Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia

Although Ethiopia has abundant land for irrigation, only a fraction of its potential land is being utilized. This study evaluates suitability of lands for irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia using GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques in order to enhance the country's agricultura...

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Main Authors: Worqlul, Abeyou W., Jeong, J., Dile, Y.T., Osorio, J., Schmitter, Petra S., Gerik, T., Srinivasan, R., Clark, N.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/83487
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author Worqlul, Abeyou W.
Jeong, J.
Dile, Y.T.
Osorio, J.
Schmitter, Petra S.
Gerik, T.
Srinivasan, R.
Clark, N.
author_browse Clark, N.
Dile, Y.T.
Gerik, T.
Jeong, J.
Osorio, J.
Schmitter, Petra S.
Srinivasan, R.
Worqlul, Abeyou W.
author_facet Worqlul, Abeyou W.
Jeong, J.
Dile, Y.T.
Osorio, J.
Schmitter, Petra S.
Gerik, T.
Srinivasan, R.
Clark, N.
author_sort Worqlul, Abeyou W.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Although Ethiopia has abundant land for irrigation, only a fraction of its potential land is being utilized. This study evaluates suitability of lands for irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia using GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques in order to enhance the country's agricultural industry. Key factors that significantly affect irrigation suitability evaluated in this study include physical land features (land use, soil, and slope), climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration), and market access (proximity to roads and access to market). These factors were weighted using a pair-wise comparison matrix, then reclassified and overlaid to identify suitable areas for groundwater irrigation using a 1-km grid. Groundwater data from the British Geological Survey were used to estimate the groundwater potential, which indicates the corresponding irrigation potential for major crops. Results indicated that more than 6 million ha of land are suitable for irrigation in Ethiopia. A large portion of the irrigable land is located in the Abbay, Rift Valley, Omo Ghibe, and Awash River basins. These basins have access to shallow groundwater (i.e., depth of groundwater less than 20 m from the surface) making it easier to extract. The comparison between available groundwater and total crop water requirements indicate that groundwater alone may not be sufficient to supply all suitable land. The study estimates that only 8% of the suitable land can be irrigated with the available shallow groundwater. However, groundwater is a viable option for supplementing surface water resources for irrigation in several basins in the country.
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spelling CGSpace834872024-06-26T10:18:09Z Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia Worqlul, Abeyou W. Jeong, J. Dile, Y.T. Osorio, J. Schmitter, Petra S. Gerik, T. Srinivasan, R. Clark, N. surface irrigation groundwater recharge groundwater water storage geographical information systems land suitability land use irrigated land agroindustry soil texture slopes rain evapotranspiration water requirements water resources water availability river basins population density mapping crops farmer-led irrigation Although Ethiopia has abundant land for irrigation, only a fraction of its potential land is being utilized. This study evaluates suitability of lands for irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia using GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques in order to enhance the country's agricultural industry. Key factors that significantly affect irrigation suitability evaluated in this study include physical land features (land use, soil, and slope), climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration), and market access (proximity to roads and access to market). These factors were weighted using a pair-wise comparison matrix, then reclassified and overlaid to identify suitable areas for groundwater irrigation using a 1-km grid. Groundwater data from the British Geological Survey were used to estimate the groundwater potential, which indicates the corresponding irrigation potential for major crops. Results indicated that more than 6 million ha of land are suitable for irrigation in Ethiopia. A large portion of the irrigable land is located in the Abbay, Rift Valley, Omo Ghibe, and Awash River basins. These basins have access to shallow groundwater (i.e., depth of groundwater less than 20 m from the surface) making it easier to extract. The comparison between available groundwater and total crop water requirements indicate that groundwater alone may not be sufficient to supply all suitable land. The study estimates that only 8% of the suitable land can be irrigated with the available shallow groundwater. However, groundwater is a viable option for supplementing surface water resources for irrigation in several basins in the country. 2017-08 2017-09-13T05:12:33Z 2017-09-13T05:12:33Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/83487 en Open Access Elsevier Worqlul, A. W.; Jeong, J.; Dile, Y. T.; Osorio, J.; Schmitter, Petra; Gerik, T.; Srinivasan, R.; Clark, N. 2017. Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia. Applied Geography, 13p. (Online first). doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.05.010
spellingShingle surface irrigation
groundwater recharge
groundwater
water storage
geographical information systems
land suitability
land use
irrigated land
agroindustry
soil texture
slopes
rain
evapotranspiration
water requirements
water resources
water availability
river basins
population density
mapping
crops
farmer-led irrigation
Worqlul, Abeyou W.
Jeong, J.
Dile, Y.T.
Osorio, J.
Schmitter, Petra S.
Gerik, T.
Srinivasan, R.
Clark, N.
Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia
title Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia
title_full Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia
title_fullStr Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia
title_short Assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in Ethiopia
title_sort assessing potential land suitable for surface irrigation using groundwater in ethiopia
topic surface irrigation
groundwater recharge
groundwater
water storage
geographical information systems
land suitability
land use
irrigated land
agroindustry
soil texture
slopes
rain
evapotranspiration
water requirements
water resources
water availability
river basins
population density
mapping
crops
farmer-led irrigation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/83487
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