Irrigation Development in Uganda: Constraints, Lessons Learned, and Future Perspectives

Policy makers in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have identified irrigation as a key ingredient to boosting food security and income as well as a precursor for agricultural development. However, most SSA countries have hardly exploited their irrigation potential. The overarching aim of this paper is to critically examine factors constraining exploitation of irrigation potential in Uganda. Lessons learned from previous interventions and successes elsewhere from countries comparable to Uganda are drawn and future perspectives to guide effective irrigation planning and development are recommended. From this paper, it is evident that there is no single blanket solution to constraints of irrigation development in SSA. All strategies should be implemented in a holistic manner dictated by specific local conditions. The key to successful adoption of irrigation lies in building the national irrigation capacity, improving access to reliable water for irrigation in proximity of the farms, streamlining extension services for farmers, addressing economic aspects of irrigation, and streamlining land tenure systems and management. It is recommended to operationalize government policy on irrigation by developing national guidelines on irrigated agriculture.

Keywords

Agricultural development; Food security; Rural livelihoods; Smallholder farmers.

Citation

Wanyama, J., Ssegane, H., Kisekka, I., Komakech, A. J., Banadda, N., Zziwa, A., ... & Kiyimba, F. L. (2017). Irrigation development in Uganda: constraints, lessons learned, and future perspectives. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 143(5), 04017003.DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0001159

URI

https://nru.uncst.go.ug/xmlui/handle/123456789/2394

Collections

Engineering and Technology

Full item page