For decades, farmers in Ghana’s Savannah Region have lived at the mercy of erratic rains and long dry spells. Yet two of West Africa’s most important water bodies — the Black Volta and the White Volta — flow through their land, carrying untapped opportunities.
Gbenapewura Sungbore I, Executive Director of the Savannah Farmers Brigade, believes that the time has come to harness these rivers for a new chapter of agricultural transformation.
“The Savannah Region is endowed with vast arable land and the invaluable presence of the Black and White Volta rivers. However, to translate this potential into sustainable wealth and food security, a deliberate and strategic approach to water management is paramount,” he said in a statement.
Building reservoirs for resilience
Drawing lessons from Brazil’s agricultural revolution, Sungbore is advocating for the construction of localized water reservoirs across farming communities. These small to medium-scale dams would capture and store runoff during the rainy season, providing irrigation water when farmers need it most.
“This approach can fundamentally change the farming calendar and economic prospects of the region,” he explained. “By transitioning from solely rain-fed agriculture to a dual system that includes irrigation, farmers can dramatically increase their yields, cultivate multiple times a year, and significantly boost their incomes.”
He listed crops such as tomatoes, onions, ginger, peppers, okra, and cabbages as examples of high-value produce that could flourish under this system, creating vibrant markets and stronger local economies.
Making the Volta rivers more accessible
Beyond reservoirs, Sungbore says direct access to the Black and White Volta rivers must be improved. Farmers often struggle to draw water due to high embankments and fluctuating river levels during the dry season.
“To make irrigation viable for thousands of hectares of fertile land, we must dredge sections of the rivers and lower embankments at strategic points,” he noted. “This will allow for easier and more cost-effective pumping of water to farms and turn riverbanks into vibrant, year-round agricultural production zones.”
A vision for prosperity
For Sungbore, these twin strategies — storing water during the rains and making rivers more usable during the dry months — could build a resilient and highly productive agricultural sector in the Savannah Region.
“This ensures that the region’s largest natural water assets are not just flowing through the land but are actively contributing to its economic productivity,” he stressed. “By implementing this dual strategy of water storage and improved river access, the Savannah Region can achieve food security and create lasting prosperity for its people.”
Below is the statement:
SAVANNAH REGION – DUAL WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Following the Brazilian water management example, we can adopt a structured articulation of crucial dual water management strategies for the Savannah Region’s agricultural transformation. Read below:
A Proposal for Strategic Water Management to Unlock Agricultural Potential in the Savannah Region:
The Savannah Region is endowed with vast arable land and the invaluable presence of the Black and White Volta rivers. However, to translate this potential into sustainable wealth and food security, a deliberate and strategic approach to water management is paramount. The seasonal nature of rainfall and increasing vulnerability to droughts necessitate a two-pronged strategy to ensure a year-round water supply for agriculture.
- Development of
Water Reservoirs for Dry-Season Irrigation:
A key strategy is the construction of localized water reservoirs to capture and store runoff during the rainy season. This approach, successfully implemented in agricultural powerhouses like Brazil, can fundamentally change the farming calendar and economic prospects of the region.
Objective:
To create a network of small to medium-scale dams and reservoirs strategically located across farming communities.
Function:
These reservoirs would serve as a vital source of water during the long dry season and in periods of drought, enabling farmers to engage in continuous cultivation.
Impact:
This would unlock the potential for large-scale commercial cultivation of high-value, irrigated crops such as:
* Tomatoes
* Onions
* Ginger
* Peppers
* Okra
* Cabbages
Benefit:
By transitioning from solely rain-fed agriculture to a dual system that includes irrigation, farmers can dramatically increase their yields, cultivate multiple times a year, and significantly boost their incomes, thereby transforming local economies.
- Improving
Accessibility to the Black and White Volta Rivers:
While reservoirs provide stored water, directly harnessing the consistent flow of the region’s major rivers is equally critical. The high embankments of the Black and White Volta rivers often make it difficult and costly for farmers to access water, especially as water levels recede in the dry season.
Objective:
To dredge sections of the rivers and/or lower the embankments at strategic points to create accessible water collection and pumping stations for farmers.
Function:
Lowering the barrier between the river and the farmland allows for the easier and more cost-effective installation of irrigation systems.
Impact:
This initiative would make irrigation a viable option for thousands of hectares of fertile land situated along the river corridors. It would turn these riverbanks into vibrant, year-round agricultural production zones.
Benefit:
This ensures that the region’s largest natural water assets are not just flowing through the land but are actively contributing to its economic productivity, reducing reliance on rainfall and empowering farmers to combat the effects of climate change.
The Savannah Region can build a resilient and highly productive agricultural sector, ensuring food security and creating lasting prosperity for its people by implementing this dual strategy of water storage and improved river access.
Gbenapewura Sungbore I
Executive Director,
Savannah Farmers Brigade.
+233244445010
+233208159075
Source: www.KumasiMail.Com/JosephZiem
