HYDROLOGY, WATER DEMAND AND AVAILABILITY FOR AGRICULTURE AND DOMESTIC USE IN THE LOWER NIGER RIVER BASIN

ABSTRACT

Growing water demands and unsustainable use of natural resources in the lower Niger Basin has placed an increased strain on the hydrology of the basin and further threatened the livelihood of many.The water resources of the Lower Niger River basin are under severe stress due to agricultural activities, climate variability and energy demand. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the likely future water use on the surface water resources of the Lower Niger River basin. Water evaluation and planning software was employed to analyze the water demand and requirements within the study area. Using the Expression Builder tool the “Growth Form” function within the WEAP model was used to project the population of the reference period (2018-2025). The population projection was considered for only four states (Kogi, Delta, Anambra and Bayelsa) as this are the major states covered by the study area while the selection of towns were considered based on proximity to the Niger River and social economic activity of the town. To incorporate the water demand function into the WEAP model, two water use sectors were considered and they are; domestic water use and Agriculture Water use were made for the farm land size in hectare, crop type and water requirement based on settlement categories.