Water resources management in smallholder farms in Eastern and Southern Africa: An overview

Livelihood security in Eastern and Southern Africa is strongly dependent on rainfall distribution and land management practices among smallholder farmers. Over 95 % of the land used for food production is based on rainfed agriculture. The major challenge for the rural communities, representing up to 80 % of the population in certain countries, is to improve the productivity of the arable land and the available water resources. This paper gives an outline of the hydrological challenges facing smallholder farmers with focus on water scarce areas. The importance of rainfall partitioning rather than rainfall totals is discussed. The main focus is on the management of rural water using low-tech practices, both for domestic purposes and for crop production. Case studies from Eastern and Southern Africa are presented, showing the potential of stabilising the water supply over time both for livestock, household use, and for crop production. The challenges facing research and extension of introducing water management on different scales (household, community, catchment) is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.