Geospatial analyses to identify suitable land and development potential
options for irrigation and rainfed agriculture scenarios, Ethiopia
Abstract
Agriculture is the leading sector in the Ethiopian economy, which
contributes about 44 percent of the total GDP as compared to 14 percent
from industry and 42 percent from services. Although it is still the
dominant sector, most of Ethiopia’s cultivated land is under rainfed
agriculture, and only 7.5 percent of irrigable areas are under
irrigation schemes. The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify
where and quantify highly suitable areas for irrigation schemes and
rainfed and analyze the gaps with the existing areas for irrigation &
rainfed, (2) identify development potentials for both irrigation and
rainfed scenarios by using determining factors affecting their
potential, (3) draw the attention and provide a better guide for
investment decisions that would enhance national & regional development
potential in boosting agricultural production and productivity in
Ethiopia. Regarding land suitability, different input datasets were
analyzed and suitable areas were identified for irrigation and rainfed
agriculture. Some common variables were used to identify land
suitability of both scenarios (irrigation and rainfed) including
agroecology, slope classes, land use land cover types, road networks,
soil types, and districts and town populations. Whereas rainfall and
rainfall variability were additional inputs for rainfed agriculture but
the river and river flow rates were used as additional inputs for land
suitability for irrigable areas. Furthermore, five major factors were
identified to model development potential options for rainfed and
irrigations scenarios, which are (1) land suitability, (2) agroecology,
(3) population density, (4) market access, and (5) length of growing
periods. These