ASSESSING WATER SECURITY AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES IN THE SISILI-KULPAWN BASIN OF THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

This study assessed water security and adaptation strategies in the Sisili-Kulpawn Basin (SKB) of the Northern Region (NR) of Ghana. A sample size of 200 households were considered which comprised of 100 irrigators and 100 non-irrigators. The study used the Water Poverty Index approach to assess the level of water security in the study area. The findings of this model indicated that only Yagaba was water secured but Loagri, Kunkwa and Wiasi were water insecured areas. The findings on adaptation measures revealed that drought resistant varieties and adjustingto plantingdate were the most practiced strategies among non-irrigators whiles short duration crops and mulching were the most practiced adaptationstrategiesamongirrigators.Therecursivemodelwasusedtoestimatetheeffects of water security on adaptation strategies and the effects of adaptation strategies on farm income.TheMultivariate Probitmodelwasusedtoestimatethedeterminantsofadaptation strategiesandeffectsofwatersecurityonadoption.Theresultsrevealedthatwatersecurity, off-farm, farm size, farm experience, extension services, number crops of grown and sex were the factors that affect the choice of adaptation measure. The study also deployed the Instrumental Variable regression to estimate the effects of adaptation strategies on farm income.Theresultsindicatedthatpredictedvalueofadaptationstrategy,weedicide,labour, farm size, household size, irrigation and number of crops cultivated were affecting farm income. The Kendall’s coefficient of Concordance was used to rank the constraints in the study area. Inadequate water for Irrigation and inadequate extension visits were the main problems faced by farmers. The study concluded that Loagri, Kunkwa and Wiasi were the water insecured communities and recommends the need for a capacitybuildingtrainingon adaptation strategies to strengthen their water management abilities.