The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana

One key poverty reduction strategy in developing countries has been the investment in agricultural water management. There are research-established linkages between irrigation water use and household welfare improvements in some developing countries. In Ghana, irrigation development for livelihood s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Owusu, Eric S., Namara, Regassa E., Kuwornu, J.K.M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40453
_version_ 1855522545858510848
author Owusu, Eric S.
Namara, Regassa E.
Kuwornu, J.K.M.
author_browse Kuwornu, J.K.M.
Namara, Regassa E.
Owusu, Eric S.
author_facet Owusu, Eric S.
Namara, Regassa E.
Kuwornu, J.K.M.
author_sort Owusu, Eric S.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description One key poverty reduction strategy in developing countries has been the investment in agricultural water management. There are research-established linkages between irrigation water use and household welfare improvements in some developing countries. In Ghana, irrigation development for livelihood support, which dates back to the 1960s manifested in the construction of formal irrigation infrastructure, starting with the rural savannah and coastal regions. However, to date agriculture is still predominantly rainfed, small-holder and subsistence oriented. It is believed that irrigation potential for poverty reduction is yet to be achieved within the Food and Agricultural Sector Development Programme, as general poverty incidence (60.1%) is still high, particularly in the rural savannah regions of Northern Ghana. Little is however known about the poverty-reducing role of already provided infrastructure against the backdrop of rising quest for more irrigation investments. The extent of irrigation's welfare-enhancing impact is worth knowing for policy makers. Using the methods of propensity score matching (PSM) and switching regression, it is ascertained that improved access to irrigation in the rural savannah region of Ghana significantly improves household welfare via increase in net farm income, and there is more room for enhanced impacts. Pro-poor irrigation investment in this region significantly reinforces both regional and national poverty reduction drives, and is thus justified.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace40453
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2011
publishDateRange 2011
publishDateSort 2011
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace404532023-02-15T12:14:41Z The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana Owusu, Eric S. Namara, Regassa E. Kuwornu, J.K.M. households welfare income irrigation water investment poverty developing countries regression analysis models One key poverty reduction strategy in developing countries has been the investment in agricultural water management. There are research-established linkages between irrigation water use and household welfare improvements in some developing countries. In Ghana, irrigation development for livelihood support, which dates back to the 1960s manifested in the construction of formal irrigation infrastructure, starting with the rural savannah and coastal regions. However, to date agriculture is still predominantly rainfed, small-holder and subsistence oriented. It is believed that irrigation potential for poverty reduction is yet to be achieved within the Food and Agricultural Sector Development Programme, as general poverty incidence (60.1%) is still high, particularly in the rural savannah regions of Northern Ghana. Little is however known about the poverty-reducing role of already provided infrastructure against the backdrop of rising quest for more irrigation investments. The extent of irrigation's welfare-enhancing impact is worth knowing for policy makers. Using the methods of propensity score matching (PSM) and switching regression, it is ascertained that improved access to irrigation in the rural savannah region of Ghana significantly improves household welfare via increase in net farm income, and there is more room for enhanced impacts. Pro-poor irrigation investment in this region significantly reinforces both regional and national poverty reduction drives, and is thus justified. 2011 2014-06-13T14:47:42Z 2014-06-13T14:47:42Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40453 en Limited Access Owusu, Eric S.; Namara, Regassa E.; Kuwornu, J. K. M. 2011. The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana. Journal of International Diversity, 2011(1):61-87.
spellingShingle households
welfare
income
irrigation water
investment
poverty
developing countries
regression analysis
models
Owusu, Eric S.
Namara, Regassa E.
Kuwornu, J.K.M.
The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana
title The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana
title_full The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana
title_fullStr The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana
title_full_unstemmed The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana
title_short The welfare-enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern Ghana
title_sort welfare enhancing role of irrigation in farm households in northern ghana
topic households
welfare
income
irrigation water
investment
poverty
developing countries
regression analysis
models
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40453
work_keys_str_mv AT owusuerics thewelfareenhancingroleofirrigationinfarmhouseholdsinnorthernghana
AT namararegassae thewelfareenhancingroleofirrigationinfarmhouseholdsinnorthernghana
AT kuwornujkm thewelfareenhancingroleofirrigationinfarmhouseholdsinnorthernghana
AT owusuerics welfareenhancingroleofirrigationinfarmhouseholdsinnorthernghana
AT namararegassae welfareenhancingroleofirrigationinfarmhouseholdsinnorthernghana
AT kuwornujkm welfareenhancingroleofirrigationinfarmhouseholdsinnorthernghana