Volta River Basin

Water Scarcity in the Midst of Plenty

The Volta River Basin covers parts of the countries of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Togo. The basin’s farmers, some of the poorest in the world, generally rely on rainfed agriculture. Even when rainfall is adequate for cropping, its uneven distribution leads to a high risk of crop loss; moreover, the lack of incentives means a situation where farmers are reluctant to invest in agriculture and water management. Climate change is making already variable rainfall less reliable. Farmers must have access to reliable water supplies. Small reservoirs, locally maintained and requiring no recurrent energy input are a sustainable supply option.

CPWF research explores the institutional and technical aspects of small reservoir development and maintenance, embedded within a wider rainwater management system for the Volta River Basin in northern Ghana and Burkina Faso.There are links to CPWF work in the Nile and Limpopo Basins on Rainwater Management. There are more than 1,700 small reservoirs spread across northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso. Initially, many reservoirs were built as watering holes for cattle but actually have come to serve multiple purposes providing opportunities for small-scale farmers to buffer volatile rainfall patterns that are a predominant feature in the CPWF research areas. The reservoirs help manage better both the periods of drought and floods so that water is more consistently available for agriculture throughout the year.