Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?

Southern Africa Development Communality (SADC) through its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) has set up an ambitious goal to double irrigation by 2015, which it sees as important component to sustain regional development and ensure food security. While the target timeline is que...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xueliang Cai, Chilonda, Pius, Matete, M.
Format: Conference Paper
Language:Inglés
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/38324
_version_ 1855515660325486592
author Xueliang Cai
Chilonda, Pius
Matete, M.
author_browse Chilonda, Pius
Matete, M.
Xueliang Cai
author_facet Xueliang Cai
Chilonda, Pius
Matete, M.
author_sort Xueliang Cai
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Southern Africa Development Communality (SADC) through its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) has set up an ambitious goal to double irrigation by 2015, which it sees as important component to sustain regional development and ensure food security. While the target timeline is questionable with year 2015 fast approaching, the goal to increase irrigated areas to 7% is certainly valid and has significant implications for regional food security and livelihood of rural population. The objective of this paper is to examine water resources in conjunction with the status of irrigation development in SADC region, and assess water availability for irrigation development. The desktop analysis builds largely upon literature, existing projects and products to integrate baseline information. The results reveal that water is sufficiently available for doubling irrigation without hampering too much on environment even with the possible impacts imposed by climate change. The potential is however largely variable from country to country, and basin to basin. To make irrigation sustainable and cost-benefit effective, irrigation expansion needs to undertake smart water resources/storages development to avoid significant impact on ecosystem functions which are all supported by water.
format Conference Paper
id CGSpace38324
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2012
publishDateRange 2012
publishDateSort 2012
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace383242021-10-07T14:10:07Z Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope? Xueliang Cai Chilonda, Pius Matete, M. irrigation-development irrigated sites food security water resources water management climate change rain river basins runoff water availability dams water-withdrawal agricultural-land Southern Africa Development Communality (SADC) through its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) has set up an ambitious goal to double irrigation by 2015, which it sees as important component to sustain regional development and ensure food security. While the target timeline is questionable with year 2015 fast approaching, the goal to increase irrigated areas to 7% is certainly valid and has significant implications for regional food security and livelihood of rural population. The objective of this paper is to examine water resources in conjunction with the status of irrigation development in SADC region, and assess water availability for irrigation development. The desktop analysis builds largely upon literature, existing projects and products to integrate baseline information. The results reveal that water is sufficiently available for doubling irrigation without hampering too much on environment even with the possible impacts imposed by climate change. The potential is however largely variable from country to country, and basin to basin. To make irrigation sustainable and cost-benefit effective, irrigation expansion needs to undertake smart water resources/storages development to avoid significant impact on ecosystem functions which are all supported by water. 2012 2014-06-13T11:41:22Z 2014-06-13T11:41:22Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/38324 en Open Access Cai, Xueliang; Chilonda, Pius; Matete, M. 2012. Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope? Paper presented at the Biennial Conference and Exhibition of Water Institute of Southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9 May 2012. 9p.
spellingShingle irrigation-development
irrigated sites
food security
water resources
water management
climate change
rain
river basins
runoff
water availability
dams
water-withdrawal
agricultural-land
Xueliang Cai
Chilonda, Pius
Matete, M.
Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?
title Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?
title_full Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?
title_fullStr Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?
title_full_unstemmed Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?
title_short Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?
title_sort doubling irrigation for southern africa do we have enough water and where is the hope
topic irrigation-development
irrigated sites
food security
water resources
water management
climate change
rain
river basins
runoff
water availability
dams
water-withdrawal
agricultural-land
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/38324
work_keys_str_mv AT xueliangcai doublingirrigationforsouthernafricadowehaveenoughwaterandwhereisthehope
AT chilondapius doublingirrigationforsouthernafricadowehaveenoughwaterandwhereisthehope
AT matetem doublingirrigationforsouthernafricadowehaveenoughwaterandwhereisthehope