Spatial evaluation of surface water irrigation potential areas to improve rural crop productivity in the Gomma district, southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

The cycle of food insecurity caused by poor water management practices poses major concerns for the sustainability of living balance in Southwestern Ethiopia’s smallholder agricultural areas. The prior study looked at crop land suitability assessments. However, there are still knowledge gaps on irrigation infrastructure sites. As a result, this research was launched to evaluate the surface water irrigation (SWI) potential of river watersheds in the Gomma area, southwestern Ethiopia. To identify possible SWI, biophysical parameters such as topography, stream order, soil texture, land use-land cover, drainage density, and climate elements were analyzed. Potential SWI sites were identified using multiple-criteria decision-making analysis from the sources of information reviewed, which were applied for selecting suitable sites. A comparison matrix, weighted analysis, Boolean-operations, and survey approaches. The analysis findings reveal that about 16% of the Gomma is highly suitable (S1) for drip or sprinkler surface water irrigation (SWI) schemes, while 7% and 77% of the total fall under the categories of moderate and unsuitable for SWI, respectively. At the catchment level, the most irrigable catchments in Didessa, Naso, Awetu, Tamsa, and Urgessa were found to be approximately 1838, 1626, 1484, 1107, and 910 ha of total area, respectively. In contrast to prior outcomes, the eventual eligibility map of foreseeable SWI zones are squarely distributed over the study region. In conclusion, to optimize the impact on agricultural productivity and water resource management, it is advised to prioritize the implementation of drip or sprinkler surface water irrigation (SWI) schemes in areas identified as highly suitable.

Keywords:

• Food security
• smallholder agriculture
• surface water irrigation

Reviewing Editor:

• Tejada Manuel, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

Subjects:

• Agriculture & Environmental Sciences
• Environment & Resources
• Environment & Society
• Conservation - Environment Studies

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Agaro Town’s water resource design and supervision team, as well as smallholder agrarians in the Dedessa, Nasu Awetu, and Tamsa catchments, for their assistance during parameter comparisons.

Authors contributions

AM and KTD have designed the study. AM carried out fieldwork and collected data. AM and KTD carried out remote sensing analysis and document analysis. KTD and MM prepared the manuscript. KW contributed to manuscript editorials, and literature work.

Notes on contributors

The authors, senior lecturers and researchers at Ethiopian governmental higher institutions, passionate in diverse fields such as environmental modeling, land use dynamics, soil and climate studies, ecosystem management, forestry, hydrology, and urban-regional growth. Their passion for sustainable development permeates their work, reflected in numerous publications in reputable journals and voluntary reviewer roles. With a robust academic background and practical experience, they significantly contribute to advancing knowledge in their domains. Their voluntary service ensures the integrity of scholarly research. Overall, their multifaceted expertise and commitment to scientific excellence make them invaluable contributors to environmental science and sustainable development, not only within Ethiopia but also on a global scale.

Consent form

We agreed to submit the original manuscript to Cogent Food and Agriculture, and approved the original manuscript for submission.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data is included in the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Not available.