Agricultural Water Management in Africa
Lessons Learned and Future Directions
- 1st Edition - January 15, 2026
- Latest edition
- Editors: Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, Aidan Senzanje, Olufunke Cofie
- Language: English
Agricultural Water Management in Africa presents a comprehensive look at the current state of irrigation development and agricultural water management (AWM) practices across Africa… Read more
Agricultural Water Management in Africa presents a comprehensive look at the current state of irrigation development and agricultural water management (AWM) practices across Africa and the Global South. Going beyond just assessment, the book offers actionable guidelines, forward-looking scenarios, and strategic investment plans to help prioritize and implement irrigation and AWM initiatives in the face of climate change.
At the heart of Africa’s push for agricultural transformation is the African Union’s (AU) initiative — the AU Irrigation Development and Agricultural Water Management (AU-IDAWM) program. This framework lays out four key development pathways to drive impactful change in water management across the continent: (i) enhanced water control and watershed management in rain-fed agriculture; (ii) farmer-led irrigation development that empowers local growers; (iii) modernization and expansion of irrigation schemes; (iv) utilization of unconventional water sources for sustainable irrigation.
The book maps out the progress and potential of these pathways on a continental scale, showcasing how the AU-IDAWM framework can shape Africa’s water-secure agricultural future. To enrich this perspective, it also draws on case studies from Asia and Latin America, creating space for meaningful South–South knowledge exchange. It thoughtfully examines cross-cutting themes such as the water–energy–food nexus and the circular economy, placing AWM in the broader context of sustainability and climate resilience.
Whether you are a policymaker, researcher, practitioner, or development partner, this volume delivers critical insights into how smarter water management can drive agricultural growth, food security, and environmental stewardship in Africa and beyond.
At the heart of Africa’s push for agricultural transformation is the African Union’s (AU) initiative — the AU Irrigation Development and Agricultural Water Management (AU-IDAWM) program. This framework lays out four key development pathways to drive impactful change in water management across the continent: (i) enhanced water control and watershed management in rain-fed agriculture; (ii) farmer-led irrigation development that empowers local growers; (iii) modernization and expansion of irrigation schemes; (iv) utilization of unconventional water sources for sustainable irrigation.
The book maps out the progress and potential of these pathways on a continental scale, showcasing how the AU-IDAWM framework can shape Africa’s water-secure agricultural future. To enrich this perspective, it also draws on case studies from Asia and Latin America, creating space for meaningful South–South knowledge exchange. It thoughtfully examines cross-cutting themes such as the water–energy–food nexus and the circular economy, placing AWM in the broader context of sustainability and climate resilience.
Whether you are a policymaker, researcher, practitioner, or development partner, this volume delivers critical insights into how smarter water management can drive agricultural growth, food security, and environmental stewardship in Africa and beyond.
- Highlights fit-for-purpose irrigation strategies at scale and identifies opportunities and challenges of irrigation practices
- Expands understanding of the pathways for AWM, presenting operation and maintenance procedures
- Includes bespoke designs guided by the AWM pathway approach
Agricultural producers, resource managers, irrigation developers, researchers, planners and policymakers, environmental protection services students and academics.
1. Agricultural water management: an overview of concepts
2. The transformative role of treated wastewater in North Africa: lessons learned and future directions
3. Effects of forage plantation on soil quality in the subhumid Ethiopian Highlands: implications for sustainable agriculture
4. Current status of agricultural water management in Africa: progress, challenges, and opportunities
5. Agricultural water management in maize-based systems: challenges, opportunities, and sustainable solutions in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
6. The critical role of water in facilitating agroecology transitions in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa
7. Optimizing water productivity: challenges and opportunities in smallholder irrigation schemes—a case study from South Africa
8. AquaCrop model as a tool to forecast crop yield during the growing season: lessons from Nepal, South Asia
9. Assessment of drip and conventional surface Irrigation in poorly drained, naturally irrigated lands of the Khorezm Region: lessons from Central Asia
10. Impacts and interventions for extreme weather events in Southern Africa
11. Integrated water and land management practices: demand-driven participatory research in the semiarid region of central Tanzania
12. Gender equality and social inclusion in agricultural water management
13. Gender dynamics and power relations in water management and agricultural innovations: a case study of the Mpegnesso’s lowlands in Mali
14. Institutions and governance for agricultural water management in support of resilient food systems
15. Summary: crop-water productivity, the basis of agricultural water management
2. The transformative role of treated wastewater in North Africa: lessons learned and future directions
3. Effects of forage plantation on soil quality in the subhumid Ethiopian Highlands: implications for sustainable agriculture
4. Current status of agricultural water management in Africa: progress, challenges, and opportunities
5. Agricultural water management in maize-based systems: challenges, opportunities, and sustainable solutions in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
6. The critical role of water in facilitating agroecology transitions in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa
7. Optimizing water productivity: challenges and opportunities in smallholder irrigation schemes—a case study from South Africa
8. AquaCrop model as a tool to forecast crop yield during the growing season: lessons from Nepal, South Asia
9. Assessment of drip and conventional surface Irrigation in poorly drained, naturally irrigated lands of the Khorezm Region: lessons from Central Asia
10. Impacts and interventions for extreme weather events in Southern Africa
11. Integrated water and land management practices: demand-driven participatory research in the semiarid region of central Tanzania
12. Gender equality and social inclusion in agricultural water management
13. Gender dynamics and power relations in water management and agricultural innovations: a case study of the Mpegnesso’s lowlands in Mali
14. Institutions and governance for agricultural water management in support of resilient food systems
15. Summary: crop-water productivity, the basis of agricultural water management
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: January 15, 2026
- Language: English
TM
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi is a Professor of climate change, food systems & health at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and serves as the Director of the Lancet Countdown Africa Centre. He adopts a systems approach at the intersection of water, energy, food, environmental, and health systems—commonly referred to as the WEF+ nexus—driving research, teaching and policy-relevant initiatives to strengthen sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. In addition to his role at LSHTM, Tafadzwa is the Lead for the Water-Energy-Food-Environment Nexus for the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the Director of the Institute of Natural Resources. He holds the position of Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, contributing extensively to academic and policy discourse on climate adaptation and sustainable development.
Affiliations and expertise
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Pretoria, South Africa; Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaAS
Aidan Senzanje
Aidan Senzanje is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. His research focuses on irrigation technology, irrigation and agricultural water management and the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus. With over 60 journal articles, 23 book chapters, and four edited volumes, he has made significant contributions to the field. Previously, he served as a Visiting Scientist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pretoria, South Africa. His practical experience includes undertaking technical consultancies in irrigation engineering, agricultural water management, project evaluation and environmental management systems. He was involved in the planning, development and launching of new academic programmes in Land and Water Management for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and the BSc Agricultural Engineering degree at the University of Zimbabwe.
Affiliations and expertise
Senior Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaOC
Olufunke Cofie
Olufunke Cofie is the Africa Director for Research Impact at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), where she provides strategic leadership to enhance the organization's development impact through effective research delivery and engagement with partners across Africa and the Middle East. Her role focuses on improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of IWMI’s research capabilities and creating sustainable water management solutions tailored to the needs of the countries. She has led the design and execution of projects aimed at generating water and agricultural innovations for sustainable development across Africa and the Middle East.
Affiliations and expertise
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Accra, Ghana