Water Conservation and Management in Semi-Arid and Arid Lands for Sustainable Agriculture

With the population explosion in Nigeria, water requirements have been expanded resulting in competition between agricultural municipal and industrial users for a finite water supply. Water is the major limiting factor in arid land agriculture. Crop yields in the regions are low due to the temporal and spatial variations in rainfall and the lack of appropriate soil, water and crop technology. This has resulted in frequent shortfalls in food production and a deterioration of the resource base in many areas. Efforts to alleviate those problems through research are discussed. This paper gives an extensive review of the various water conservation options that may be adopted in arid land agriculture especially in the semi-arid and arid Northern Nigeria. Some of the reviewed water conservation options that are considered feasible for immediate adoption are proposed. In addition, those conservation options that require additional research prior to being considered for adoption are also highlighted.