Groundwater for Food Security in
Sub-Saharan Africa –
Understanding the Local Context
Karen G. Villholth
IWMI – International Water
Management Institute
UN Food Systems Summit 2021 - Side Events
06 July 2021
Side Event convened by:
• African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)
• Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda
• Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Namibia
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• African Development Bank
• World Bank

Food is water

Surface water vs Groundwater
GW is everywhere and perennial

Uncommitted GW irrigation potential
in Africa
Percentage of
present GWI area
Altchenko and Villholth (2015)

The groundwater value chain in agriculture
Extension services
Policies
Groundwater
value chain Groundwater Wells Pumps
Power/
energy

Groundwater irrigation typology
Depth of wells
Deep Shallow
Funding
source
Private 1. Commercial,
larger-scale,
mechanized,
export-oriented
2. Informal, small-
scale, farmer-
driven
Public 3. Deep systems,
subsidized
4. Shallow systems,
subsidized
Villholth, 2013

Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

Type 4

Prospects for enhanced GW irrigation
outcomes
Water saving: ~40%
Energy saving: ~30%
Increased crop productivity: ~70%
Decreased nutrient losses: ~60% Magombeyi et al. (2021)

Citizen science for sustainable GW use
Goldin et al. (2021)

GRIPP objective
Sustainable groundwater management for livelihoods, food security, climate
resilience and economic growth
http://gripp.iwmi.org/

References
• Altchenko, Y. and K.G. Villholth (2014). Mapping irrigation potential from renewable groundwater in
Africa – a quantitative hydrological approach. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1055-1067,
DOI:10.5194/hess-19-1055-2015.
• Ebrahim, G.Y., J.F. Lautze, and K.G. Villholth (2020). Managed Aquifer Recharge in Africa: taking stock
and looking forward. Water, 12, 1844; doi:10.3390/w12071844.
• Ebrahim, G.Y., K.G. Villholth, and M. Boulos (2019). Supporting sustainable agricultural groundwater
use in the Hout Catchment, Limpopo Province, South Africa - Application of an integrated
hydrogeological model. Hydrogeol. J., 27, 965-981. DOI: 10.1007/s10040-019-01957-6.
• Goldin, J, R. Mokomela, T. Kanyerere, and K.G. Villholth (2021). Diamonds on the soles of their feet:
Groundwater monitoring in the Hout Catchment, South Africa. J. Educ. Sustain. Dev. 15:1, 25-50.
doi:10.1177/09734082211014435.
• Giordano, M., C. de Fraiture, E. Weight, & J. van der Bliek (2012). Water for wealth and food security.
Supporting Farmer-Driven Investments in Agricultural Water Management. Synthesis Report of the
AgWater Solutions Project.
• Magombeyi, M., J. Lautze, and K.G. Villholth (2021). Agricultural water and nutrient management
solutions to support smallholder irrigation schemes: Lessons from the Ramotswa Transboundary
Aquifer Area, Limpopo River Basin. Project Brief. Transboundary Water Management in Southern
Africa.
• Siebert, S., J. Burke, J.M. Faures, K. Frenken, J. Hoogeveen, P. Döll, & F.T. Portmann (2010).
Groundwater use for irrigation - a global inventory. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 7, 3977–4021.
• Villholth, K.G. (2013). Groundwater irrigation for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa – a synthesis of
current knowledge to guide sustainable outcomes. Wat. Int., 38(4), 369–391, DOI:
10.1080/02508060.2013.821644.
• Xenarios, S. & P. Pavelic, 2013. Assessing and forecasting groundwater development costs
in Sub-Saharan Africa. Water SA, 39(4). 529-538.

Thank You
Karen Villholth
k.villholth@cigar.org
Twitter: @KVillholth
https://amcow-online.org/initiatives/amcow-pan-
african-groundwater-program-apagrop