Title:
Big irrigation projects in Africa have failed to deliver. What's needed next
Authors:
Tom Higginbottom, Research Associate in Earth Observation and Food Security, University of Manchester
Roshan Adhikari, Research Associate, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester
&
Timothy Foster, Senior Lecturer in Water-Food Security, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering, University of Manchester
Published:
The Conversation, 9 June 2020
From the article:
The Malian project, known as “Office Du Niger”, has had a profound influence on agricultural water management and planning across Africa since the mid-20th century. By the 1960s African governments saw it as a model for rural development.
With World Bank funding, hundreds of dams and large irrigation schemes were set up across Africa. The intended goals were increasing food security, reducing poverty, and stimulating economic growth. Unfortunately, the reality of many of these irrigation projects has been quite different.