This document discusses the evolution of agricultural water management (AWM) in rainfed crop-livestock systems of the Volta Basin across Burkina Faso and Ghana. It finds that over 200,000 to 300,000 hectares have been restored through AWM strategies, yielding an extra 80,000 tons of food annually. However, the actual impact on livelihoods and the environment remains controversial, as investments have been found ineffective and degradation continues. The document concludes with recommendations to improve local capacity building, resource management, infrastructure management, and address knowledge gaps through integrated research on water-crop-livestock interactions, landscape approaches, and socio-economic studies.

1. Evolution of AWM in rainfed crop‐livestock systems of the Volta Basin
(Source: P. Cecchi)
Sabine Douxchamps
Augustine Ayantunde
Jennie Barron

2. introduction evolution of AWM projects’ outcomes conclusions

3. introduction
▪ 395 000 km2 across six countries, 80% in
Burkina Faso and Ghana
▪ 20.106 people:
Burkina Faso Ghana
Poverty (>1$/d) 61% 45%
Growth rate 3.4% 2.1%
Rainfed crop‐ 90% 76%
livestock systems
▪ Degraded soils (38 and 11 %)
▪ N‐S gradient of rainfall and of farming systems
▪ Basin level above threshold of water scarcity
(1700 m3 yr‐1 per capita), but North Burkina at
900 m3 yr‐1 per capita.
(Source: GLOWA)

4. introduction
Potential yield in the moist semi‐arid tropics
Potential yield in the dry semi‐arid tropics
Evolution of cereal yields,
livestock heads and
agricultural area from
1961 to 2009 (Source:
FAO) and potential yields
(ICRISAT 2009).
▪ demographic pressure ↑
▪ pressure on natural
resources ↑

5. introduction
(Source: CILSS)
(Source: CILSS)

6. introduction
(Source: CILSS)
(Source: CILSS)

7. introduction
(Source: CILSS)
(Source: CILSS)
AWM strategies in rainfed systems are different ways to influence rainwater flows in order to
maximize infiltration in the soil, retain run‐off and minimize losses, and range from field‐scale
techniques like stone bunds or manure application to watershed‐scale structures like small
reservoirs.

8. introduction
Objective
To synthesize existing knowledge, interventions,
lessons, and gaps in knowledge regarding AWM
Questions addressed
▪ who did what, how, where, with which results
and why
▪ what are the lessons learned for longer term
development efforts and interventions
▪ what are the knowledge gaps
Sources of information
▪ 25 key resource informants
▪ more than 250 documents from peer‐reviewed
research papers to grey literature and projects
documents, and from 1969 up to now
▪ AidData (most complete aid database publicly
available)

9. evolution of AWM

10. evolution of AWM
Burkina Faso Ghana
Aid projects (total nb) 8192 7023
AWM projects (total nb) 195 46
Investments AWM (million US$) 641 258
(Source: AidData)
Burkina Faso Ghana
450 450
Aid investments (millions $US)
Aid investments (millions $US)
AWM AWM
400 400
350 350
300 300
250 250
200 200
150 150
100 100
50 50
0 0
1975‐1979
1980‐1984
1975‐1979
1985‐1989
1980‐1984
1990‐1994
1985‐1989
1995‐1999
1990‐1994
2000‐2004
1995‐1999
2005‐2009
2000‐2004
2005‐2009
Evolution of aid investments for AWM projects and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in
Burkina Faso and Ghana (Source: AidData).

11. evolution of AWM
Burkina Faso Ghana
Aid projects (total nb) 8192 7023
AWM projects (total nb) 195 46
Investments AWM (million US$) 641 258
(Source: AidData)
Evolution of aid investments for AWM projects and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in
Burkina Faso and Ghana (Source: AidData).

12. projects’ outcomes
From research projects
▪ numerous technical solutions
▪ benefits of AWM strategies for the agricultural system largely studied
▪ farmers’ perceptions and factors limiting adoption documented
From development projects
▪ 200 000 to 300 000 ha restored (zaï and stone bunds), yielding extra 80 000 tons of food annually
▪ more than 2500 small dams constructed or rehabilitated in Burkina and Ghana
▪ thousands of farmers trained, thousands of households in water users associations
Controversy
▪ actual impact on livelihoods
▪ investments were ineffective
▪ environment in fragile areas of the Basin
continues to degrade

13. conclusions
Some recommendations for AWM projects
Local capacities
▪ play on factors triggering adoption
▪ local capacities and agendas should be better accounted for
Resources management (Source: Deserto Verde Burkinabé)
▪ combine water and nutrient management
▪ improve interactions between water, crop and livestock management
Infrastructures management
▪ participatory management of water infrastructures, integration of maintenance costs in project
budget,…
Capacity building
▪ assumption of more responsibility, ways to deal with turnovers within management committees,…
▪ farmers’ capacity building for enlightened risk management and constant adaptation to new
variable conditions

14. conclusions
Knowledge gaps and research topics
▪ Integrated management and system perspective to improve water‐crop‐livestock interactions, to
develop off‐season cultivation options and market access
▪ Landscape approaches and ecosystem services to understand ecological landscape processes and
trade‐offs between ecosystem services
▪ Socio‐economic studies to assess economic viability of mechanized techniques, to develop markets
and to balance gender benefits repartition
▪ Governance and adoption to facilitate management of AWM structures, to raise awareness and to
lever the factors limiting adoption
▪ Climate change and risk management to foresee the best strategies for adaptation to climate
change and manage risk in the variable environment of the basin
▪ Development aid and impact assessment to evaluate the return of aid investments on water
availability, food security and livelihoods; to develop common indicators for monitoring and impact
assessments of AWM projects
(Source: Deserto Verde Burkinabé)

15. Thank you!

16. Burkina Faso Ghana
AWM
9% 6%
AGRIC DEVELOPMENT
30% LIVESTOCK
FORESTRY
46% 26%
36% FISHING
AGRIC RESEARCH
EXTENSION AND TRAINING
5% 17% AGRIC POLICY
1%
9% 4% WASH
0% 5%
1% 0%
3%
1% 1%
Repartition of aid investments in the area of agriculture and water, for the timeframe 2000‐2009, in
(a) Burkina Faso and (b) Ghana (Source: AidData). The category “Agric development” account for all
projects that are not part of another category (e.g. linked to post harvest, crop management,
industrial crops, or financial services).