Irrigation governance and vegetable crop yields: the case of small-scale schemes in northern Ghana

Abstract

In Ghana, although small-scale irrigation schemes have been constructed over the years to improve agricultural performance and rural livelihoods, it is reported that these schemes perform poorly, possibly due to weak management by Water User Associations (WUAs). In this paper, a set of indicators of irrigation governance is developed and used to assess the relationship between irrigation governance and irrigated crop yields in selected small-scale irrigation schemes in northern Ghana. Based on a set of 46 indicators, six dimensions of irrigation governance are distinguished. Regression analysis show that yield per irrigated area is positively associated with the extent to which farmers perceive their participation in the joint management of irrigation schemes, and negatively associated with the extent to which farmers perceive that conflicts on land- and water use are managed well by WUAs. Rules and regulations regarding conflict resolutions in the study area need to be reviewed to discourage free riding and thus break the negative relationship between conflict resolution and irrigated crop yields.