Hello readers, Mr. Cassava is here with an inaugural blog article about:

The water problem in African agriculture

Many people might have think of Africa as a dry and arid continent with yellowing grass in the savannas. In fact, an estimated 83% of freshwater withdrawals in Africa is used on agriculture according to Wada et al. (2011) a figure matched only in Asian countries. In some countries, such as Egypt, Sudan and Zambia, even intensive levels of farming are achieved with the use of fertilizer and irrigation (basically large quantities of water sprayed onto the crops, especially on dry days).

This high percentage of water used on agriculture is largely because African nations are, on the whole, not as industrialised nor as urbanised as elsewhere in the world. The rural people especially survive on agriculture (and animal husbandry or fishing) for cash or food while working on small scale farms. We can tell that agriculture is indeed important for the basic sustenance of many Africans, and to a smaller extent, the people elsewhere around the world who import African food, coffee and cocoa.

The thing is, Wada and his co-authors also wrote that the amount of water used by Africans is barely 30% that of Asians, per person. There are some negative implications for hygiene and health. To give some perspective, in the dry seasons, some rural poor may use the equivalent of a normal 500ml bottle of water for hygiene per day. Why do so many rural Africans need to compromise so heavily on hygiene and health? 

Hygiene in dry parts of the world does not involve facial cleansing with pimple cream after.  

They simply needed the water for growing and cooking food. To be forced to make such compromises may be a way of life for many, but it highlights a few things.

1. In times of drought or low water supply, crops or animals must be given priority presumably because households have almost no spare cash or food supplies, and can't afford to lose their crops. 
2.  If households are barely making enough profits or growing enough food while operating at the limit of their water supplies, then they will be vulnerable to shocks in water availability.

I find the warnings of vulnerability faced by many rural Africans which are echoed by the IFAD (2011) and independent researchers highly appropriate. Combine No.2 with climate change, which may have unpredictable effects on weather and rainfall, as well as direct effects on crops in terms of heat, and we begin to see some of the difficulties of farming in Africa. Add on knowledge that rainfall and river discharge in Africa vary greatly from year to year, and we have the makings of a water problem in African agriculture.

  

The water problem in African agriculture does not end here though, so you have to stay with me, Mr. Cassava, for the next installments of the blog. As for what topics they may be on, well, I don't know yet, because I'm learning with you guys.

Stay starchy,

Mr. Cassava

Links and pictures used

1. http://www.betcheslovethis.com/files/uploads/slideshow/tap2.gif