Abstract
This paper examines the reform of water and irrigation management in Africa and compares it with similar reforms in Asia. Several things are evident from the review. First, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is at an earlier stage of irrigation development and reform than Asia. Second, the articulated need for reform is much stronger in Asia than it is in SSA. Third, the productivity of small-scale irrigated farms is significantly lower in SSA compared to Asia. Thus any irrigation investment strategy in SSA should be different from Asia and focus on increasing small-farm productivity as well as small-scale irrigation projects. Finally, all direct government irrigation investments should be done jointly with decisions regarding the type of project management.
Highlights
This paper reviews the water and irrigation management experienced in Africa to see if these same key factors that are limiting irrigation productivity in Asia are limiting in Africa
The reform strategy delineated by Easter (2000:372) and the World Bank’s water policy paper (World Bank, 1993:65-79) as a means for modernizing water and irrigation management includes five basic actions: 1. Reform the legal, institutional and organizational framework for managing water resources so that the management units internalize the costs of water provision and are accountable for providing quality service
Two aspects are clear about irrigation reform and investment in Africa
Summary
This paper reviews the water and irrigation management experienced in Africa to see if these same key factors that are limiting irrigation productivity in Asia are limiting in Africa. Irrigation has not been as important a part of Africa’s past development strategies as it has been in Asia but water scarcity is growing in Africa. Still Africa has not been plagued as much by large, top-down managed irrigation systems as has Asia. The review considers five key water management reforms and asks whether any of these reforms are needed in Africa. Reforms in a number of countries are used to illustrate different approaches and constraints that have raised the transaction cost of reform
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