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Small-scale irrigation scheme governance - poverty nexus: evidence from Ethiopia

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Abstract

Irrigated agriculture has been popularized as a key factor to improve crop yields and enhance food security in Africa. However, empirical findings are mixed. This study analyzes determinants of small-scale irrigation adoption and the impact this may have on food security in Ethiopia, where agricultural land is extremely fragmented and densely populated. Data were collected from 240 farmers, and the findings from the survey were triangulated with focus group discussions and key informant interviews. First, the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke indices indicated high poverty levels among farmers without access to irrigation. Second, accounting for a self-selection bias by using the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model, scheme governance, perceived water scarcity, and access to information were found to have significant effects on the adoption of irrigation schemes. Model estimates further indicated that access to small-scale irrigation resulted in better living conditions for both current users and non-users when compared to their counterfactual situations. Farm income of the user households would decrease by 42% (birr 151,419 or US$ 5,500 per ha) had they not used irrigation. Similarly, farm income of the non-users would increase by 149% had they used irrigation. Per adult equivalent consumption expenditure has also shown a decrease of 35% for irrigation users and an increase of 40% for non-users compared to their respective counterfactual situations. We conclude that much of the perceived water scarcity level is attributed to existing governance regimes more than the physical scarcity of water. The study draws several implications for household food security and local-based water use policies.

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Notes

  1. Peasant association, which is the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia

  2. One US dollar is approximately equivalent to 27.3 Ethiopian birr.

  3. One US dollar is approximately equivalent to 27.3 Ethiopian birr.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Business and Economics, Hawassa University, P.O.Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Fitsum Assefa Adela

  2. Institute of Farm and Agribusiness Management, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstraße 3, 35390, Giessen, Germany

    Joachim Aurbacher

  3. Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Riad El Solh, Beirut, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon

    Gumataw Kifle Abebe

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  1. Fitsum Assefa Adela
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Adela, F.A., Aurbacher, J. & Abebe, G.K. Small-scale irrigation scheme governance - poverty nexus: evidence from Ethiopia. Food Sec. 11, 897–913 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-019-00953-8

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