Review on participatory small-scale irrigation schemes and small-scale rainwater harvesting technology development and its contribution to household food security in Ethiopia

Agriculture is a limiting factor for food security in Ethiopia as more than 80% of the population depends on it for livelihoods. In many parts of the country, the frequency and distribution of rainfall and the principal source of water for crop production are getting more unreliable and inadequate and frequent droughts, make irrigation farming indispensable. Despite the high potential for irrigation, the study area remained to be one of the food insecure districts in the region and currently it is supported by the productive safety net program. Information is also missing on the extent to which households who have access to irrigation produce more than those who depend on rainfed agriculture. The study contributes to a comparative analysis of the effect of small scale irrigation. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of small scale irrigation on the food security of rural households. Data were collected from 185 randomly selected rural households in the Goncha-SisoEnesie district of northwest Ethiopia. Descriptive analysis, household food balance model and binary logit regression were employed as tools of data analysis. The result revealed that out of all sampled households, 74% were food secured and 26% were not. The gap in food calorie availability was high ranging from 753-6659 kcal/adult equivalent/day in the study area. Out of 84 irrigation users, 84.5% of them were food secured; whereas only 65.3% of the total 101 non-irrigation users were food secured. In this study, household size, farmland size, access to irrigation, access to credit services, and income from rainfed crop production were the determinant factors of household food security. Small scale irrigation had a direct and indirect positive effect on enhancing household food security status. Thus, the concerned development partners and policymakers should consider the promotion and expansion of irrigated farming in the area.

The effect of small-scale irrigation on household food security of Kindo Didaye District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-933032/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Israel Balta Bakalo ◽

Desalegn Dawit Assele ◽

Nejuma Mohamed ◽

Abayneh Ayele

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Household Head ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Small Scale ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Food ◽

Small Scale Irrigation

Abstract This study aimed to assess the effect of small-scale irrigation on household food security in the Kindo Didaye district. Community-based comparative cross-sectional survey was conducted at Kindo Didaye district, Wolaita zone from September 1st to 30, 2020. Data were collected by using structured questionnaires from 160 irrigation users and 163 non-users. Binary logistic regression analyses were fitted to identify factors associated with household food security. The prevalence of household food security was (87.5% Vs 66.8%, p = < 0.001) for irrigation users and irrigation nonusers, respectively. Family labor, TLU, cultivated land size, training, access to irrigation, and participation in Off-farm activities were positively associated with household food security. While the age of household head and dependency ratio negatively affected household food security.