Session 2 : Assessment of irrigation potential in Africa
116
At present in Africa, of the total cultivated area estimated at 143.3 million hectares, about 12.2
million hectares benefit from irrigation. While it is true that considerable potential still exists for future
expansion of irrigation, it is also true that water is becoming scarcer in those regions where the need for
irrigation is most important.
FIGURE 1
Assessment of irrigation potential
116
At present in Africa, of the total cultivated area estimated at 143.3 million hectares, about 12.2
million hectares benefit from irrigation. While it is true that considerable potential still exists for future
expansion of irrigation, it is also true that water is becoming scarcer in those regions where the need for
irrigation is most important.
FIGURE 1
Assessment of irrigation potential