Africa is a water scarce continent with 1 in 3 people being affected by the problem of water scarcity. This means that as securing clean water for drinking is a challenge, economic development in agriculture is therefore impossible. In addition to this water problem, climate change has led to reduction of rainfall days with the available days being intermittent and extreme. This means that farmers relying on direct rainfall for agriculture do not get yields as high rain ruin their crop, then stops after some time leaving the remaining crops to dry. This is rendering the so called food baskets of Africa unproductive leading to increased poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Africa.
To ensure continued food production and to grow a food secure Africa, AfricaSMAT aims at ensuring there’s low dependence of rain-fed agriculture by ensuring farmers have water to engage in irrigation through saving the rain and creating sustainable environments.