Human and Physical Dilemmas in Small-Scale Irrigation Development: Evidence from Climate-Sensitive Northern Ghana

Irrigation is widely accepted as an effective adaptive management strategy for small-scale farmers of traditional rain-fed crops in areas experiencing climate change. These changes include timing of onset of the rainy season and the amount and intensity of rainfall-both issues of concern to rural farmers in northern Ghana. Despite obvious benefits, it is not apparent if farmers in this area perceive irrigation as a viable or attainable option to deal with potential food insecurity related to climate change. In this article, we examine three main issues: (1) dry spells during the early parts of the farming season, (2) impacts of these dry spells on farming systems, and (3) farmer adaptation through different agricultural water management practices. A geographic information system and remote sensing analysis using Landsat 8 and field Global Positioning System data supports findings from seventy-two in-depth interviews with smallholder farmers. Results from this integrated assessment reveal sociocultural and physical barriers to manual irrigation, including labor needs, water source proximity, and size of operational land holding. Increasing climate variability in this region will necessitate adaptation by local farmers; however, we argue that irrigation projects should not be initiated without detailed understanding of local sociocultural contexts. Effectively moving water from source to crop will require integrative knowledge of local hydrogeology and sociocultural norms.