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 farm ers. Over 95 % of the land used for food production is based on rainfed agr iculture. The major challenge for the rural communities, representing up to 80 % of the population in certain countries, is to improve the productivit y of the arable land and the available water resources. This paper gives an outline of the hydrological challenges facing smallholder farmers with foc us on water scarce areas. The importance of rainfall partitioning rather th an rainfall totals is discussed. The main focus is on the management of rur al water using low-tech practices, both for domestic purposes and for crop production. Case studies from Eastern and Southern Africa are presented, sh owing the potential of stabilising the water supply over time both for live stock, household use, and for crop production. The challenges facing resear ch and extension of introducing water management on different scales (house hold, community, catchment) is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved.