Smallholder groundwater irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: country-level estimates of development potential
The abundance of groundwater resources of Sub-Saharan Africa is generally well recognized, but quantitative estimates of their potential for irrigation development are lacking. This study derives estimates using a simple and generic water balance approach and data from secondary sources for 13 count...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Book Chapter |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130951 |
| Summary: | The abundance of groundwater resources of Sub-Saharan Africa is generally well recognized, but quantitative estimates of their potential for irrigation development are lacking. This study derives estimates using a simple and generic water balance approach and data from secondary sources for 13 countries. Even with conservative assumptions and accounting for water demands from other sectors, including the environment, a 120-fold increase (by 13.5 million hectares) in the area under groundwater irrigation is possible for the countries considered. This expansion could improve the livelihoods of approximately 40% of the present-day rural population. |
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