Implication of Water Policy on Agric in Africa
ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the implications of the water policies on agriculture in Africa. Water Policies play various roles in African agriculture to ensure food and nutrition security and environmental sustainability. The main challenge being faced by the continent is that there are no clear policies that guide the distribution of water scarcity for food production. The objectives of the paper were to examine the extent to which water policies affect African agriculture and highlight implications of water withdrawals to food security in Africa. This study was conducted through literature reviews of the water policies affecting African Agriculture. The main findings of the paper were that only seven (7) counties in the northern parts of Africa have 10 - 50% irrigation as a percentage of cultivated area and that dams are present in all the regions in Africa with Northern Africa having the largest numbers of dams while the Indian Ocean had the lowest. African Governments need to intensify efforts to prepare medium- and long-term water policies at the local, national, and regional levels to enhance agricultural production and food security.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
FAOSTAT Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics
IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Emergency Funds
WHO World Health Organisation
MOPW Ministry of Public Works
RAADs Regional Authority for Agricultural Development
MOA Ministry of Agriculture
RBO River Basin Organisations
GDP Gross Domestic Product
NEPAD New Partnership for African Development
UN United Nations
UNDP United Nations Development Program
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
SADC Southern Africa Development Committee
Table of Contents
1.0 Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………………………...…2
1.2
This paper discusses the implications of the water policies on agriculture in Africa. Water Policies play various roles in African agriculture to ensure food and nutrition security and environmental sustainability. The main challenge being faced by the continent is that there are no clear policies that guide the distribution of water scarcity for food production. The objectives of the paper were to examine the extent to which water policies affect African agriculture and highlight implications of water withdrawals to food security in Africa. This study was conducted through literature reviews of the water policies affecting African Agriculture. The main findings of the paper were that only seven (7) counties in the northern parts of Africa have 10 - 50% irrigation as a percentage of cultivated area and that dams are present in all the regions in Africa with Northern Africa having the largest numbers of dams while the Indian Ocean had the lowest. African Governments need to intensify efforts to prepare medium- and long-term water policies at the local, national, and regional levels to enhance agricultural production and food security.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
FAOSTAT Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics
IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Emergency Funds
WHO World Health Organisation
MOPW Ministry of Public Works
RAADs Regional Authority for Agricultural Development
MOA Ministry of Agriculture
RBO River Basin Organisations
GDP Gross Domestic Product
NEPAD New Partnership for African Development
UN United Nations
UNDP United Nations Development Program
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
SADC Southern Africa Development Committee
Table of Contents
1.0 Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………………………...…2
1.2
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