Volta River Basin

Demand for water to supply agriculture and power generation in West Africa’s Volta basin is putting these two essential sectors into competition. But at the very time more water is needed, successive years of low rainfall, coupled with land degradation, have caused grave water deficits. These conflicting trends increase human vulnerability to change—a dangerous prospect given the basins’ six riparian countries are already among the world’s poorest.

International cooperation on water issues—among the Volta basin countries themselves and with donor agencies—has increased in recent years. Both political and donor commitment have created favorable conditions for successful research and development under the CPWF.

The Challenge Program for Water and Food identified some priority topics of research to address Volta basin needs at various levels and with various stakeholders.

Research priorities include:

More food with less water:

  • developing superior crop varieties for specific growing environments;

  • designing farm water harvesting methods to cope with dry periods and erratic rainfall;

  • developing integrated crop-tree-animal systems that conserve water and maximize yields.

Integrated use of upper catchments:

  • Preventing natural resource degradation and promoting integrated use of inland valleys, forests, and water resources.

Integrated basin water management:

  • assessing water quantity and quality and the impact of land use;

  • establishing a scientific basis for protocol agreements for sharing transboundary waters.

Policies for food and water systems:

  • developing policies on water rights and water pricing;

  • designing an integrated approach to allocating water among multiple users;

  • promoting land use practices that protect water resources;

  • helping to establish a commission for integrated basin management.

weiandah@africaonline.com.gh

Volta River Basin Overview

Countries sharing the basin: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Togo.

Basin area: 400,000 km2 (Burkina Faso, 43%; Ghana, 40%; Togo, 6%; Benin, 4%; Mali, 4%; Cote d’Ivoire, 3%)

Population of the basin: 18.6 million (2000)

Percentage rural: Range of 64% - 88%

Population below poverty line ($1/day):

Burkina Faso, 61.2% (1994); Ghana, 44% (1999); Benin, 37% (2001); Cote d’Ivoire, 37% (1995); Mali, 64% (2001); Togo, 32%

Annual rainfall: Variable across basin; 1,600 mm in southeastern portion (Ghana); 400 mm in northern portion (Mali)

Climate: Humid southern zone with two distinct rainy seasons; tropical transition zone with two rainy seasons close to each other; tropical northern zone with one rainy season peaking in August

Total developed water resources: Consumptive, 2.9 million m3; nonconsumptive, 37.8 million m3.

Total annual water demand: 1.7 billion m3

Irrigated land’s share of total cropped area: Benin, 0.8%; Burkina Faso, 0.7%; Côte d’Ivoire, 1%; Ghana, 0.2%; Mali, 2.1%; Togo, 0.3%. Reporting years range from 1995-1997. Figures are for whole countries.

Contribution of value-added agriculture to GDP (2002): Burkina Faso, 37.6%, Ghana, 34.7%.