The Volta River Basin (VRB) is an important transboundary basin in West Africa that covers approximately 410,000 square kilometres across six countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo. Its natural resources sustain the livelihoods of its population and contribute to economic development. This book provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary review and assessment of the issues and challenges faced. The authors provide a science-based assessment of current and future scenarios of water availability, the demands of key sectors, including agriculture and hydropower, and the environment under changing demographic, economic, social and climatic conditions. They also identify solutions and strategies that will allow available water resources to be sustainably used to improve agricultural productivity, food security and economic growth in the VRB. Overall, the work examines from a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder perspective the solutions and strategies to improve the use of water and other natural resources in the VRB to achieve enhanced food security, livelihoods and economic growth.

Land change studies in a 5,400km2 area within the Volta Basin of Ghana were carried out using satellite image and socio-economic analyses. The dominant change process was conversion of natural vegetation to cropland at an annual rate of 5%. Reversible land change trajectories involving accumulation of woody biomass indicate a certain level of rainfall-induced ecosystem resilience. Linear and logistic regressions identified agricultural land suitability, distance from main market and localities, child-dependency ratio and population density as the main drivers of change. Policy measures that would relieve human pressure on vegetation resources, guarantee food supply and promote commercialization of agriculture are suggested.

This book on dam-affected communities of the Volta River Project breaks with the mould and tackles the question of long term environmental and socio-economic impacts and responses of two often neglected groups of communities- the downstream and lakeside communities.

Sub-Saharan Africa has an irrigation potential of about 42 million hectares of which only 17% is developed. Despite several investments in irrigation the growth is slow. This study aims at helping to achieve sustainable irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa, through gaining a better understanding of productive irrigation water use and effective management of irrigation development. The study is conducted in the White Volta sub-basin specifically in Northern Ghana and Southern Burkina Faso which have been experiencing rapid irrigation development since the mid 1990s. The study identified growing markets for irrigated products as an important driving force behind the expansion of irrigation which has given rise to new technologies. The new technologies have spread because they gave farmers direct control over water sources. These new technologies allow relatively small farm sizes which can be adequately managed by the surveyed farmers. As a result high productivities are achieved. The hydrological impact of upscaling irrigation in the sub-basin is sustainable and will maximize the overall benefits derived from water resources in the Volta Basin.

This comprehensive Handbook describes the implementation of SEA in 18 countries around the world, as well as a critical analysis of different SEA methodologies. It introduces key SEA principles and the legal requirements of the new European SEA Directive, which became law in 2004, and describes the implementation of SEA in 11 European Union countries, as well as the USA, Canada and New Zealand. This is contrasted with SEA requirements of four developing countries.

The study assesses effects of population growth on agricultural land and forest in the Volta River Basin of Ghana. Most districts of the research area are experiencing shortfalls in land suitable for agriculture and deforestation. The number of farm holdings is decreasing and practice of fallow lands (last consequences of the former shifting cultivation) is also vanishing. Although households are wealthier due to new sources of off-farm income, the use of tractor, inorganic fertilizer and improved seed variety for farming is still low due to high costs. On deforestation, increases in fuel wood use and agricultural extensification are the major causes.