Wastewater Reuse: An Alternative for Sustainable Agriculture

Africa is seen as one of the continent with the fastest population growth rate in the world. However, her landmass has seen 67% dryness, projecting that one of her problems could be water related. Similarly, maintaining agricultural produce seems to be the most exhaustive part of Africa’s water with 85% being used for irrigation and agricultural activities. Target 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture, terminating hunger; achieving food security and improving the level of nutrition which makes Africa a probable zone. The study assessed different promotion practices in agricultural farmlands spread across Nigeria. In – depth interviews, farm investigations and group interactions amongst others were deployed in other to appraise farm size, water application frequency, and duration of application, water shortage experience, water usage and water saving measures. Quantitative data on water quantity used in farms were also captured. Results showed that water application within the farms relied on withdrawal from aquifers using tanker system. The shortage of water experienced within farms under study lasted for up to 3 hours. This will adversely pose underlying threats to the available water to be used for other purposes and also impede food production during water shortages. The study highlights that rain water harvesting (RWH) practices be carried out to reduce the pressure of agriculture on aquifer resources. The study proposed adequate management procedures that will help salvage the emanating challenges affecting food production