In 1997, the Food and Agriculture organisation of the United Nations estimated the irrigation potential of the Limpopo basin at 295 400 ha based on land and water resources and appropriate cropping patterns (FAO 1997).
Irrigation Potential of the Limpopo basin.
|
Country
|
Irrigation Potential (ha)
|
Irrigation water requirements (Mm3/year)
|
Irrigated Area (ha)
|
|
Botswana1
|
5 000
|
53
|
1 381
|
|
Mozambique
|
148 000
|
1 702
|
40 000
|
|
South Africa
|
131 500
|
1 578
|
198 000
|
|
Zimbabwe1
|
10 900
|
120
|
4 000
|
|
TOTAL
|
295 400
|
3 453
|
243 381
|
1Other literature has given Botswana and Zimbabwe higher irrigation water requirements thereby reducing the irrigation potential estimates herein.
Source: FAO 1997
An example of pivot irrigation near Alldays, South Africa.
Source: Hatfield 2010
( click to enlarge )
