Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana

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dc.creatorAssefa, T. T.
dc.creatorGbodji, Kekeli Kofi
dc.creatorAtampugre, Gerald
dc.creatorLoh, Y. S. A.
dc.creatorBayissa, Y.
dc.creatorTilahun, Seifu A.
dc.date2025-07
dc.date2025-08-28T07:28:47Z
dc.date2025-08-28T07:28:47Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T18:29:23Z
dc.descriptionThe cocoa production in Ghana, largely reliant on rainfall and undertaken by smallholder farmers, is increasingly endangered by climate change-induced water scarcity. Although supplemental irrigation has been posited as an adaptive measure, its hydrological impacts remain understudied. This current study seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to evaluate the hydrological and water resource implications of supplemental irrigation within the Upper Offin sub-basin of Ghana. High-resolution spatial data and field survey inputs were used to model dry period baseline and irrigation scenarios for cocoa farms with gentle slopes (2%). The results reveal that supplemental irrigation from the shallow aquifer can sustainably support irrigation for up to 5% of the cocoa area (4760 ha) without adversely affecting groundwater flow. Extending irrigation to 30% of the cocoa area (28,540 ha) is feasible with minimal reduction in catchment water yield. This study’s novelty lies in integrating high-resolution data with localized management practices to provide actionable insights for balancing cocoa productivity and water sustainability. The findings offer practical recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing that through solar-powered irrigation the shallow groundwater is a pathway to enhance climate resilience of cocoa productivity.
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/176233
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/157422
dc.languageen
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceAssefa, T. T.; Gbodji, K. K.; Atampugre, G.; Loh, Y. S. A.; Bayissa, Y.; Tilahun, S. A. 2025. Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana. Water, 17(13):1841. (Special issue: Sustainable Water Management in Agricultural Irrigation). doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841
dc.subjectsupplemental irrigation
dc.subjectcocoa
dc.subjecthydrological modelling
dc.subjectirrigated farming
dc.subjectwater management
dc.titleHydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana
dc.typeJournal Article

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