Water plays a crucial role in human well-being, socioeconomic development and environmental health. Water availability is affected by many factors, including, but not limited to, climate variability and change, urbanization, industrialization and the need to produce more food to feed the growing population. A major challenge is exploring available water resources to balance the competing demand for water for domestic use, agriculture and other productive uses while maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring future water security.
There is a growing dependence on groundwater for diverse users and uses. In particular, shallow groundwater is used extensively for small-scale and farmer-led irrigation in many West African countries, from coastal to Sahelian agro-ecological zones. However, there are significant knowledge gaps related to the quantity of available groundwater resources and sustainable management of the resource. Thus, there is a pressing need to utilize existing knowledge and sustainable solutions to explore groundwater for diverse uses. Key issues that must be addressed include: deciding on the best time to irrigate using groundwater, conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water resources, mitigating trade-offs, and making groundwater irrigation accessible and affordable for smallholder farmers in an equitable and environmentally sustainable manner.
The objective of the webinar is to provide a case for promoting sustainable groundwater irrigation for building climate resilience in West Africa. The webinar will provide perspectives on the role and potential of groundwater to enhance socioeconomic development, water security, and climate and ecosystem resilience through targeted investments.
The webinar is aimed at planners, decision makers, water users, development workers, researchers, private sector organizations, investors and all stakeholders who are interested in the sustainable use of groundwater resources in West Africa.
Zoom ID: 833 9344 3997
Passcode: 704010