By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 30, GNA – The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has called for wider adoption of digital water technologies to improve water management, irrigation efficiency and agricultural resilience across Africa.
Dr Abdulkarim Seid, IWMI’s Country Representative for Ethiopia and Regional Representative, said satellite observation, artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital tools could help African countries address critical gaps in water data.
He was speaking at the opening of a two-day Pan-African Symposium on “Shaping Africa’s Digital Water Future” (DIWASA 2026) in Accra.
The symposium has brought together technology developers, researchers, policymakers and water management practitioners to demonstrate digital solutions, exchange experiences and identify ways to expand their use beyond pilot projects.
The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Africa 2025 report, published in June 2026, highlights the growing risks from extreme weather, including floods and droughts, which threaten livelihoods and water security across the continent.
Dr Seid, who leads the Digital Innovations for Water Secure Africa (DIWASA) project, said many African countries lacked adequate information on agricultural water use, making it difficult to assess efficiency and productivity or plan irrigation systems effectively.
“Agricultural water use is the least monitored,” he said, noting that without reliable data, countries could not accurately determine how efficiently water was being used or make informed decisions on irrigation.
He said satellite observations and other digital innovations offered opportunities to monitor water resources remotely, but many African countries lacked the capacity to process and apply the available data.
Dr Seid said DIWASA had trained more than 1,000 people and recorded over 100,000 users accessing its continental data products online, exceeding its initial target of reaching 25,000 people.
In Ghana, the project is working with the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) to apply Earth observation tools to improve water management at the Botanga Irrigation Scheme,” he added.
Mr John Dumelo, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, said reliable water information was essential for farmers to make decisions on planting, crop selection and land cultivation amid increasingly uncertain rainfall.
He said the technologies could help irrigation managers assess water distribution, identify areas requiring attention and improve the performance of irrigation schemes.
Dr Valere Nzeyimana, Senior Water Development and Management Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Regional Office for Africa, said satellite technology, geospatial analytics and AI were helping shift water management from reactive responses to predictive, evidence-based decisions.
The Accra symposium is expected to launch IWMI’s AI strategy, a suite of DIWASA tools and the Africa Water Accounting Atlas, while strengthening partnerships to scale up interoperable digital solutions.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Edward Acquah
Reporter’s email address:[email protected]