Theory question 109
Agriculture, Fishing and LumberingWrite a geographical account of irrigation agriculture in the Niger Basin under the following headings: (a) Areas (b) Methods (c) Crops (d) Problems (e) Solutions
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(a) Inland delta of the Niger in Mali (Office du Niger, Ségou-Mopti); Sokoto-Rima valley; Bacita and Jebba (sugarcane); Kano river project; Hadejia valley; Niger valley in Niger Republic.
(b) Basin or flood irrigation using flood water; perennial irrigation from dams and barrages with canals; pump irrigation from rivers; shaduf and hand watering; sprinkler and drip methods.
(c) Rice, cotton, sugarcane, wheat, millet, sorghum, onions, vegetables, groundnuts, maize.
(d) High cost of dams and canals; silting of reservoirs; soil salinity from evaporation; seasonal flow of rivers; flooding of farms; water weeds; water-borne diseases (bilharzia, malaria); displacement of people.
(e) Better irrigation methods and drainage; dredging of channels; leaching and soil treatment against salinity; storing flood water; clearing weeds; medical care; resettlement and compensation; government funding and modern technology.
Write short notes under each of the five headings.