How Non-Governmental-Organization-Built Small-Scale Irrigation Systems Are a Failure in Africa

Every year, millions of dollars are invested in irrigation development in Sahelian African countries. After shifting from governmental organizations to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the vulnerability of local populations has not changed much over the last 60 years in Africa. In this study, ten 1 ha small-scale irrigation systems—spread over the two driest climatic zones—were investigated in Burkina Faso. The soils and subsoils were characterized using double-ring infiltration measurements and two soil databases. The irrigation systems’ operability was assessed by sampling 10–12 farmers per system. A total of eight pumping tests were performed on a sample of wells. To assess the yield of cultivated onion, 5 to 7 squares were followed up in each of the 10 systems. Results indicated that water availability was ensured nowhere. The 32 wells were dug in clayey subsoils. Six of them yielded available water Ve flows ranging from 0.0 to 6.1 m3/day, far below the 80 m3/(ha·day) required by onion. To solve this issue, the NGOs shifted to a low-pressure drip irrigation solution, but the too-low pressure of 0.1 bar led to clogging. Ultimately, all 10 systems (except Louda) broke down a few months after the project’s end.