Irrigation and poverty: The case of the Office du Niger in MaliOriginal Title (non-English) Irrigation et pauvrete : le cas de l'Office du Niger au Mali [French]

摘要

Surveys were carried out in 2004 in the Office du Niger in Mali, to assess the contribution of irrigation schemes to poverty reduction. Results show that the situation is better in the Office du Niger than in any of the other rural areas in Mali, including the Segou region. The investments in irrigation schemes have contributed to strong agricultural growth and a reduction in poverty amongst smallholder farmers. However, this positive effect is eroding because of the deterioration of production conditions, and a reduction in average size of fields due to a combination of population growth and a decrease in the area allocated to smallholders. New attributions are being granted to the private sector.