Small-scale irrigation schemes and livelihood sustainability in arid and semi-arid land: a case of Makaror Location, Wajir County, Kenya

Abstract

Irrigation has been regarded as a powerful factor for providing food security, protection against adverse weather conditions and increased prospects for employment. It also brings about stable income, greater opportunity for multiple cropping and crop diversification. In semi-arid areas of Kenya, the growth of production and commercialization of horticultural crops is linked to the increase in smallholder irrigation and adoption of new technologies. Despite this initiative, the resultant consequences have been varied, with some attaining their intended goals; while others becoming a cropper. The purpose of this study was to assess how small-scale irrigation scheme influences livelihood sustainability in Makaror location- an ASAL area. The study was steered by the following research objectives: to determine the extent that small-scale irrigation has diversified household crop-based food; to assess the extent to which small-scale irrigation has influenced the sustainability of livestock production; to find out the extent to which small-scale irrigation has enhanced family income; and to examine the influence of irrigation agriculture on livelihood assistance. The study is grounded in the perspective that valuable insights about the roles of irrigation on household livelihoods can be obtained. The study was guided by the sustainable livelihoods theoretical framework, which was developed by the Department for International Development (DFID). The study employed a concurrent mixed research design to assess the role of irrigation in poverty reduction within Makaror location. The study targeted 13400 farmers and 9 food security managers comprising of one government official working in the Ministry of Agriculture, livestock, water, and irrigation; one official from the Northern and Arid and Semi-Arid Development; and six officials each from the six NGOs working on food security in Makaror location. A sample size of 143 respondents was derived from the total target population. Purposive sampling was employed to select all agricultural extension officers. The simple random sampling technique was used to select the farmers. The study used the questionnaire and interview schedules in data collection. The pilot study was done to determine the validity of the research instruments. Data analysis employed the use of both qualitative and quantitative techniques. the study findings indicated that eighty-six percent (86%) of the respondents agreed that irrigation farming had enabled the farmers enjoy different types of food. the ninety-four percent (94 %) of the respondents agreed that cows, camels and goats are able to produce more milk due to enhanced irrigation. eighty-two percent (82%), of the respondents agreed that irrigation enabled small-scale farmers to produce surplus food which they can sell and eighty percent (80%), strongly agreed that the government has been allocating more funds in the budgets to the arid areas to be used for irrigation. The findings of this study will assist the policy makers in identifying some of the weaknesses in the existing irrigation and also lead to the development of new ways of reducing poverty. The study concludes that small-scale irrigation has played a crucial role in diversifying household crop-based food production and that diversification has contributed to improved food security in the region, reducing the dependency on rain-fed agriculture. The study recommends that there should be promotion of the cultivation of a diverse range of crops suitable for the local climate, integrated farming systems that combine crop production with livestock rearing, support value addition and post-harvest processing of agricultural products and provide training and capacity-building programs for the local community to develop skills related to irrigation agriculture, including water management, crop management, and irrigation system maintenance.