Southern Africa Regional Offi ce, P.O. Box MP 163, Mt Pleasant, Harare,
Zimbabwe.