A research team writing in the International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development has looked at agriculture in Ghana and puts forward a compelling case for rethinking how water is managed in such areas as the country’s Upper West Region.
As Sub-Saharan Africa struggles to cope with environmental and demographic pressures, the team argues that combining circular water management with nanotechnology could provide a sustainable and scalable solution to the deepening crisis of water scarcity and food insecurity. Despite the fact that agriculture is the backbone of rural economies across Sub-Saharan Africa, underpinning livelihoods, food supply, and contributing significantly to gross domestic product, it is increasingly vulnerable. Climate change has made rainfall less predictable. Population growth is intensifying demand for food and water. Over-reliance on rain-fed farming, coupled with widespread environmental degradation and the mismanagement of water resources, has led to declining yields and more problems for rural communities.
The research involved interviews with experts and focus group discussions to look at how innovation might help agricultural water use. The work advocates for circular water management: a system in which water is reused and recycled through closed loops, minimizing waste and conserving resources. The use of nanotechnology could facilitate this kind of approach by providing effective contaminant removal or desalination of retrieved irrigation water. Nano-membranes and filters can isolate harmful substances at a fraction of the cost and energy required by water-processing systems. Circular water management could thus reduce a farm’s reliance on unpredictable rainfall and limits the need for additional water extraction from rivers and aquifers.
The researchers focused on Ghana in their study, but the findings could be used across Sub-Saharan Africa, where smallholder farmers face almost identical challenges. By boosting resilience and productivity through reduced water use, the approach could help reduce poverty, improve nutrition, and create jobs.
Boon, E.K., Gross, T.K.F., Oppong-Boateng, R. and Karintseva, O. (2025) ‘Circular water management solutions for optimising irrigated agricultural production in Ghana: the relevance of nanotechnology’, Int. J. Environment and Sustainable Development, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp.115–144.