Assessing the effectiveness of participatory irrigation management approaches to improve water use efficiency and equity in Ghana

Abstract

Participatory irrigation management (PIM) is widely used to improve water use efficiency and equity in irrigation systems. This study investigated the effectiveness of participatory irrigation management approaches to improve water use efficiency and equity in Ghana. A survey was conducted among farmers who use participatory irrigation management approaches and those who do not use such techniques. The results showed that farmers using participatory irrigation management approaches had higher water use efficiency and more equitable water allocation than farmers not using such approaches. In addition, the study found that various factors, including the level of farmer participation, the availability of water resources and the level of support from governmental and non-governmental organizations, influence the effectiveness of participatory irrigation management approaches. The study recommends that policy makers and stakeholders provide adequate financial and technical support for PIM initiatives to make water use more efficient and equitable in Ghana.